Lumpectomy- no evidence of malignancy?

Slate, it is a very common outcome!  The newest core needles are very very large, and surgeons are usually very aggressive with the number of cores they take (especially if you are tolerating the procedure well - which thanks to valium I did).  All told I am pretty sure my biopsy had well over 1.5cms of tissue in total!  I sent my original pathology out for a second opinion before I decided to have radiation.  I would have sent my lumpectomy specimen too, but the original path was updated (a little worse than the first one in terms of how many foci there where and how much total) and it was a deal-sealer for me.

Size is only one consideration in whether or not to have radiation.  Grade, your age (particularly pre- or post-menopausal), and ER-status (Tamoxifen) are all factors that the radiation oncologist will go over with you when you meet about radiation.  

That's really great news!

I think my biopsy removed my DCIS as well.  I had the lumpectomy and skipped the radiation and tamoxifen.  No problems nine years later, so I know I made the correct choices.

my cancer was found on an mri so i had an mri guided biopsy.  after they did the biopsy they sent me back through the mri machine and nothing lit up so they figured all had been removed with biopsy.  i had lumpectomy any way and path report showed no cancer in lumpectomy.  i had 25 rads (no boosts) and was on tamoxifen until i had an allergic reaction 3months in.  now i am not taking anything and contimplating a double mastectomy without reconstruction because i refuse to try any other drugs.

The last couple of posts confuse me.

McKenna, it sounds as though you have the best possible situation (except of course for the DCIS diagnosis itself).  A small grade 1 DCIS that was fully removed during the biopsy.  And then surgery, which probably resulted in nice wide margins.  To be honest, if it were me, at that point I don't think I would have had rads, although I certainly understand why others would choose to have rads.  With your diagnosis and with the treatment you've had, I would imagine that your recurrence risk is in the low single digits, probably no more than 5%.  So while you can take Tamoxifen to lower your recurrence risk even further, there really isn't a whole lot more that it can be lowered.  Of course, Tamox. is also a preventative that can reduce your risk of a new BC in either breast, but the medical community is mixed on the benefits of prescribing Tamoxifen to 'high risk' women.  I had a single mastectomy and discussed Tamoxifen with my oncologist, as way to reduce the risk of BC for my remaining breast; my oncologist actually recommended against Tamoxifen for me.  That doesn't mean it's not right for you but it's just to make the point that there isn't agreement on the need for Tamoxifen.  

Given what seems to be your very low recurrence risk, what's causing your worry and your thoughts that you might want to have a BMX?

Susannah, what is it about McKenna's post that caused you concern? Everyone's situation is different. Your BC was discovered on an ultrasound; your MRI resulted in a couple of false positives. Given that, I would think that a mammo and ultrasound is the logical screening for you; if anything suspicious shows up, then I would expect that you will be sent for an MRI.  MRIs are usually considered diagnostic and are not usually are not recommended for screenings; in your case, since your cancer was detected by the ultrasound, I don't see why you would be worried that you are not having the MRI.  Given your history of BC, you may want to talk to your doctor about your on-going screening; it may be appropriate to include MRIs on an annual basis or perhaps once every couple of years.  But personally I wouldn't worry about not having the MRI now, for your 6 month screening.  I'd be more worried that an MRI would result in false positives again!