bilateral breast cancer diognosis

cammymiichelle
cammymiichelle Member Posts: 1
edited September 2014 in Just Diagnosed


Hi I am new to this and my first time posting . I welcome any comments !  I was diagnosed with bilateral invansive ducal carcinoma on my right and left side . The drs stressed the fact that it was too two different cancers completely unrelated. My only option was double mastectomy , could not have radiation on both sides . On aug 14, 2014 I had dbl mastectomy with immediate reconstruction when my path report came back it shows cancer only on right side ! The left side shows no residual tumor !! No trace of cancer ! I am very confused because the only reason I had such a drastic surgery was because I was told that cancer was on BOTH sides

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  • wrenn
    wrenn Member Posts: 2,707
    edited September 2014

    so sorry for your diagnosis and for them getting it wrong.  I had double for balance reasons and the othe side showed pre cancerous changes so the surgeon said it was good I had both removed. It is really hard to get it right all the time.

    Did your doctors explain how the diagnosis was 'off''? Do they mention the type? Did you get your pathology report? That report should give you a lot of information.  It is all a nightmare in the beginning. I hope you have support.

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  • WinningSoFar
    WinningSoFar Member Posts: 951
    edited September 2014

    I agree with wrenn that further investigation is needed.  I'll tell you my personal story, which shows that docs don't always get it right.  A PET/CT scan showed some uptake (probably cancer) in my inframammary lymph nodes.  The head radiologist did a biopsy in that area, guided by sonogram, was "100% positive" she had the right spot, and the biopsy was clear.  Six months later, another PET/CT scan showed more uptake and more lymph nodes involved.

    After 3 cycles of Abraxane, all the uptake is gone.  So it was cancer the entire time. 

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  • Morwenna
    Morwenna Member Posts: 1,063
    edited September 2014

    It sounds a little like my experience, but I had unclear margins after my lumpectomy. On the removed piece of breast, which was 8cm long, the path report said that it was positive for cancer at both the medial and lateral margins, giving the size of the tumour to be "greater than 8cm". So I proceeded to a total mastectomy, only for the path result from the second surgery to come back as no evidence of disease!

    So I don't know for sure how big my tumour was, although I think if it is more than 5-6 cm it's just classed as "large".

    And did the tumour coincidentally end at both extremities of what they initially excised??

    My surgeon remarked that no evidence of disease in the second surgery was great news! I guess so, but I was, like, WTF???? :o

    Anyway, they can't put it back, so .... moving on! 

    Addendum: I feel horrible with one big breast, and I "don't trust it" anyway, so I'm booked for a prophylactic mastectomy and bilat reconstruction. Just got a date for October! 

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