Diagnosed DCIS, Stage 0-1...then the MRI
After mammogram and ultrasound showed suspicious areas. a stereotactic biopsy was done. Got the results that cancer cells were present. Met with the surgeon who said I am going to okay..lumpectomy, radiation and drug for 5-10 years, or mastectomy. Was sent for MRI and just went back today for MRI results...I had decided on the lumpectomy prior to going today. Got the results of the MRI today and it showed that my DCIS is there...about 3cm. It also showed two very small lesions in another area which could not be confirmed as cancer but looked suspicious. The surgeon said we could do another biopsy of that area, and if I chose the lumpectomy they would have to go in and put wires...and take out the tissue..and it could get to be more tissue depending..and possibly not getting clean margins and then having to go through mastectomy. Will I be upset if the lesions are not cancer after they do mastectomy? Some chose to do mastectomy instead of lumpectomy to begin with?? My fear is if I do lumpectomy and they end up not getting it all and it comes back..... If I do mastectomy my fear is pain and was it unnecessary mastectomy? It could come back if I have lumpectomy? You can see here I am having great difficulty with this even though its not as bad as others problems...but I think what news is next? What else can I be told if I opt to go for the Mastectomy?? Is that it?? Am I done? Any words to help me would be greatly appreciated!!!!!
Comments
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TP, these decisions are hard. You can always get a second opinion if you feel you need to. I don't think you need to rush with your decision, but I'm sure you want to move on. Have you had a BRAC test done for a genetic mutation? That may change the treatment recommendation. Family History? My BS took my records before the tumor board and they all agreed with her that a LX was a good option for me. Luckily, she got clear margins, etc. Get as much information as you need to make the decision that is right for you and don't second guess yourself once you have made it. You will know what's best for you. Good luck!
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Thanks for replying. I am just freaked out that the MRI showed something else..and I worry about what else...this started out as just dcis...and now mri shows two additional lesions that may or may not be anything. So In my head I am thinking what will the pathology report show once they do the mastectomy? With mastectomy I was told no radiation...could something change that too??? Trying to think positive here and I have held it together since the last week of August.. kept telling myself that I am going to be okay...
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Thinking Positive, I had a similar experience to yours. I had a mammogram and it showed need for further biopsies on both sides. I had one side done and it showed I did in fact have cancer but it was small. I had more testing done and the doctors could still not determine if the calcifications on the other side needed biopsy. Finally, they did biopsy them but decided to be safe, they would do MRI. I made my plans for a lumpectomy after reading and discussing and thinking for about a week. Then, my MRI results showed something extra in the breast with confirmed cancer they had not previously seen. This was not cancer but had to come out. The surgeon told me that with removing the orig. cancer and now this new thing, it would not give me a very good outcome and recommended mastectomy. I was just sick, I could not bear the idea of it. I read and looked at pictures, cried and finally, got a grip on myself and said ok, I can do this. I had actually prayed and asked for God's guidance and actually the position of the non cancer was right under the nipple so there was no other way to get it out, other than leave a pretty big mess. So, I'll get to my point. I had the mastectomy and they found a VERY large area of DCIS they were not expecting and they said there was no way they would have ever gotten clear margins had I had the lumpectomy and I would have had to had a second surgery. Hopefully, they can biopsy or something to find out for sure for you but in hindsight, I am glad I had the mastectomy. In fact, I had elected to go to a breast center rather than to my local doctor and had I stayed with my local doctor, who does not have breast MRI, I would have had a lumpectomy and unknown to me or him, DCIS would have likely been missed only to show up later. I only had mastectomy on one side and I will say, the surgery was not as bad as I feared. I am now doing reconstruction. It is a process and it takes time but the actual surgery was not terrible. Now do realize, my orig.cancer was invasive, not like yours, so I can see where you would have more reason to not go with mastectomy but just take your time, as some said, maybe get a second opinion and hopefully a biopsy of those places they are not sure about.
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This is just a partial opinion: I've had two lumpectomies and one mastectomy on my right side. I really didn't see a lot of difference between the pain/discomfort between the lumpectomy and mastectomy. The only thing I wish is that I'd had the mastectomy to begin with instead of cutting off the dog's tail an inch at a time. That's another issue though.
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I had a biopsy that confirmed DCIS then a lumpectomy with involved margins. I got an MRI that indicated the DCIS was much more extensive than previously thought and also found some suspicious spots in the other breast. Because the lumpectomy was not a hard surgery, I tried a second lumpectomy but the margins were involved again. Then I knew I would have to have MX. I chose to have BMX because of the suspicious spots on the other side, which turned out to be nothing, just false positives which can occur MRIs. I don't regret trying the second lumpectomy, and I don't regret the unnecessary prophylactic MX. I made my best decisions based on what I knew at the time and the risk I felt comfortable dealing with. The rest was out of my control.
The decision between lumpectomy and mastectomy is very difficult. The survival rates are similar but the rate of recurrence is much higher for lumpectomy, probably due to missed areas. In my second lumpectomy, one of the margins marked clear in the first lumpectomy was found to be involved. There can be "skips" in the ducts between areas of DCIS. Usually radiation is not recommended after MX but it can happen when higher-stage cancer is found or when margins are very small. Mastectomy requires deciding for or against reconstruction and, if the former, what kind. I've had pain since the MX, not too terrible but kind of there often. I've also had a complication with my reconstruction that requires two more surgeries. Not what I was hoping for.
I'm sorry you have to make these decisions. It really stinks. Research the options, make your best choice, and be ready for the next curve ball. One day this will be behind you and life will take on a new sweetness because you made it through all of this! Best wishes!
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Thank you all for your posts.. makes it a little better to know there are people to talk to who have experienced the same or similar. My BS got me an appointment to talk to the Plastic Surgeon after I left her office to discuss the options and I have to say its more complicated than I thought.. to the point where maybe no reconstruction is the answer??. I am just not too sure about this... really seems to be a long process with a lot of pain and then there are risks. I am just hoping that this is it...but I can't stop thinking ...
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You can also have delayed reconstruction if you choose/need to have the MX but don't want to deal with the additional surgery. Of course there are decisions to be made there too, but I've heard some encouraging stories of fairly quick recoveries after MX when reconstruction is not done (~2 weeks?). Fortunately with DCIS, you have some time to think about it and let it sink in. I needed a few rounds of seeing photos of women with no reconstruction and different types of reconstruction to get used to what my options were (and get used to the scars and the differences from natural breasts).
It's so hard to get your brain to focus on anything else during the decision-making process!!! You will feel relief when you have a plan in place. Try to give yourself a break here and there and do something to take your mind of things. Even 5 minutes feels like a break!
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My worry is what were the other two very small spots that they found on the MRI...not in same location as original DCIS..a little further away.. could it be something different and after MX find out that I am still not done with this?? I guess anything is possible and just have to take it one step at time.
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