Surgery, dense breasts, HER2+ and me

Bippy,

I too, had dense breast and lumpy girls, triple negative, no family history either...because of the aggressive type of cancer I had, I decided on BMX..I truly did not want to live in fear of a recurrence in the 'other' breast..I just had surgery Aug 19th after going through 6 months of chemo..I DO NOT want to go back through that again..So BMX was the only way for me..

Only you can make the decision of what is best for you..

Does anyone else have any comments to contribute?  I was looking for info on this too - and found bippy, who's in my chemo August 2014 group! 

Hello and welcome! I will be having both removed tomorrow. I also have very dense breasts, which was news to me. I have 3 tumors so far and 2 were only found by ultrasound. Right one has to come off because BS said by the time he took 3 chunks hoping to get clear margins, I wouldn't have anything left and I decided if one went, the other one was too. I don't ever want to go through this again and the fact that it took an U/S to find some of these scared me so it seemed right for me. It's a very personal decision and pros and cons on either side. Just follow your heart, do some research, talk to the wonderful ladies here and do what's best for you!! I hope everything goes well for you! 

Bippy, my only comment with regard to your situation is that you have to keep in mind that while a BMX will significantly reduce (but not eliminate) your risk of a possible new cancer diagnosis in the future, with regard to your current diagnosis, it will not have any effect on your risk of a distant recurrence (i.e. mets) and it may only reduce your risk of local recurrence by a relatively small percentage.  A lumpectomy & rads, plus chemo and hormone therapy (and Herceptin, if you are HER2+) might get your local recurrence risk to a very low level.  So your risk after a MX might not be much different - a MX unfortunately will not totally eliminate your risk. Talk to your medical team to find out what they estimate your local recurrence risk to be with a lumpectomy (and all the other treatments you'll be having) vs. a MX.  

Good luck with your decision. 

Hi Bippy - this is a difficult decision indeed.  Originally, I was not even considering a bilateral mastectomy.  However, I did say that if my genetics came back positive, then I would consider it.  So...I did test positive for the PTEN mutation, which puts me at a very high risk of recurrence in the other breast.  Therefore, I have decided to move forward with a BMX.  Some of the thoughts that help me feel a little better, is that I am very small to start with, I am having augmentation done, and now they will be easier to match.  That may sound silly, but it does help me cope with the thought of losing both breasts.  Another thought that puts it into perspective is that I am 42, and do not want to continue getting mammos and CBEs every few months for the rest of my life.  That does not fit in with my busy life.  

Have you had your genetic testing?  That might help tip the scale.

Akitagirl

Bippy I read on some other post that you were doing a BMx in Dec and said we need to start a Dec. sisters page.  For me, I wanted a mastectomy from the beginning and had almost every doctor try to talk me out of it.  But too bad, that is what I wanted.  I had no idea I could have a BMx, once I started pre-surgery chemo, I found that out, from other ladies who were doing after surgery chemo.  Everyone seems to say the stats are about the same, but to me, I'm confused.  I thought if you had breast cancer your chances of getting it again were increased.  So, take as much of that tissue away as possible.  I didn't like chemo and do not want to have to do it again.  My breasts are dense too, so that is another thing that scares me.  Heck, my boobs have always been too big, now I can get smaller ones.

Bippy - how are you doing?  I'm starting to come out of my last TCHP haze from last Wed.  This one was almost as bad as the first, and of course much worse later, as this silly fatigue is so draining, the hot flashes so anoying and the neuropothy so disturbing.  

Wow, Bippy, you are getting your period on TCHP.  I had no clue that was even possible.  BTW stay on top of the constipation for round 6.  I didn't and Sunday (my chemo is on Wed) was a bear almost as bad as round 1.  I'm just so happy no more chemo.