Hello everyone

biancafpas · February 2016

Hello everyone

I posted in a different forum earlier, but was redirected here.

A little backstory: both my mother and her sister had breast cancer. My mother had Paget's breast cancer at 59 and is now fine, after 15 years. My aunt, however, died last year of breast cancer (brain metasthasis) at the age of 63.

Because of this family history, I've been doing ultrasounds, mamographies and MRIs since I was 35, I'm now 43. Two years ago I had a lump biopsied, my first scare. I know my chances of having breast cancer are higher than most, but it wasn't until that moment that I realised hey, this is real, this could be it.

The biopsy came back as a fibroadenome, huge relieve, life went on as normal. But then in December a new MRI showed a 2 cm growth, with bi-rads 4 and a surgery recomendation (excision). I went to see my BS certain that she would dismiss that, but she too wants me to do the surgery. I don't get it. Why to remove it if the chances of it becoming cancer are almost null? I asked her that, and she said there's a possibility of inner cancerous cells inside and some other tumors that while not necessarily cancerous are pre-cancerous or something like that. She wants me to do it in March. I just don't know what to do.

I worry that the scar will only make my already dense breast denser. Also... I'm afraid things will always be like this from now on. Lumps, biopsies, surgeries... I'd rather have a double mastectomy now than going through this for the next years, until eventually I'll have to have a mastectomy anyway. Am I being unreasonable?

I will never forget what my mother went through with her cancer, the mastectomies, the reconstruction, the whole thing. So I don't take this lighly. I just don't want the constant fear.

So my questions are: should I do the fibroadenome surgery? And am I being crazy considering a double mastectomy?

Thank you for reading

(and please forgive my English, I'm not a native speaker!)

mustlovepoodles · February 2016

I'm sorry you're going through this and I totally get it. My family is riddled with cancer, including several women with breast cancer (including my sister!) It's really frightening to consider that you might have breast cancer, I know.

BIRADS-4 means that there is something concerning. 80% of those tumors will turn out benign, so statistics are in your favor. 20% will be cancerous, however. In my personal and professional opinion, I think you should go forward with the biopsy (I've been a nurse for 39 years.) You need to know what you're dealing with here.

Try not to stress overly much about this. It will go one way or the other. Even if it's breast cancer, they usually grow very slowly, so a wait of a couple weeks probably won't make any difference at all. Hopefully, this lump will turn out to be benign and then you can have a little (or big) celebration. But if it's not benign, you'll want to hop on the treatment wagon and get a plan in place, as soon as possible.

Ddw79 · February 2016

Your English is great and no you sure are not crazy for thinking what you are thinking . Many of us are also considering prophylactic MX for the exact same reasons .

I am still thinking about it and I do believe that this is the route I will go the next time they find something.

I too had birads four show up after Mammogram. They were obviously worried. It was my first biopsy so I went through it. Wasn't cancer but wasn't totally benign either... ADH. You get a dx of birads four for a reason . You can't just do nothing at this point and the surveillance drives us all crazy .

I wish you great strength to make these decisions. I know how hard they are

biancafpas · February 2016

Hello, and thank you mustlovepoodles and Ddw79 for your replies

What's been bugging me is that people look at me like I'm crazy for considering prophylatic mastectomy. It's almost like it's taboo to even mention it in conversations. To me, it's great to have the option of getting rid of my breasts: it's not like I need them like I need my kidneys or lungs for instance. They are pretty much useless. And what seems to bother people the most is the fact that when I decide to go through with the mastectomies (because I will, it's just a matter of when) I won't do reconstruction. My mother did it, and in many ways it was worse than the cancer itself.

But I thought I had a few more years (until around menopause or some time after my 50th birthday) before all of this would take over my life like it has already

The surgery my BS wants to do seems unnecessary because we have biopsied the lump two years ago. I didn't know fibroadenomes could harbor cancer cells (it's still very rare, isn't it?). That's why I'm a little confused about what to do.

I know living in fear of breast cancer is nothing compared to living *with* breast cancer. But I guess if we have high risk it's because people in our families have had breast cancer, and chances are we've been looking after them and sharing their suffering, knowing some day it's going to be us

Thanks!

mustlovepoodles · February 2016

I still vote for getting the biopsy--nothing takes the place of that pathology report. BIRADs 4 is significant.

You said you have a family history of breast cancer. Have you considered getting genetic testing? That might help you figure out what you want to do. I also have a strong family history of breast and other cancers. Genetic testing revealed that I have 2 gene mutations which cause breast and other cancers. As a result, my treatment went from lumpectomy & radiation to lumpectomy, chemo, and BMX. I just had the BMX 3 weeks ago and I can tell you, its not been smooth sailing. I've had a lot of complications. I'll be so glad to get past this.

Keep putting one foot in front of the other. I don't think you have to rush to mastectomy, at least not as a first choice. Lumpectomy may be all you need. Once you get the genetic testing done, that may or may not change your game plan.

Hello everyone

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