skip surgical biopsy go straight to mastectomy?

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nervouswreckagain
nervouswreckagain Member Posts: 16
edited May 2016 in Waiting for Test Results

in 2003 I had a mastectomy because of DCIS. SInce then I get very anxious when it's mammogram time. Today I had my 2nd stereotactic biopsy in 2.5 years on my other breast, I'm wondering if the results do not come back benign whether I can just skip the surgical biopsy & go straight to another mastectomy and be done with all this anxiety. I'm probably putting the cart ahead of the horse here but trying to be prepared.

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  • StaceySue2U
    StaceySue2U Member Posts: 281
    edited March 2016

    I don't know the answer to whether or not you can do that, but I definitely understand why you'd want to! I had a prophylactic removal of my unaffected breast because the fear of having to have more mammograms and then possibly more biopsies and more surgery was just more than I could take. Keep us posted.

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  • Ddw79
    Ddw79 Member Posts: 533
    edited March 2016

    The trouble with that may be that the stereotactic biopsies are not particularly reliable or elucidating. They don't provide a complete picture

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  • nervouswreckagain
    nervouswreckagain Member Posts: 16
    edited March 2016

    Thanks for your support! :-

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited March 2016

    Talk to your Drs (the whole team - Surgeon, Chemo and Rads) for advise. They are the ones that can give you the answers you need for you. We are each so unique (as are our individual BCs) so there is no "One Size Fits All"

    I had no 'surgical biopsies' - just FNB (Fine Needle Biopsy).

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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited March 2016

    Ddw79, may I ask why stereotactic biopsies are not particularly reliable or elucidating? If I understand correctly, during a stereotactic biopsy a larger specimen is taken than during a fine needle biopsy.

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited March 2016

    Hi nervouswreckagain:

    Are you asking this because in the past you had to have an excisional biopsy following a minimally invasive biopsy? A further excisional biopsy might be recommended, for example, if the results of the minimally invasive biopsy are unclear and/or further sampling is needed (e.g., ADH with suspicion for DCIS).

    However, an excisional biopsy is not a mandatory step between minimally invasive biopsy and surgical treatment (e.g., lumpectomy or mastectomy), for example, if the result is clearly malignant. I had stereotactic core-needle biopsy (two sites), which indicated extensive DCIS spanning the breast, and the next step was mastectomy.

    Hope your results are clearly benign.

    BarredOwl

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  • nervouswreckagain
    nervouswreckagain Member Posts: 16
    edited March 2016

    Hi BarredOwl! Yes, that's why I was asking, first time around I had stereotactic biopsy, then excisional biopsy then mastectomy. I hate having anesthesia & I'm so tired of the anxiety. Thanks for your answer, it was helpful to me.

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  • nervouswreckagain
    nervouswreckagain Member Posts: 16
    edited March 2016

    all benign, follow up mammogram in 6 months.

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited March 2016

    Great news!

    BarredOwl


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  • StaceySue2U
    StaceySue2U Member Posts: 281
    edited March 2016

    Congratulations, nervouswreck!!


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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited March 2016

    Congrats on the b-9 dx.

    I just wanted to add, for anyone reading later on, that I think it may be doctor specific about lumpectomy vs. mastectomy out of the gate. For me, I wanted bilateral mastectomy immediately, but my breast surgeon refused. I didn't think to go doctor shopping because I had heard great things about him. So, after the lumpectomy, the following month, bilateral mastectomy. Geeze, you just wish they'd listen to you sometimes.

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited March 2016

    Actually, the original question was not about choosing "mastectomy vs. lumpectomy out of the gate", but whether after a minimally-invasive biopsy, one must first have an excisional biopsy before proceeding to definitive surgical treatment (e.g., lumpectomy or mastectomy). Answer: No, not in general, per my post above.

    In my case, mastectomy was not a choice, but was medically-indicated, as confirmed by a second opinion. My experience illustrated the point that excisional biopsy is not generally a required step between minimally-invasive biopsy and definitive surgical treatment.

    BarredOwl

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited March 2016

    Apologies if I misread the OP. I initially read already had a biopsy but see my error...that was 2.5years ago.

    Since she already had a mastectomy on one side, the option to make the body symmetrical is an option and you can go in any time and ask for that surgery, even without "issues" about the breast. I am not sure if coding it as "prophylactic" would alter the option.

    Typically, if you have not had any cancer to start, I do not believe they would go from scans to surgery without knowing for sure if it were cancer. In my case, they were positive I did not have cancer; sadly, I did. The biopsy allowed me to move forward.



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  • nervouswreckagain
    nervouswreckagain Member Posts: 16
    edited May 2016

    Thank you to all who offered advice, information, well wishes & congratulations!

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