Removal of second breast?

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LM070917
LM070917 Member Posts: 323
edited May 2016 in Breast Reconstruction
I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year (see stats), I've finished all my main treatment and now on hormone therapy. I'm being tested for the Brca genes, but waiting up to 2 months to find out the result.

Does anyone know if breast cancer patients are at an increased risk of developing it in the other breast and how much by? My breast surgeon has advised she can take the other one off later this year, but I am undecided about what to do. Part of me thinks if i minimise my bc risks and am ok, then why would I have the other one removed when it is perfectly healthy, the other part of me obviously would never want to go through this again and for symmetry reasons. I did have a small cluster of califications 4mm in this 'good' breast when the other one was diagnosed, but it didn't turn out to be anything. I am 35 years old. Obviously if it turns out I have the Brca gene, then I would probably get rid of it.
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  • JBeans
    JBeans Member Posts: 388
    edited April 2016

    Hi LotteMarine,

    I am glad you posted this. I am 39 and thinking about the same things so am interested in what others have to say.

    I've been thinking about this since my UMX last June and have pretty much decided to have the other breast removed. I should be getting my genetic test results back in a month or so.


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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited April 2016

    I am older than you two, but I wondered the same thing. My mo told me absolutely not to remove healthy breast.

    He told me it would not help at all in reducing my risk since I would be taking hormone therapy. I didn't get a second opinion.

    I have heard many doctors that believe it does reduce the risk. Has anyone seen any statistics supporting removal?

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  • Reckless
    Reckless Member Posts: 112
    edited April 2016

    The BS I had consulted quoted 25%-40% risk of developing cancer in the contra lateral (opposite) breast for brca2 carriers. They left the choice of removing the breast up to me. You can also check out http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Table11BRCA1or2g...


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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited April 2016

    If I were you, Lottemarine, I would wait to see what the genetics test said. My MO agrees with kayb about the likelihood of cancer in my "good breast" since I don't have any obvious genetics risk factors or family history. BMX is no guarantee that you'll never have a recurrence, so it's no guarantee that you won't have to go through treatment again ever. So, I don't really understand the "peace of mind" rationale. I do understand the desire for symmetry and no more mammograms, however. Best wishes to you!

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  • Molly50
    Molly50 Member Posts: 3,773
    edited April 2016

    I decided to go ahead and remove my remaining breast but I have a genetic mutation called Chek2 11009del which increases my risks for a new cancer at up to 30%. I have weighed my options and after careful consideration decided to remove it. Since reconstruction should not be taken lightly I really wanted to be sure. I think you should do whatever is right for you. Hopefully my surgery will be in the next couple months.

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited April 2016

    Thanks kayb, I have talked with women who have had bmx and ovaries removed and they believe they are safe and can't get a recurrence. Well I don't say anything but I know that is not true.

    I wondered if a bmx would have improved my chances I went through umx with no physical difficulty.

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  • tiinajk
    tiinajk Member Posts: 11
    edited May 2016

    I had my diagnosis and original mastectomy in 2003 at age 31. Over the following year I had further tests and researched what I could and found that because of my type of BC, age and BRCA1 status I had an 85% chance of another cancer in my remaining breast. I chose to have a prophylactic mastectomy. This was a much harder decision than the original but I felt for my high risk necessary... Only you can make the choice that it right for you and I recommend finding out as much as possibly about your particular situation so that you have all the information to make the right decision for you..

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  • besa
    besa Member Posts: 1,088
    edited May 2016

    Lottiemarine- If you haven't already done so - you might want to talk to a genetic counselor before making this decision. There are now other gene mutations (in addition to BRCA mutations) that are known to be associated with a high risk of bc. After taking your family history of cancers the genetic counselor might recommend additional genetic testing. A good source of information about hereditary bc is the FORCE link below

    http://www.facingourrisk.org/index.php

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