Questions on lumpectomy vs mastectomy

Options
Alcarroll
Alcarroll Member Posts: 16
edited May 2017 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Hello all,

I was diagnosed with stage 4 from the beginning, mets to bones in May 2016. I've been on Femara since June and seem to be responding well. My oncologist says that if I want to, we can explore having the primary breast tumor removed. She says that now is the time because when I stop responding to the Femara and we change to a different medication, I may never get to this place again. I think she means it's downhill from here. My question is this, I've met with the surgeon who ordered a new mammogram and ultrasound. Before starting treatment, the primary tumor was 3.5 cm. with the mammo/ultra from yesterday, they say the tumor is now 2.3 cm. I thought it would have shrunk more than that?...or maybe that sounds greedy. I don't know.

Also, I meet with the surgeon on Friday and I expect she will tell me if it will be a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Does anyone know if a 2.3cm tumor is past the lumpectomy stage?

Any info will be appreciated! Thank

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 19,603
    edited May 2017

    Alca, I'm not stage 4, but you asked about a mastectomy. Obviously, the docs figured that since you had mets'd, no point in taken the offending boob of origin off. Hmm. Unless you are seriously attached to the boobs. I'd ask for both off. Well, why? Well it's the origin of the cancer. Yes, you have bone met's. Not sure that they have proven that bone met's leads to liver met's or brain met's.

    It's a chicken and the egg thing.

    Stage 4's that will respond that were not offered a mastectomy may respond. That is OUT of my realm..............I have never heard of it. But all our stories are different. I'll send you alink to review that if you decide to do a mastectomy may help.

    Look, on the day I was dx'd with BC. I was dx';d with an incidental brain tumor totally long story. But that brain tumor had the potential to turn to brain cancer. Potential. Big word. So I worked a plan.

    My question to you is why leave a tumor that is known to be cancer in your breast? Be the Queen of Hearts and say "Off with It "

    I'll be back with alink...............\

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 19,603
    edited May 2017

    This link is in regard to surgery. How it may affect you as a patient with mets already is completely unknown. But something is better then nothing. Bless you.

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/73/topics/843381?page=1#idx_12


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited May 2017

    Alcarroll, the first question is, of course, how big is your breast? Back in the old days I had a lumpectomy which failed to get clean margins so I had to have a mastectomy. The tumor was large (3+cm) but I also have large breasts (D cup at the time).

    When the lumpectomy was done the surgeon was really proud that she'd managed to do it with a good cosmetic result. Her pleasure only lasted as long as it took to get the pathology results.

    For you, you don't need absolutely clean margins as you are not going for a cure. So you should ask a lot of questions about cosmetic results. The decision of reconstruct/no may factor into your decision. [I never did an am happy being uniboob but many women aren't]

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Goodie16
    Goodie16 Member Posts: 446
    edited May 2017

    Since I was originally Stage 1A, a mastectomy was offered immediately. My tumor 2cm on the nose and my surgeon offered the option of a lumpectomy. I ultimately chose the mastectomy as I was worried that I wouldn't be pleased (cosmetically) with the lumpectomy results. My boobs are fairly small and if he had to take more than we planned, I figured I would end up wishing I had had the mastectomy anyhow. So I chose mastectomy. I ultimately ended up with no nodes involved and clear margins, but my surgeon remarked that he was glad I decided on the mastectomy because he didn't like the look of some of the other breast tissue. And like pajim, I'm happy as a uniboob.

    10 months later, a solitary brain met was found. I had a craniotomy to remove it.

    I've remained NED since then, 2 years now. I firmly believe eliminating my tumors surgically has prolonged my NED status. There's another thread on this board related to the topic of removing primary tumors and better outcomes. You might want to read thru it too.

    Best of luck with your decision.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited May 2017

    Have you had a PET/CT to measure response or are they relying only on mammos and ultrasounds? I had a mastectomy but I had affected lymph nodes, including mammary ones, so local disease may have been more marked particularly in relation to my small boob. Good luck on your appointment.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories