Newly diagnosed at age 42

Hello! I'm also 42, diagnosed in November. I did what your surgical oncologist recommended to you, and now I'm two weeks into chemotherapy. The lumpectomy recovery was surprisingly easy, and I don't regret the decision to do that rather than a mastectomy given what the conversations I've had with my docs. The worst part so far, by far, is where you are right now, trying to figure out what the plan will be. I had an MRI before surgery, and it really put my mind at ease that they were going to get what was there. I'd recommend it. And continuing to stay away from the internet! I wish I'd been able to do that. Good luck, and know that you can do this!

I didn't request an MRI before surgery. But my surgeon had second thoughts. Apparently it wasn't necessary per studies & protocols. She said I was an impossible breast exam because of density. Sure enough the MRI found a tumor in my other breast. It was stage 2(2 nodes positive). The 1st one they found was stage 1(no nodes involved). When bilateral BC is found upon initial diagnosis, there is usually a family history. None for me.

I'm hesitant to post this, because I know I'm the exception not the rule here. But you can always ask for an MRI if it will put your mind at ease. And then there are possible insurance issues.

Best of luck with your upcoming surgery.

Hi there Girl Richy. I'm going to encourage you to go for the lumpectomy if your surgeon agrees, since the recovery from surgery is fairly easy. Depending on the size of the mass and other factors you may need six weeks of radiation, but I found that easier than I had feared, in large part because of the amazing support on this forum. Once you have a treatment plan, you and Donna will feel better I bet and more in control. This will all be in the rearview mirror pretty soon, and you will be back to enjoying your life I promise.

On the MRI, they are really helpful tests but they also churn up false positives sometimes, and the technology tends to estimate the size of the BC as larger as it really is. So just be mentally prepared for that. But I found the MRI results comforting, and they were certainly helpful to my surgeon.

Hello Girl Richie

Welcome to the forum. It’s natural to feel afraid. The more you know, the more your confidence will grow. My surgeon requested an mri then I had another mri guilted bilateral biopsy after the first mri reveled more tumors. Just had my surgery yesterday and I am in the hospitaL right now.

Good luck with your decision. BTW, I had to do mastectomy due to the number of tumors in my left breast and how far apart they were.

If my surgeon told me he did not want to do an MRI before rushing into a lumpectomy, I would absolutely seek a second opinion. The fact that he's in such a rush concerns me. Your tumor is grade 1, which means it is likely not fast growing. You do have time on your side. At your age, breasts tend to be dense. If you were 30 years older, with less dense breasts, it might not be an issue. I would not even consider a lumpectomy without an MRI. I believe it has findings which alter treatment in 4-10% of cases. Though 90-96% of the time it doesn't, if you are one of the 4-10%, it is huge. MRI is the first thing my surgeon ordered once diagnosed. We canceled it once I chose mastectomy, but my build, tumor location, and family history were the deciding factors for me.

The fact that he does not want to postpone surgery to wait for results raises a big red flag. Are your best interests what he has in mind, or is filling his surgery schedule more important? Specifically ask him what the rush is. He needs to allow you all of the tools and knowledge necessary to make an informed decision. It's so easy for them to say you can just "go in for more surgery later" if you learn of anything else. It's not a McDonald's drive thru we're talking about, and some surgeon's don't get that we want to make the best choice and be done with just one surgery. I would for sure request a second opinion (even if the first one allows the MRI). You may very likely stay with the first surgeon, but another opinion is always valuable. Best wishes.

Hi--chiming in here to offer my experiences along with everyone else's. I was diagnosed at 42 also, no family history, ER/PR+ HER-, grade 1.

The first thing I did after having my initial appointment with the surgeon was an MRI. I agree with others who say this is valuable information. In my case, she didn't think there were any other tumors but she ordered it anyway just to be sure. She was correct, but I had huge peace of mind knowing we had all the information. I also waffled a lot about mastectomy/lumpectomy. I ended up changing surgeons and the one I went with (who was amazing in every way) gave me this very, very smart and helpful piece of advice: she told me that if I was undecided, I should have a lumpectomy and node biopsy to check the lymph nodes and get the tumor out. Then we would truly have all the information, and I'd also still have the option of having a mastectomy later if I was having trouble dealing with the anxiety of yearly scans, etc. That is exactly what I did. Then I had radiation (the "short course" which is also called the Canadian protocol, proven to be just as effective as the 6 week course) and started Tamoxifen. By that time, I had all the genetic test results in, the oncotype on my tumor and everything else. I decided not to have a mastectomy after all, but the knowledge that it was still an option was so comforting as I made my way through decisions and treatments. As my surgeon said, you can't put anything back if you have a mastectomy, but you can always have more surgery later if you have a lumpectomy.

I also agree with others saying there is no rush. I went about 6-7 weeks between my diagnosis and surgery (and even got in a vacation) and no one was concerned (and I had great care at an NCI Cancer Center). It feels like an emergency right now but it truly isn't. The most important thing is to take enough time to think through your options. It's so hard, and there's so much to learn and consider, but you really do have some time.

I'm now 4.5 years out (!) and have no regrets about my choices. You can do this. Like you, I was diagnosed on the heels of some very intense stress in my personal life/family and I felt like I hadn't even had time to recover from that. But I did, and you will, too. These boards are real life-savers and you can ask anything, any time. Sending you the very best wishes and lots of strength.

I would let them actually talk to your insurance before you worry about that. I had my MRI after my biopsy, so there was no question as to whether or not it was cancer, and my insurance covered it. The MRI is one piece of information that will help you make choices about surgery and treatment. In my case, had mine turned up more tumors I might have elected to have a mastectomy (I have small breasts, yes, a source of constant humor throughout this process which actually ended up being helpful!). Similarly, the gene testing might affect your choice, ie, if it turns out you have one of the mutations that makes you likely to get more breast cancer, you might choose a double mastectomy. If it turns out you don't, you might feel more confident with a lumpectomy. I'm not recommending, just trying to give concrete examples. You should definitely do the gene testing, but the MRI is also a helpful tool in deciding what surgery to have.

No doubt you're tired! I remember feeling like I'd been run over by a truck or something. All the more reason to slow down, take each step one by one. You will get it figured out. Do you have a friend or relative who can be your sounding board and process all the information with you? It can be really helpful to have someone on the outside be a second set of eyes and ears. Hang in there. As everyone says, this is really the hardest part.

i was also 42. I wasnt given the option for a lumpectomy. I needed to choose single versus bilat mastectomy i had mri and it only showed in one breast but i chose bilat mastectomy cause i heard lobular cancer is prone to go to other side. I dont know if thats true but wanted ti tell you. On the day of mastectomy my lymphnode cold slice was negative. They removed some and sent off for pathologu. A week later i was told i needed and axillary dissection. I ended up with 8 out of 15 positive nodes. Lobular hides. Prayers and hugs to you. And remember this is your show not theirs. You are in charge

That all sounds encourgaging. I didn't have a bone scan or CT but I'm sure others have and will be along to share their experiences with you. It's great news that your surgeon is top notch and also that you'll have BRCA results before deciding about surgery. Every step gets you closer to a plan. Hang in there and remember to sleep and eat as much as possible.

Lizardisque...your tumor size? Mine were0.8cm and 1cm. I only was given MRI before the surgery and tumor sizes were bigger than sizes from post surgical pathology report.

Doctors tend to do scans more often in younger women because their tumors notoriously do not always "behave" as expected. They take a lot of factors into consideration other than just tumor size and lymph node status. Based on the fact that the tumor had been there for a year, it seems very reasonable for a doc to agree to a scan. Guidelines are guidelines, not set in stone rules, and docs need to consider each patient as an individual.