Pathology Question

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Mk2615
Mk2615 Member Posts: 10
edited September 2022 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

Hi!

I had a double mastectomy last week following a breast cancer recurrence. A biopsy confirmed I had ER- PR- DCIS in two different areas of my breast. I have just received the pathology results from my double mastectomy, and it is saying that I do not have DCIS or any other type of cancer in either breast. I would be thrilled with this news, but I have not undergone any type of treatment for the cancer. I am feeling very confused. How could it have disappeared between the biopsy and the surgery. The two areas of concern were each about 1.5 cm, so I know they were small but they were not microscopic. Has anyone else ever gone through something similar? Did they miss my cancer somehow during surgery or did I just undergo a major surgery for no reason

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Comments

  • ParakeetsRule
    ParakeetsRule Member Posts: 571
    edited September 2022

    I'd guess that maybe all the suspicious tissue was removed during the biopsy? Best thing to do is ask your doctor to review the report with you.

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  • LW422
    LW422 Member Posts: 1,312
    edited September 2022

    Sounds like you need to discuss the pathology with your doctor. 1.5 cm is over half an inch, so not an insignificant size. What type of biopsies did you have?

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  • Mk2615
    Mk2615 Member Posts: 10
    edited September 2022

    I had core needle biopsies - several biopsies on each area of DCIS. It didn’t even cross my mind that my surgeon might have somehow missed it during my mastectomy, but he just called and is ordering me an MRI to see if it is still showing up on scans. I don’t understand how you miss that when you are removing all of the breast tissue, but I guess it is possible.

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  • LW422
    LW422 Member Posts: 1,312
    edited September 2022

    That sounds really frustrating, but I'm glad they will do the MRI and hopefully they won't find anything. Still strange, though. (I asked about the type of biopsy because I thought maybe they took the tumor out for biopsy, but with a needle that seems highly unlikely.) Sorry you have to go through the anxiety; let us know when the MRI is scheduled. Take care.

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  • Rah2464
    Rah2464 Member Posts: 1,647
    edited September 2022

    mk2615 was your recurrence close to you skin or your chest wall where it might be difficult to "collect" all the tissue? Seems pretty surprising that all your DCIS was removed in the initial biopsy and could happen I guess but I would think then they were unbelievably accurate with that needle.

    Might be worth it to have a separate set of eyes review your initial biopsy pathology and your surgical pathology just to understand. Bless you I hope you get clarity soon.

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