Experience with choosing lumpectomy or mastectomy
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Carol, you have been through a lot with your dense breasts and diagnoses and being poked and squished etc. I certainly understand your ideas about a mastectomy. Hard choice to make. After a lumpectomy you could still get a mastectomy later if other issues came up. Good luck on the decision process, very tough.
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Thank you SO MUCH farmgirl! I hadn't come across this as an option anywhere and it was not offered either. Something else to ask about when I meet with all the professionals this coming week. This could actually be a game changer for me! It could also buy me time to sit with the idea of a BMX in my future.
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Yes, togethertolearn. I have considered a lumpectomy just to put off the inevitable (well, my brain thinks it's inevitable anyway). I keep going back and forth with what to do. I wonder if everyone else does that too.
Thanks.
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Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but I did radiation treatment in the prone position for left side bc. It's another option. Better for the heart. I felt way more safer laying on that metal plate then on my back holding my breath. A blessing of a failed mapping.
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Dulcea, like you, I have gone back and forth since talking to the jplastic surgeon Friday. My onc recommended lumpectomy, and will probably need radiation and hormone therapy. All my genetics are best-case scenario, and the mass is small and caught early via mammogram, despite my dense breasts. The surgeon will do whatever I want, but I decided to cover all bases and talk to a plastic surgeon. I am small breasted so the plastic surgeon thinks I need reconstruction, either during the lumpectomy, or MX with reconstruction. But I felt like she was pushing me into it, like no way could I be happy without normal-looking breasts. I do not want implants, period, so I've explored DIEP, but that requires more surgery, more recovery. Insurance will cover it, so I sort of think, why not? But then again...I am a low-maintenance kind of person, physically active, single and living alone. I'm 56...no previous history of any breast abnormalities. However, I was diagnosed 2 years ago with CLL, so I've already wrapped my head around "having cancer". My main concern is that I may be removing options from the table that I can't go back and take if I want, since the radiation may damage my skin/breast even further than the lumpectomy. But the thought of setting myself up for several months of not being in top shape bothers me. Anyway, I just called my surgeon's office and told them I just wanted the simple lumpectomy and the nurse said they would call me back to schedule. I'm also interested in the spot or limited radiation, rather than whole breast and will ask about that. But who knows?
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Welcome, ChapterTwo. We know that this is a difficult decision! You know yourself best and what you will be most comfortable with, and it sounds like you've made the best decision for your situation. We hope your surgery and recovery go well, please keep us posted on what you learn about your radiation treatment!
The Mods
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Thank you for the support, so glad I found this forum!
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ChapterTwo good luck to you, it is a hard choice
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Facing the same situation. Ive finsihed chemo with great results and now have the choice of surgeries. Surgeon says lumpectomy a good choice , but my decision and i dont know what to do!
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This is a very helpful thread, I've written down a few items to go over with my docs. I am most likely opting for lumpectomy at this time, but still weighing my options.
Do any of you have updates on what you chose and how you are feeling about that now? If you don't mind sharing.
ChapterTwo did you opt for lumpectomy?
ctmbsikia I see you are from PA, I am in south NJ, were you treated in the Philadelphia area? If you don't mind sharing. In ways this area is great because of options, but then also...options???
dulcea curious what you decided as well?
This decision making is the worst...I am not into decision making much at all, like even what's for dinner? so this is just a lot. I am really interested in some of these other radiation options and concerned because of left side occurence, and heart disease history in family. I am wondering what type of proof one needs for insurance coverage of some of these other options, altho, I would be willing to pay out of pocket if it seemed worthwhile.
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BtwnStars - I'm sorry that you find yourself here, but know that you are in very good hands in the Philly area. I'm from South Jersey, too. I was treated at Jefferson. Very happy with my treatment - BMX and implant reconstruction. Loved my surgeons. Both during and after treatment.
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Sorry BtwnStars. I am just seeing this.
I have not yet made a decision but am strongly leaning toward double mastectomy. I was waiting on my Oncotype and we also sent back for the ki-67 to see how the Arimidex was working on the tumor. Both very good news and I can safely avoid chemo.
Because I had one positive node, I now seem to have to decide whether to have radiation (whole breast) or have the nodes removed along with the breast. It appears that lymphedema can occur in both instances but radiation carries additional short term and long term side effects. Based on this, I am not interested in radiation but would then have to have a mastectomy with node removal. I'm OK with that. And if I do one, I'd do both based on my history of two cancers. Now I am stuck on reconstruction because I don't want to stay flat.
It really isn't easy making these decisions! I agree! Some days I am really a mess about it, other days I am just matter of fact. Just get ALL your information and make your decision from there.
Good luck and hugs for strength to make your decision.
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Susiemommy,
I had a lumpectomy back in Oct 2020, when all diagnostic tests showed it to be about 3cm. Once the surgeon got inside, the tumor had tendrils extending from it, making it closer to 6cm in total tissue involved. They also found 2 lymph nodes positive for cancer, so I completed chemo from Oct 27- March 9. I had a modified radical right side mastectomy April 12. I wish I had a plan B in place with the lumpectomy. Kind of mad the surgeon didn't go out and talk with my husband about doing a mastectomy when she found the mass to be larger than thought. I switched my care and used a second surgeon for the mastectomy. I chose to go flat for now. I still need radiation.
My advice is to have a Plan B with your surgeon. Good luck.
Julie
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I have had 2 partial mastectomies over the last month - pathology margins are still not good- I need to decide if I should have another partial or a full mastectomy. Partial if it works will require radiation and osetrogen suppression if successful. If not successful I will have to have a full mastectomy. Then I also need to decide if I should have reconstructive surgery. This doesn't feel like a science but a crap shot....anyone else have had to make these decisions?
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Hi @williamsmom! Welcome to the community! We are really sorry to hear about what you’re going through, but really glad you found us!
Since this thread is a bit old, it might be a good idea to start a new discussion to get more attention and support from members who are currently active. Also, if you fill out your Profile, and create your post signature others can see your diagnostic and treatment information, which will help them answer your questions. Let us know if you need help with that.
Again, welcome! We hope you find the support and information you need here.
The Mods
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Hello @williamsmom and I’m sorry you’re having to go in for a third surgery! The decisions are never simple. Knowing a little more about what type of breast cancer you have would definitely help … is it invasive or DCIS? And what grade? At this point you might not be feeling very fond of your breast with all you’ve been through!
My situation was different so I wasn’t faced with the same decisions. My surgeon advised me to get a mastectomy and I opted to go with reconstruction (an implant) and thankfully I did not need radiation. If a lumpectomy were an option for me, I’m really not sure what I would’ve decided. I had two separate tumors (one was invasive, one was DCIS) that were not found on my screening mammogram 6 months prior (I have dense breasts) and I think I would have struggled with paranoia about the rest of the breast. I do have worries about my other breast but that’s calmed down and I’m glad to have one natural breast still. It’s been a small comfort as the rest of my chest still feels pretty foreign. Yet overall, I’m happy I chose reconstruction. But that’s just me and I’ve read many positive things from women who’ve opted for lumpectomies only, or some who’ve opted for a double mastectomy, with or without reconstruction. So I probably didn’t help you much at all but I still wanted to say Hi and hopefully others can offer you more insight.
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It's stage 0 DCIS, grade between 2-3
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