Newly diagnosed stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma
Trying to decide between lumpectomy and radiation or bilateral mastectomy. Want to hear from some who have gone through each
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ER/PR+, HER2-, genetic testing-
Not a candidate for reconstruction using abdominal tissue due to past surgeries. Do not want to do tissue expanders and implants but also don’t want to do radiation.
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Hi @chachi , and welcome! We’re really sorry you’re facing these tough decisions, but we’re glad you found our community.
Choosing between lumpectomy with radiation and mastectomy can feel overwhelming, especially when certain options like reconstruction or radiation don’t feel right to you. Hopefully some other member will jump in soon to share how they made their choices. In the meantime, these articles from our main site may help as you think things through:
We hope this helps. And we’re here to support you!
The Mods
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I am in same boat just diagnosed on December 8th.
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I also was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. In discussing with my doctors they gave the option of lumpectomy or mastectomy and recommended going with the least invasive of the surgeries, so I had a lumpectomy. I also had two lymph nodes removed. I feel that my surgery recovery was pretty smooth. Because I am also triple negative I have undergone TC chemo (4 infusions) and will be getting radiation in January. Good luck with your treatment! You got this!
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On December 2015, I was diagnosed in with stage 3a TNBC (invasive ductal carcinoma) in my left breast at the age of 45. Genetic testing revealed I also carried the BRCA! gene. It was an easy decision to choose the double mastectomy and having my fallopian tubes and ovaries removed. I had thought of about nipple sparing surgery but the radiation oncology didn't understand why I would have radical surgery and risk saving my nipples. My thought process was in case I decided to do reconstruction. Since I wanted to do everything possible to beat TNBC and see my children grow up I decided to not save the nipples. After surgery, traces of the cancer were still present in my breast and lymph nodes, plus my healthy right breast had a lesion growing.
After surgery, there was 4 more rounds of chemo, which was followed by 2 weeks of radiation. Then, another 12 rounds of chemo (in pill form) was recommended to reduce my risk of recurrence. It's December 2025 and the TNBC has not recurred. I recently had surgery for renal cell carcinoma that happened to be separate new cancer. Due to all the extra yearly testing that's done due to the BRCA1 gene the RCC was caught at stage 1a while screening my pancreas. Part of my right kidney was removed; no chemo or rads was necessary.
It's important to have confidence in your doctor. Also, talking to cancer survivors can lead you to ask questions about your treatment. Knowledge is power too!
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how big is the tumor? I’m doing lumpectomy with radiation and getting surgery in a couple of weeks. I really didn’t want a mastectomy given my tumor is only 1cm and I have fairly large breasts for my size.
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my tumor is 0.35 cm but I am going to do mastectomy.
my genetics test is negative but unfortunately cancer is in my family.3 -
I also have stage 1 invasive DC and DCIS. I had a lumpectomy on 12/19 and will meet with an oncologist next for the rest of the plan. I will have radiation. My tumor was 1.2 cm. My surgeon told me that the chance of recurrence is the same whether I have a lumpectomy and radiation or a mastectomy. There is just no guarantee that all breast cells are removed and if it’s going to recur it will. She recommended the least invasive so I went with her recommendation.
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Making the decision for lumpectomy or mastectomy is such a trying time! I struggled with this decision but decided on a lumpectomy because I was negative for the BRACA gene. I waited until I received my genetic test results before I made my decision. If I had been positive for the BRACA gene I would have chosen a mastectomy without reconstruction. My lumpectomy was 2 weeks ago and I will start radiation soon. I live near you in Bruce MS. My breast oncology surgeon is in Memphis Germantown. Feel free to send me a private message I am happy to help😊
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Thank you so much for telling me about your stories! I took a much-needed trip out of town with my husband for New Year’s My surgery is scheduled for January 12 and I have decided to do a bilateral mastectomy with delayed reconstruction. Even though my genetic testing was negative, I do have a family history of breast cancer. I did have a second opinion from a plastic surgeon and also had a discussion with my breast radiologist. This is what is best for me and my peace of mind.
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Just check in to see how you’re doing. I hope the surgery went well. I had my BMX a year ago. I went flat. Feel free free to private message me if you have any questions.
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I just had a double mastectomy after having Triple Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in left breast and they found lymph nodes on left armpit that were cancer too. I opted for a double mastectomy so I dont have to do this again on the right breast down the road. I will have plastic surgeon do breast implants after my radiation is done and healed, I guess. So right now I am livin flat as a pancake! Oh well, I dont care. I walk around with my shirt off all the time in front of my husbanc. It's temporary, it is reality and I have been healing SO quickly, my scars are really shrinking! I am hoping I dont get sick from chemo and radiation.
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Are you getting any reconstruction done?
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No, I went flat. At my age (64) I don’t want to go through another surgery. The truth is I’m scared of surgery. I don’t wear prostheses. I use Busted Tank inserts for swimming. It took me at least two months to heal so I could go to therapy. Radiation was easy, but make sure you apply protective cream right after each session and reapply throughout the day and continue for at least 2 weeks after the last session. I stop right after and had a little blister that went away quickly. Hope your chemo goes well. I didn’t have chemo (sentimental lymph nodes negative). Chem is good that it would kill rogue cancer cells. I pray you’ll sail through all the treatments. 🙂
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I really appreciated this thread. I was recently diagnosed with invasive ductile carcinoma Stage 1, grade 3, triple negative and under cm. I am 51 and waiting on genetic testing results. If I do chose a lumpectomy I will still need chemo with radiation. Waiting for all of the tests before I decide. My team hasn’t given their recommendation yet either.
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Thank you for joining us, the IDC. It seems like you’re at early stage. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask. Lots of us have gone through and hope to share experience with you. I’m a brca2, but I had lumpectomy with radiation before deciding on bilateral mastectomy two years later. BMX wasn’t so bad but it took me a long time to recover. I’m still on aromatase inhibitor for another 2 years. You probably won’t have to be on hormone therapy since yours is triple negative. I found another website equally useful. It’s Mayo Clinic Connect.
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Mine was IDC, 1.3 cm, Stage IA, Grade 2, ER+/PR+/HER2- (“Luminal A,” the most common type in post menopausal women), R breast (10:00 upper outer quadrant) . I was 64, almost 65. I tested negative for all known mutations, and my OncotypeDX was 16, or low-risk. I went with lumpectomy—path confirmed the above, plus clean margins, all sentinel nodes negative; accelerated (16-sessions, high-dose) partial breast radiation to just the “tumor bed” (my RO had just finished leading a study showing that in women 65 & up with Luminal A type IDC, recurrence rates between that protocol and the standard 35 sessions were identical). I just turned 75 last night and so far so good. I am now back to bilateral annual screening mammograms. I had very mild side effects from radiation: some fatigue the first week, slight reddening and increased volume (seroma), hardening of the nipple—I pretty much sailed through it without pain or skin damage. My routine was to shower in the morning, do my sessions in the afternoon, and immediately (in the changing room) apply Aquaphor ointment, At bedtime, calendula cream, aloe gel (Fruit of the Earth—dye-and-alcohol-free), and another application of Aquaphor, then shower it off in the morning, The seroma increased the breast by 2 cup-sizes, making it equal to the L breast, and then over the next 5 years shrank to its current 4cm, so the R is back to being the smaller one.
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I am so sorry all of us have to go through these difficult decisions. Just know it is difficult, but we are here to support you and we all have our own unique story. I have always had very dense breasts, multiple mammos, call backs, sonograms, MRIs and 1 previous negative biopsy in 2022. Oct 2025 went for my mammo and biopsy was positive this time. 1.5 cm, ER+ PR+ genetic testing done and negative. 1B. I have a half Aunt with breast cancer, mom just passed from lung cancer Aug 2025. Surgeon recommended Lumpectomy with radiation. Went for MRI and another tumor was found, 1.2 cm. So I elected DMX with reconstruction. Surgery was on 1-15-26. At my apppt 2 days ago, I was advised a 3rd tumor was found and 1 of 5 lymph positive. I was/am devastated 💔 I am now 2B and waiting on Onctype testing , but will likely need chemo along with radiation and my reconstruction will be on hold for at least 6 months.
Kick Cancer in the Butt!
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Your And we’re here for you too. I’m so sorry mom passed away from lung cancer. My mom also had lung cancer but she passed away from stroke while was still in remission.
I hope you’re recovering well from the recent surgery. I went flat because I didn’t have the courage to go through 8 hours of surgery. It took me a long time to recover due to a large and thick hematoma. One drain was clogged up on that side. Stage IIb is still considered early stage? I pray your oncotype will be low so no chemo. Hang in there. Once you have the treatment plan, things will get better, and it will get better as we adjust to the new normal. I was dx three years ago. Now I don’t think about it often. We have to live too, right? When I get anxious, I take a long walk listening to music. Playing jigsaw puzzles helps too. Please come back to let us know the results. Hang in there. Hugs.3 -
Just got the IDC diagnosis 2 days ago. I have no idea what I am dealing with and the not knowing is causing me to spiral. So many questions: what is coming down the line? Can I survive this? Who will take care of my child? I am glad I found this community.
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I am 2.5 weeks post-op and doing well. Sentinel node was negative (Praise The Lord!). I do have some fluid accumulation since drains were removed but not causing pain, just slight discomfort, so hopefully my body will absorb it. Will make my appointment in a few weeks to be fitted for prosthetics and bras/camis. I decided to wait and see how I feel once healed before I make a definite decision on whether to have reconstruction or not.
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Hello chachi,
So glad you’re recovering well. It’s certainly a very good news that sentinel lymph nodes are negative! Did the clogged up drain cause hematoma? Mine did but was resolved by warm compression. Did you decide on the reconstruction yet? Thank you for the update. Wishing you all the best.
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I didn’t have a clogged drain thankfully. I have not decided on reconstruction yet. I wanted to wait, see how it looks after healing and how I feel with prosthetics.
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Hello everyone, I am a new member and also Stage IA, Grade 2, ER+/PR+/HER2- my BRAC was negative too so I chose lumpectomy 1.5 cm on the right with bilateral reconstruction on the 2nd of February. - still so sore, but coming along. Cannot get over how much my stamina is at an all time low. I am a 59yo fairly active person. Praying it will come back soon . Just got word now I am going to need chemo-( uggh) I was mentally set on radiation. Do not know what type of chemo- etc -apparently my Mammaprint results indicated. Waiting for a copy of that report and I meet with oncologist on the 3rd.
Glad I found this site- was diagnosed on Christmas Eve and it has been a whirlwind since then.'
@amerli - I am new to this too, hang in there support is here!
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@pupsrule983 Hang in there too. I hope the post surgery soreness goes away soon and that you have some meds for pain relief in the meantime. I hear you on the stamina. I wasn’t expecting to feel tired after surgery but I guess it takes something out of you. I’ll be starting chemo too and the fact that I am already tired is making me nervous. Sending you many good thoughts
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