Lumpectomy Vs Mastectomy

Hi NVR welcome to the forum. I was older than you are now when I was diagnosed with a different type of breast cancer. However, I remember being very certain when I saw the Consultant that I wanted s Mastectomy as I just wanted the Cancer gone. She said to me if that's what I really wanted she would do that but not before I had gone away and read info she gave me and spoke to many others who had felt the same as I did. After much deliberation and really not wanting to be without my breast after all I opted for a Lumpectomy with SNB removal, Radiotherapy and Medication.. I have had no regrets to date about my choice but as I said I was older than you and maybe age plays a factor in decisions, I'm not sure. I Hope that you make the choice that feels right for you and wish you well for your ongoing treatment. Gailx

This is helpful to read, thank you for sharing. 

I was adamant in my mind that if the MRI showed up any other possible lesions, I wasn't going to go through biopsying them etc and was just going to ask for mastectomy. So I think I was so caught up in the good MRI results I just got swept up in the plan offered to me and now I'm digesting things a bit more and feeling unsure. It's so difficult isn't it 

When they took my lump out they weren't expecting it to be cancer so no clear margins. I was then offered a mastectomy or re-excsions. I went for the re-excision and other cleared 75% of DCIS, had the same options again so had another re-excision, unfortunately that still didn't clear me so no option but a mastectomy. Sometimes I get frustrated thinking I could had it done with a longer time ago but then glad I tried all I could to save my breast.

I have private health care so not sure if different but my consultant was clear that he wanted to preserve as much as symmetry as possible.  Had my tumour been bigger or if he hadn't got clear margins first time around it would've been different but as it stands just now (post lumpectomy/snb and 16xradiotherapy sessions) I've no regrets with my path so far.

Surgeon had to do some "rearranging" as tumour was in upper outer quadrant so took some tissue from below to maximise symmetry. I'm quite small so he did say he'd be concerned for aesthetics if he needed to go back in again (i was mentally ready to go for smx if that was the case).

Hope this is helpful & good luck with your next steps