Having Doubts

Hi penny

read my profile as similar to you. My biopsy’s came back as cancer and other lump normal but consultant said it wasn’t normal and did another biopsy (agony) and 10 day wait to be told it is cancer. My results of lump 2 dictated which surgery. Looking back I wished I had just said mastectomy from the go. My reasons for this are lumps are there that shouldn’t be. I want them gone. Also my worry with lumpectomy would be have they got it all and enough clear Margins etc. I guess if you will do anything to save your breast then have tests and wait but if you think you will opt for mastectomy in any event then I would say speak up sooner than later. 

Hope this helps

love xxxxx

Hi Penny my story is also also very similar, I was first told I had DCIS then after biopsy they discovered the lump was IDC. There were several other areas of DCIS so I opted for a mastectomy rather than wait for more biopsies. The pathology following my surgery showed that there were 5 tumours in all, ranging from 1.8cm to 2mm , so it was absolutely the right decision for me. 
it’s so difficult to know what to do for the best and you have to go with what you are most comfortable with, but it’s a big decision and waiting a week to get your head around it all won’t make any difference to the outcome , your instinct is that you just want everything to happen quickly but I was sent away to think about it all for a week and I felt confident with my decision after that.

good luck xxxx

Hi Tinkerbell, Thanks for your comments, yes it helps and I appreciate what you are saying and obviously understand my dilemma! The reasons for the extra tests are supposed to give me an informed decision as I couldn't give the consultant an outright answer at the point when he had just confirmed the results from the biopsy. It was so much to take in and my mind was spinning!  If I don't get the follow up appointment letter in the next couple of days I might change my mind and ring them.  The tests I've already had were painful (about 8 mammograms) and the first shot of the biopsy hurt like hell as they didn't numb it enough, so I am really not looking forward to going through it again just to be told its going to be a mastectomy after all!!!!

Thank you xxx

Hi Claire, thanks for your comments, I appreciate your reply. My gut feeling is that it is going to be a mastectomy anyway following these extra tests. If they say there are other lumps that are not cancerous I probably won't be convinced anyway!  Why on earth do they give you this news and then ask for your decision there and then?  The trouble is that apparently other lumps did not show on all images of the mammogram only on some, which has left me with this dilemma because I knew nothing about breast cancer or the options?

Cheers xxx

My story is in my profile. But MRI showed two more areas of concern.  I had a choice to have the area mapped out and have biopsies or have a mastectomy.  I decided to have a mastectomy straight away.  It turned out that these two area were not breast cancer but pre-breast cancer. I was please with my decision to have mastectomy.

We all have doubts but the decision you make will be the right decision for you.  Take care xxx

My situation is exactly the same as Roses123 and I'm really glad that I had the mastectomy even though the other areas turned out to be pre cancerous. In fact i'm going further and have asked to have my other healthy breast taken off when my chemo is over because I want to move forward with no checking and worrying (my cancer was not detected on the mammogram and I have a lot of cysts in my healthy breast which makes it hard to check). I wish I had just had both off at the start and wish there had been more discussion along these lines from the start.

Hi,  Thank you all for your replies xx

What do they mean by pre-cancer?  Does this suggest that although they are not cancerous at that time they could well be in the short-term future which then means more ops and removal? xx

I think I need to stop putting myself through these bloody awful tests and  biopsies for nothing and just go for it!  I wish they had given me time to think about all this rather than put me on the spot for an answer!  I'm not exactly a page three girl and I think probably older than most of you so I don't have a lot to lose in a boob!

xxx

Hi

You are correct with the 'pre-cancer' understanding.  This is DCIS and it could remain harmless but equally it could also become cancer.  

The only thing I would say is that a mastectomy operation is a much bigger one than the WLE (wide local excision)/lumpectomy.  

I had IDC of 15mm and 2 separate areas of DCIS totalling 54mm in total - I had a WLE and sentinel lymph node removal (to check for sure there are no stray cells in the lymph nodes) and the surgeon managed to get clear margins on the DCIS and the tumor.    I had 8cm removed from my breast and as I was ER(oestrogen positive) and iddn't need chemo, I had only 2 days off work. I had the operation day, the following day and then it was the weekend and I was back at work and driving on the Monday.  

So, take into consideration the impact of the different operations before making your decision and if it's just because you don't want to wait for results, then I would urge you to have the full picture before you make any 'hasty' decisions.

Kindest wishes,

Yes they were something called LCIS which is not cancer but could turn into cancer in the future. x

Hi, Thank you for the info and advice.  I think I do need to speak to someone although I have been given lots of booklets. I also have several numbers of the support staff at the local hospital but not sure which one to ring at the moment!  I don't feel that I am in a good place today to think about this objectively, I think all the waiting, appointments, decisions etc are catching up with me.

Thank you xxx