DCIS diagnosis

Hi, sorry you find yourself in the club nobody wants to join.  I was diagnosed with tubular breast cancer September 2022.  I had 5cms x 5cm area removed.  I expected it to be noticed more than it is.  My margins were not clear - DCIS was found in the margins so had further surgery to removed 1 cm.    I was and am the same bra size as you.  I had no reconstruction done.  Your breast will be swollen for a while and the radiotherapy will make it firm.  The difference in mine is hardly noticeable and I wouldn’t be bothered with any further surgery. If anything I only need the other breast lifted lol.   If I lean over with no bra on it’s as if a corner has been taken off if that makes sense but who goes around like that anyway.  I hope this helps a bit with your decision.  

Hi,

My beast is the same. You only notice if a bend a certain way. I had no reconstruction and still wear same bra size. 

You will be able to judge following treatment if you feel surgery is required.

Wishing you a speedy recovery xx

Thank you. I think if the area of legions were smaller, I‘d be in a less anxious position. I don’t know why I‘m panicking more about how I‘ll look than the actual cancer. I know I should be more concerned about it but I feel like being deformed is taking a toll on me. I‘ve haven’t been happy with my body for a while so this is just an additional setback. 

Do you know how much breast tissue they removed? Or how big the legions were? Or was it a lump? I‘m panicking because mine is a considerable area they need to remove. They said they will preserve my breast and move my nipple upwards but considering the size of the good breast, I‘ll be lopsided in a big way. 

Hi Romance writer,

I recall 12x5cm in my head. It was large and grade 3 it was breaking up into surrounding tissue. They had to remove also. I am a 38EE. I notice a slight difference because I know the op was done. I don't feel lopsided. I can feel a void where they took it but it's only visible if I lean a certain way. 

Once you have had your surgery you will be able to gage whether you would feel comfortable as you are or if you want reconstruction.

My nipple looked liked it had been sliced off after op. However it has healed brilliantly. You don't even notice the scar 

Good luck xx

Thank you. I think you put my mind at ease as your area was only slightly smaller than mine. I was worried about ending up having a breast the size of a watermelon and the other the size of a cherry. Can I ask how the radiotherapy went? I read that sometimes it changes the breast skin/shape. 

Hi, I want to reassure you that the lopsidedness may not be as bad as you expect. I have had 2 ops - the first a lumpectomy and the second a mammoplasty - and my right breast is A LOT smaller than my left but honestly, once you put a bra on it is less noticeable than you might think. I tend to wear sports bras and no prosthesis as that is what I find most comfortable. I am / was 34E too. Also radiotherapy (if you are having it) can change the shape of your breast so my surgeon doesn’t do healthy breast reduction straight away. Hope this helps X 

Thanks for that. I think it’s more about how I will see myself. I‘ve been unhappy for a while so the difference of breasts will catapult me into serious depression. I need to try and find a way to stop that before it starts. If I could reduce the good breast to the size I want maybe then I could live with a year of the cancer breast being much smaller. Ar least one breast would be the model for reconstruction if the other breast needs it after radiotherapy. I don’t even know if this is possible. I‘m hoping the surgeon I meet with in 10 days will offer me a solution. 

Hi Romance Writer

It will be 2 years this June since I was diagnosed with  DCIS, stage 2, aggressive tumour. 7 x 6 cm.  Luckily lymph nodes were clear. I had a single mastectomy, no reconstruction.  
Prior to surgery I felt anxious about being seen as different and wondered how obvious it would be, but I can honestly say I’m not bothered at all!  I was 38 C. Was told reconstructive surgery could take place at a later date, once healed etc but I don’t want it. I work in a petrol station and go about my daily life with only one breast and no one bats an eyelid.  People are to busy with their own lives,and stuck in their own world to worry about it. 
Do whatever you’re comfortable with, but don’t be swayed by how you appear to others. Do it for yourself. 
My husband isn’t bothered and personally I have found it really empowering. 
The way I see it is, I’m still here because my breast isn’t! 
Think positive, you’ve got this x

I had dcis in my right breast with the tumour being over 8cm, originally they thought it was more like 10cm. I was a bra size E but due to the size and location I had a mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. It was hard to tell initially whether there was a size difference due to the swelling etc but now that it has settled a little there is a definite size difference but only if you look closely. Under clothes no one can tell the difference, especially with winter clothing on. I might ask my surgeon for a reduction but I'm going to wait until my radiotherapy is completed before I make the final decision. 

My feeling is that I'll deal with the cancer first and then worry about the cosmetics. I am glad I had the reconstruction because I feel that mentally having something was better for me even though it looks very different. I know I'm on a long path so I'm trying to take it one thing at a time rather than thinking about everything. 

Don't be critical of yourself about what it is going to look like. It is perfectly normal to worry after all this is your body and surgery is very invasive. My biggest issue was reconciling the fact that I felt perfectly well but was undergoing all these procedures. 

All the best. 

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