Breast cancer twice within 10 years

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Anyone out there experiencing breast cancer twice in 10 years and doubting the treatment offered??

  • I have had BC (one high grade DCIS other invasive) twice in the last 10 years, I don’t doubt my treatment though but maybe that’s because I’ve had very open and chatty consultants, by and large, or maybe there’s something that hasn’t occurred to me, what aspect of your treatment do you question? Xx

  • Well, ideally I would like to go for a bilateral mastectomy but my oncologist is doubtful that the NHS will fund it. My sister has had one on the NHS as she had bilateral DCIS both my maternal and pConfusedernal grandmother's had breast cancer. There is a vague history and I have been referred for genetic testing. My doubts are that the Oncologist said that chemo and herceptin are the way to go and inConfusedmated that a complete mastectomy wouldn't solve the problem. But, if I test positive for the Brac gene I automatically would get the op. So, why would this be offered for a positive Brac gene if it Confuseddn't solve the problem? My prognosis is good even without treatment but just don't want horrid treatment and get it again in another 10 years. So Confused confused!! Just feel that I got a bit lectured as to the state of the NHS and that a reconstruction was "cosmetic" Pensive

  • That doesn’t sound like you had a very sympathetic conversation at all! Ok so I had both before the age of 50 which was another flag to them, when I was first diagnosed the second time I was told it would be a double. I then had the genetic testing and it came back negative and they said they’d only do the single as a result. Obviously I was really concerned and upset. My breast consultant explained to me that in the absence of the genes a double mastectomy was unnecessary. She said that the breast are two independent body parts and without a genetic driver fuelling it, by asking for a double, I might as well say, I have breast cancer so I’m going to remove my healthy bowel to prevent it coming back, removing a healthy unaffected breast wouldn’t help. Whilst I don’t think I’ll ever not be nervous about it, that made sense to me. I also talked it through with a Macmillan nurse which was really helpful. To a certain extent I guess we don’t know the advise we’re given is right, that studies and experience won’t change future advise and treatments, that in itself is scary. All we’ve got it the best advice we can have now. I have had a single mastectomy and diep reconstruction now and everything crossed for the future. If you remain convinced a double is what you want then you can fight for it, my consultant said to me that if after everything I still wanted one she wound fight my corner for funding but after careful consideration and conversations with her, the plastic surgeon and the oncologist I decided to go with what they said. It’s a hard decision and we might all make different choices and that’s fine. Talk to as many professionals as you can about it. All the best xx

  • That really helped, thank you xx