Masectomy

Hi Maz

The main breast cancer thread will probs be best to advise you on operation as a lot will have had it.

i am pretty much the same as you secondaries to liver. (Secondary was my first diagnosis) in Nov 16.  I hope you don’t mind but can I ask you some questions.

i have always been told inoperable but I have responded well to treatment and the liver secondaries now don’t show up on the CT scans so wonder if I should push for a mastectomy.

did you ask or did your oncologist just offer you it.  I presume they think it will give you a better chance or they wouldn’t be doing it. I wonder if it was because I had more than 5 mets scattered in the liver.  How many did you have?

sorry for all the questions just your post has given me hope.

i wish you all the luck in the world.

Hi Angela 

I had several Mets in the liver and bones plus it had gone to secondaries within 2 years of initial treatment hence the bad prognosis and why the surgeon would not operate. However the oncologist always thought it should be done. There were a couple of mistakes made with my treatment and I should have been reviewed and revisited by the surgeon in Jan this year. 

Ultimately although the surgeon is still not too happy, 3 things went in my favour firstly the other cancers are stable. Secondly I am still very well and not willing to die. Thirdly they believe this is a new primary breast cancer and not a secondary. The fact that the cancer has now spread to my lungs and  breast skin this reinforced  that opinion, no doubt my oncologist was able to use this to argue the case. 

If the op had of been done 15 months ago when first referred it is highly likely it could have been removed without spread but that is that. I am concerned it may now be too late but am going ahead as I do not want it to Fungate and hopefully if they get the samples they need perhaps the oncologist can find the right drug for the new cancer too and stop the growth in the lungs. 

The surgeon has made it clear that he sees no good in having the op other than to reduce the pain (not sure  if you get pain) but the oncologist sees it differently and at least he has things he wants to try and is not just writing me off. 

I have had to be very proactive especially with the oncologist as he tends to be very forgetful. I am on first name terms with his secretaries. 

Not sure if this is helpful but as your Mets are responding to treatment and shrinking it is worth asking but it may be very different because I have 2 cancers not one. 

Good luck 

I am just keeping busy and trying not to think about the op. 

Hi Maz

thanks so much for reply.  I will ask again and see.  Mine would be the original primary, always been told it wouldn’t make a difference but maybe as I have been stable for a while they may re visit the option. 

Yep keep busy to keep mind off the operation.

take care

hi just read your message....just wondering how u are

Hi and thanks for your post it did not go as expected but I am now home and hopefully I will recover well. 

Ended up with a masectomy and ANC which I think went well but unfortunately  for me the anesthetist decided to ignore all the written and verbal notifications about my allergies and gave me 2 meds I am not to have. 

They had problems waking me I drifted in and out of conciousness experienced all sorts of hallucinations and my blood pressure went through the roof while my other stats dropped. After 3 days on IV in hospital I finally came back into the land of the living with sores from blisters and some dehydration problems remaining. 

I have not managed to get the drains removed yet but hopefully tomorrow is the big day. Can't wait to get a good soak in the bath and get out and about. May be a little low on bloods just now so not able to get back on meds for a while. 

All in all a bit of a nightmare but hopefully it's full steam ahead now. 

Not sure what can be done about the drug issues as the sister on the ward was furious and showed me all my paperwork the pre op check sheet, the on the day nurse check sheet and pharmaceutical sheet all highlighting my allergies with a sticker and danger triangle. It is very worrying and I hope I never need another op, as I don't think I will trust them again.