Is there a chance of reoccurence after double mast.?

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Comments

  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    Candace - please read!
    Candace,
    I had the same surgery as you did. I had a 2 cm mass in my right breast, stage 2 breast cancer. I chose to have both breasts removed to give myself a better chance of it not coming back. I was told that there is always a chance of reoccurance at the incision site, on the chest wall, etc. That is what the 5 years of Tamoxifen (I'm on that too) is supposed to help prevent.
    It took me a few weeks of research, thinking, and talking to 3 different doctors, along with everyone on here, to come up with my surgical decision. My feelings, ultimately, were that I would MUCH rather feel like I did TOO MUCH in my fight against breast cancer, than NOT ENOUGH. I read about (and personally know a few women) so many women who had a lumpectomy, and a few years later have a reoccurence & end up needing a mastectomy after all.
    You're right to feel angry about this. Now that my treatment (chemo) is over, and Im done with surgeries, I'm finding myself angry alot. I'm so pissed that this had to happen to me at all, that I had to lose my hair and my breasts, and that my husband, kids, and parents have had to deal with what happened to me. But, at the end of the day - I'm alive, my hair is growing back, and I'm cancer free.
    If you need to chat or anything, you can always send me a message on here or on facebook (FB messages come through on my cell phone right away so i get those faster). Hang in there, it does get better (or so I'm told, lol)
    *hugs & hugs*
    Heather
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    candacemc said:

    Thank you soooo much Sally.
    Thank you soooo much Sally. I needed to hear that from someone living it. I'm so hard on myself when this isn't something I chose. But, it's a real blow to now realize that this will be a lifelong issue. I should have some peace of mind that I did take an aggressive defensive stand... what else is there to do? Pick up the pieces and move forward. My head and my heart need to join forces. haha

    Like everyone wrote, you
    Like everyone wrote, you still have breast tissue. And, the Tamoxifen is if your cancer was ER positive. It doesn't matter if you had a lumpectomy or mastectomy, if you were ER+, oncologist's recommend some hormone therapy, either Tamoxifen or the A's.


    Vent here whenever you need to. I hope that we can help you in some way.


    Hugs, Angie
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member

    mastectomy
    My onc. told me that lumpctomy does not increase the chance for reoccurence any more than mastectomy. It's about getting the cancer/tumor out(surgery)before it starts shedding cells and then doing the adjuvent treatments depending on your cancer. It's all very complicated and hard to process when your right in the middle of it all. I think your idea of talking to a professional is a good one. I had bilat. mast. June 09 then did months of chemo,and found some counseing to be VERY helpfull. My counselor specialized in people with cancer, transplant patients, ect. and she really helped me see that my life is truly worth the fight. God bless you and I'll keep you in my prayers! Hugs...Alison

    I can't add much more than
    I can't add much more than what all of your sisters in pink have written except I can send you a huge cyber hug today!


    Sue :)
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    MyTurnNow said:

    Candace, just to give you
    Candace, just to give you some comfort in the decision you made to have the mastectomy versus the lumpectomy.... I was dx in June 2009 with IDC and I opted for a lumpectomy. I also had chemo and rads. Just as I was scheduled for my first mammo post treatment, I noticed another lump in the same affected breast, just in another location. I had a recurrence in July 2010 and at the second dx opted for the bilateral mastectomy with 2 levels of lumph nodes removed. Thank goodness, they were clear. So, you did what you thought was right for you. I hope you never have to hear those words again but you need to stay vigilent with your self exams. This is a very frightening situation that I wish none of us had to ever endure.

    Candace, you did what you
    Candace, you did what you had to do to fight the beast! We all do, because none of us ever want it back!


    Hugs, Kylez
  • glitter_718
    glitter_718 Member Posts: 1
    Hi everyone....this is just
    Hi everyone....this is just the perfect topic for me...I had my last chemo on July 2010. Had a prophylactic mastectomy on my right breast in Sept 2010 (I had double mastectomy). My cancer was Stage 1 with no lymph nodes involvement. 5 weeks ago I had my final reconstructive surgery. 2 days ago, i notice a small lump in my right breast (the cancer breast was the left breast). The lump is on the lower part of my breast. I can even see the lump buldging a little on the surface of my skin. its rounded, moves a little and no pain...Its like its stuck to my silicon! I am gonna see my surgeon tmrw. Its been only 3 mths since my mastectomy and 6 mths since my chemo. What if the lump is cancerous??!! How can this happen again! I am praying and hoping its just a scar tissue and a fat tissue!

    Marina
  • Different Ballgame
    Different Ballgame Member Posts: 868
    The answer is, "Yes"
    A recurrence can happen. Not all of your breast is removed with a mastectomy. A tiny portion of the breast tissue right next to your breast skin is kept to support your breast skin. In that tiny portion of the breast tissue, a cancer cell can lurk and then later develop.

    I had 0 Stage DCIS but after 2 surgical biopsies margins still were not clear I initially started with 1 speck of cancer known as a calcification. The biopsies revealed under a microscope that the margins were not clear. After much research I opted for a contralateral mastectomy (removal of 1 cancerous breast and 1 non-cancerous breast) with immediate skin sparing breast reconstruction. I did not require chemo, radiation, nor Arimidex, which were some of the major reasons why I opted for the mastectomy.

    About 2-1.2 years later, cancer returned on scar of breast which I thought was an irritation to the stitches. I touched that cancer for at least 4-6 months never dreaming that it was cancer. I showed it to my plastic surgeon at my annual visit with him. He also thought it was an irritation to the stitches, as it was not shaped like a cancerous growth, until I told him that I thought it was growing within the last month or so. Then he became suspicious. Biopsy revealed that it was cancer. I am in the 1% category for a recurrence based on my initial cancer. That means that 99% of the women who have 0 Stage DCIS, lymph nodes free of cancer, NEVER get it again if they opt for a mastectomy.

    My comment, "One cell got away." Because cancer could not be found anywhere else in my body with the recurrence, I only needed radiation followed with Arimidex. It is now one year since I finished radiation. So far, so good.

    My advice to all of you is, "Do not live your life in fear. Educate yourself as to what a recurrence could look like or feel like. Any questions or doubts, immediately go to your doctor...do not wait for your next scheduled appointment. Focus on all the joys of life and enjoy them."

    Lots of Hugs,
    Janelle
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000

    Hi everyone....this is just
    Hi everyone....this is just the perfect topic for me...I had my last chemo on July 2010. Had a prophylactic mastectomy on my right breast in Sept 2010 (I had double mastectomy). My cancer was Stage 1 with no lymph nodes involvement. 5 weeks ago I had my final reconstructive surgery. 2 days ago, i notice a small lump in my right breast (the cancer breast was the left breast). The lump is on the lower part of my breast. I can even see the lump buldging a little on the surface of my skin. its rounded, moves a little and no pain...Its like its stuck to my silicon! I am gonna see my surgeon tmrw. Its been only 3 mths since my mastectomy and 6 mths since my chemo. What if the lump is cancerous??!! How can this happen again! I am praying and hoping its just a scar tissue and a fat tissue!

    Marina

    Praying for you Marina.
    Praying for you Marina. Update us as to what your surgeon says.


    Hugs, Megan