need suggestion

happy

hi
i am really confused. I had nipple discharge in my right breast almost 6 months ago. My doctor sent me for mammogram and ultrasound. they found multiple lumps in both breasts, again I went for MRI.the result was negative. My doctor did needle biopsy for the lump which caused the discharge.That result said it was fibroid.But She did surgery to remove that lump and the duct.After the surgery the pathology report said that I have cancer.Then they did needle biopsy on the other lumps in the left side.The result is they are just fibroid cysts. now my question is how can I beleive result? I already gone for second opinion, they also confirmed.my confusion is which treatment I should choose,single or bilateral mastectomy.

babebussie

Hi, did the Dr.tell you that you had breast cancer? Okay, well if you have cancer in one breast then most likely it's in the other breast seeing as though they see positive tissue on the other side. It's hard to make the decision to have either breast removed. I have breast cancer also and i had a mastectomy on the rt.breast in april but my other breast is fine. Had there of been any question what so ever about the other breast i would have had them just take it off because i'd rather be safe than sorry. Besides once you have a surgery like that you don't wanna go through that again unless you have to but in your case your already having the one removed so i would just do both. I would hate for you to regret not doing it. Let yourself heal all at one time rather now and later.

I hope i helped.
Hugs to you~

cabbott

If you have the time to pursue a second opinion, now sounds like the time to do it. A MRI with contrast at a breast cancer center might tell you more about whether you have cancer or not in the other breast. Cysts are fairly normal and very common at your age. But cancer isn't something to ignore. A radiologist told me that the cysts that suddenly appear may have been cause by a bit a cancer in a duct that caused fluid to back up. The suddenly growing ones therefore, were the problematic ones. Ones that feel like a stone with rough edges are also often cancer. Lumpectomy plus radiation has better survival stats than mastectomy, but I had to have a mastectomy because the cancer was in more than one spot. In the end, you need to do what will help you sleep best at night.

seof

I think I would go for a second or third opinion, since you are getting conflicting information. However, my personal preference is better safe than sorry. I had a bilateral mastectomy even though the Dr. said I was not at high risk of cancer coming back in the other side...I figure get rid of as much risk as I can, even if it is a small amount. Also there is the issue of doing it all at once and get it over with, instead of doing some now, then maybe later have to do more. But it is a difficult decision and a very personal one.

Best wishes, seof

LindaR48

I am also a breast cancer survivor. I had a single mastectomy only because I didn't get a clean margin on my lumpectomy. Since you are being told the cancer is only in one breast, the decision needs to be based on how you feel about it. Only you know if you would be comfortable with having both breasts removed or if you would live in fear of the cancer showing up in the other breast. If your confused write questions you have and get answers to them. You have to live with the results of surgery, so you need to be comfortable with the choice you make.

Unknown

I agree with Linda and the others.
Get all the concrete evidence you can and then decide what you can live with.
I lost both breasts at different times because of two different cancers.
In hindsight, it would have been much easier to have had both removed at once, but my onco did not present me with that option and I was so blown away with the news of cancer on one side that I did not even consider what might happen in the future.
You are going into this in a much wiser fashion than I did. Just keep seeking until you find an answer that feels right for you.
God bless.