WORRED WEATHER TO HAVE OTHER NON CANCER BREAST REMOVED AT THE SAME TIME!!

PEGGY3B

MY RAD. MAST. IS SCED. IN JAN. I HAVE IIIB INVAS. BC. CHEMO HAS SHRUNK THE TUMOR (ALMOST GONE)!!! THANK GOD FOR THAT! THE ONCO & SURGEON DO NOT FEEL IT IS NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE OTHER "HEALTHY" BREAST. I NEED ADVICE. I DO NOT WANT TO EVER GO THROUGH CHEMO AGAIN!!!

zahalene

Your decision...
no one else's. Just wanted to say that I lost one breast in '86 and the other in '88, so for 2 years was 'one-sided' and since 2nd mast have been 'breastless'. Chose not to have recon.
I found that having one breast was much harder to deal with in terms of dressing and finding prosthesis that worked and bras that fit right, etc., than having none at all. That's just a note to assure you that loosing both breasts (should you decide on that course) can have advantages. And then there is always reconstruction, but as I said, I opted out there so can not advise you about that.... but many others here can. Hugs.

KathiM

I agree, your choice...
If you feel you would worry about it obsessively, well, I know many friends that have had the 'preventative' mastectomy for just this reason. I also know some who said 'shine it, cancer is not getting any more of my body than absolutely necessary'.

This is such an intensely personal decision, I wish you well. I 'only' had a lumpectomy, so I can't help there...

Hugs, Kathi

mmontero38

Hi Peggy, None of us want to
Hi Peggy, None of us want to go through chemo again and hopefully we won't but removing the other breast doesn't guarantee that we won't get it again somewhere else. Breast cancer just like any other can metastasize somewhere else. So, do what you feel is better for you. Hugs, Lili

Marcia527

one for me
I had a modified radical mastectomy on the right side only. I had chemo before surgery to shrink the tumors. More chemo after and radiation. I was a stage 3a. My surgeon also didn't think the left needed to be removed. I decided to trust him but there are no guarantees. I was diagnosed in Aug. 2003. So far so good. You should do what you feel is right for you. Talk to your doctors and find out why they think you don't need both removed. Mine didn't say why and now I wonder why sometimes. It also will give you a better idea of what they based their decision on.

NorcalJ

Your choice
I had a mast. chemo and rads, but am planning on a prophylactic bilat. mast. and reconstruction in about a year from the end of rads.
The idea of waiting to see what happens scares me, so I think of it as a control issue.

Wearing a prosthesis is also not fun. Not as big a deal as it sounds, but I want to pick my size and be smaller and "perky".

It's totally your decision after you consult your Dr.s, and listen to family and friends. But remember, everyone has a different slant on the situation and it's only yours that matters.

You can also choose to consider the bilat. later.

Take a deep breath, and come back here and let us know how you're doing---we care.

gemsa

1 or 2, it's up to you
When I had my right mast, I asked about having the left removed also. I was only 30, and had a long life ahead of me and didn't want to go through this again. She said, "Let's just worry about the right side for now." For about a year I worried about the healthy side. I was misdiagnosed the first time, and did not want to risk the same thing happening.

I needed to have a touch up to the right side, so a year later I asked to have the left removed also. My surgeon asked me to speak with the cancer center psychologist, I suppose just to make sure I didn't think having body parts removed was fun.

I feel much better with them both removed. They match a lot better than before, and I don't feel like I am sitting here waiting for a new primary in the healthy side. For me it was a control thing as well. I wanted to take some preventative action against cancer coming back.

All the best to you as you make this very tough decision.

PEGGY3B

gemsa said:

1 or 2, it's up to you
When I had my right mast, I asked about having the left removed also. I was only 30, and had a long life ahead of me and didn't want to go through this again. She said, "Let's just worry about the right side for now." For about a year I worried about the healthy side. I was misdiagnosed the first time, and did not want to risk the same thing happening.

I needed to have a touch up to the right side, so a year later I asked to have the left removed also. My surgeon asked me to speak with the cancer center psychologist, I suppose just to make sure I didn't think having body parts removed was fun.

I feel much better with them both removed. They match a lot better than before, and I don't feel like I am sitting here waiting for a new primary in the healthy side. For me it was a control thing as well. I wanted to take some preventative action against cancer coming back.

All the best to you as you make this very tough decision.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!! I KNOW THE DECISION HAS TO BE MINE. IT'S TOUGH THOUGH! I TRUST THE CANCER CENTER AND THE DR'S THAT I HAVE. MY LOCAL HOS/RADIOLOGIST MISSED MY CANCER FOR POSSIBLY OVER TWO YEARS!!! I GO TO THE IRLAND CANCER CENTER IN CLEVELAND,OH. THEY ARE TO SAY THE LEAST, AWESOME!!!! I'M NOT THE SIT AND WORRY KIND OF PERSON. AND THEY TOLD ME THEY PLANNED TO GET AN MRI OF THE HEALTHY BREAST EVERY YEAR. I TRUST THEM TO WATCH ME CLOSELY. THEY DID SAY THEY COULD ALWAYS DO IT LATER WITH RECONS.IF I REALLY FELT THAT'S WHAT I WANTED.(THEY ALSO WOULD DO IT AT THE SAME TIME IF I INSISTED).

ohilly

listen to yourself
Doctors don't know everything: you know in your heart what is right. It is your decision, but I am glad I removed my own healthy breast. Here is what happened:

I was diagnosed with Stage I. Because it was stage I, there was a lot of pressure from my doctors to get a lumpectomy. I didn't listen and got a mastectomy of the cancerous breast. After the mastectomy, I was tested and found to have the BRCA gene (which means it is more likely I would get a new cancer in the opposite breast). The recommended treatment for BRCA carriers is mastectomy, not lumpectomy, so it turns out I made the right decision in spite of my doctors' advice. I then decided to have a second, preventive mastectomy on the healthy breast because of the increased risk that I could get cancer on the other side. I am very happy with my decision. We should listen to our doctors, but at the same time realize it is our body, not theirs. As for myself, I am glad I pursued the most aggressive treatments.

Good luck in making your decision,

Ohilly

Joycelouise

As O'hilly has written,
As O'hilly has written, finding out your BCRA status may be an important part of your decision. And, like O'hilly, you can also have the second breast removed at another surgery (although it's not much to look forward to!) You can also meet with your oncologist as well as your surgeon for advice. I wish I had done that when I had my surgery. Take care, love Joyce