need help!!

MCJ
MCJ Member Posts: 59
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Recently diagnosed with breast cancer, stage IIA. An MRI showed the right breast healthy. Just found out it entered a lymph node through a biopsy, it was not detected in the pysical exam. The surgeon suggested half chemo before the surgery to remove the lump, and half after. The reason was to shrink the tumer, to kill any cancer that might be growing elsewhere and to be sure this chemo treatment will destroy this cancer. This was before cancer was detected in the node. I imagine treatment will not change. Haven't talked with the surgeon after cancer was detected in the lymph node. God willing we will survive.
We have been told it matters very little if the breast is removed or just the lump.
Are we on the right path??

Also need advice on life after cancer, any opinions on breast reconstuction, or implants, or tissue flap. All help and opinions will be treasured.
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Comments

  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #2
    Hi MCJ and welcome to the
    Hi MCJ and welcome to the site. Sorry that you are here because of breast cancer, but, you will find lots of support here. I had a lumpectomy, so, I can't give you advice on reconstruction. Chemo is given before surgery sometimes to shrink a tumor. If you don't trust your surgeon or oncologist, you might want to seek a 2nd opinion. But, you will survive. We all have and you will too. There is life after cancer, a good one!

    Hugs!
  • lolad
    lolad Member Posts: 670
    #3
    MCJ
    Wanted to say welcome and to let you know that you came to the right spot for advice and support. Everyone here is wonderful and will help you so much. I cant answer that about how it matters if only a lumpectomy is all you need. It should actually be your choice and no one elses. I can tell you that i had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders placed at the same time. Im in chemo right now and in the process of doing my "fills" on the expanders. They will go in and do another surgery with implants when im done with the fillings part. When they do the fills its not painful at all, it just gets a tight feeling for a few days. You should listen to your gut and do what you feel is right for you and not what someone else feels is right. I know it is a very difficult decission to make, but in the end you will know that it was yours. I wish you luck and let us know how you are doing.

    laura
  • Marcia527
    Marcia527 Member Posts: 2,729
    #4
    I had 4 cycles of chemo
    I had 4 cycles of chemo before surgery for the same reasons you stated. Then had surgery with two lymph nodes still with cancer. Then another 4 cycles of chemo. Then 6 weeks of radiation. I was diagnosed stage 3a in 2003. After the first 4 cycles I was changed to stage 2b. I had to have a modified radical mastectomy because my tumors were 6cm, 3cm, and another smaller one.
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #5
    Just welcoming you to the
    Just welcoming you to the site MCJ! And, wishing you good luck!

    ♥Hugs Lex♥
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #6
    Welcome
    Welcome MCJ. I'm fairly new to this site too but I can tell you you have come to the right place. There is a wealth of information available and more importantly friendship and compassion with real-life experiences. I know from my experience I struggled for well over a week on whether to do a lumpectomy or mastectomy. I changed my decision from day to day. Then, one day I decided I had to make the "final" decision and I spent the day soul searching, discussing with myself and finally made the decision. I guess we'll never know if it's the right one but it's the decision we made and we go from there. Good luck on your decision; only you can make it!!
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #7
    Help on the way..........
    MCJ........My surgeon,oncologist and radiation oncologist all told me that with a smaller tumor that a mastectomy provided a no longer survival rate than a lumpectomy, which is what I had in May. My tumor was 2.2 cm....I just finished my chemo and start rads in September..as everyone says, it is a PERSONAL decision. Just take your time and do what you feel is right for you.......
    Prayers and best wishes
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #8
    Help on the way..........
    MCJ........My surgeon,oncologist and radiation oncologist all told me that with a smaller tumor that a mastectomy provided a no longer survival rate than a lumpectomy, which is what I had in May. My tumor was 2.2 cm....I just finished my chemo and start rads in September..as everyone says, it is a PERSONAL decision. Just take your time and do what you feel is right for you.......
    Prayers and best wishes
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #9
    Welcome to the site MCJ!
    Welcome to the site MCJ!

    Hugs, Leeza
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #10
    jnl said:

    Welcome to the site MCJ!
    Welcome to the site MCJ!

    Hugs, Leeza

    Just want to say hi and
    Just want to say hi and welcome to the site MCJ! You will find lots of support here and usually 24/7.

    Kylez
  • susie09
    susie09 Member Posts: 2,930
    #11
    Welcome Mcj! My treatment
    Welcome Mcj! My treatment plan was for a lumpectomy, then radiation, which I did. Some women have mastectomy's because their tumor's are large and with a lumpectomy, they would lose most of their breast anyway, so, it would be better for them to have a mastectomy and then reconstruction. It is a personal choice for everyone, if, you are given a choice. And, some women are very small breasted and with the removal of the tumor and surrounding tissue, there wouldn't be much left. That is the case of several on here. Your oncologist will give you his recommendation and plan for treatment. Then, your path report after surgery outlines the rest of your treatment. Good luck to you Mcj!

    Susie
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #12
    susie09 said:

    Welcome Mcj! My treatment
    Welcome Mcj! My treatment plan was for a lumpectomy, then radiation, which I did. Some women have mastectomy's because their tumor's are large and with a lumpectomy, they would lose most of their breast anyway, so, it would be better for them to have a mastectomy and then reconstruction. It is a personal choice for everyone, if, you are given a choice. And, some women are very small breasted and with the removal of the tumor and surrounding tissue, there wouldn't be much left. That is the case of several on here. Your oncologist will give you his recommendation and plan for treatment. Then, your path report after surgery outlines the rest of your treatment. Good luck to you Mcj!

    Susie

    Welcome MCJ. I did not have
    Welcome MCJ. I did not have to do chemo but there are many who did and who will be here for you. My prayers and good thoughts are with you during this journey.
    Stef
  • taleena
    taleena Member Posts: 1,612 Member
    #13
    fauxma said:

    Welcome MCJ. I did not have
    Welcome MCJ. I did not have to do chemo but there are many who did and who will be here for you. My prayers and good thoughts are with you during this journey.
    Stef

    MCJ... just wanted to
    MCJ... just wanted to welcome you...I can see I'm legging behind and apologize... know that we are all here to support and encourage eachother... You will be in my thoughts...

    Hugs,

    ~T
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #14
    MyTurnNow said:

    Welcome
    Welcome MCJ. I'm fairly new to this site too but I can tell you you have come to the right place. There is a wealth of information available and more importantly friendship and compassion with real-life experiences. I know from my experience I struggled for well over a week on whether to do a lumpectomy or mastectomy. I changed my decision from day to day. Then, one day I decided I had to make the "final" decision and I spent the day soul searching, discussing with myself and finally made the decision. I guess we'll never know if it's the right one but it's the decision we made and we go from there. Good luck on your decision; only you can make it!!

    Glad that you made your
    Glad that you made your decision MyTurnNow. It isn't easy sometimes. I think as long as it is what you want, and, what you can live with, it is the right decision!

    Hugs Lex♥
  • phoenixrising
    phoenixrising Member Posts: 1,508
    #15
    Wecome MCJ, so sorry you are
    Wecome MCJ, so sorry you are going through this. Decisions, decisions!!! And having to make them while in an emotional turmoil is even worse. It's so hard to know what is the right thing to do. This is the part where we use our gut and try to intuit the right thing for us individually. My tumour was 2.2cm and I was offered a lumpectomy but I "knew" the right thing for me was to take the whole thing off. As it turned out it was 1mm from the chest wall and I'm sure if I had had a lumpectomy I would've had to go back to surgery for clear margins and I wouldn't have been happy with the shape the lumpectomy would give me as I am small breasted anyway. Can't help you with reconstruction as I have not had it although I am thinking about it more often now as the prosthesis is annoying.

    Best of luck to you on whatever decisions you make.

    jan
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
    #16
    phoenixrising said:

    Wecome MCJ, so sorry you are
    Wecome MCJ, so sorry you are going through this. Decisions, decisions!!! And having to make them while in an emotional turmoil is even worse. It's so hard to know what is the right thing to do. This is the part where we use our gut and try to intuit the right thing for us individually. My tumour was 2.2cm and I was offered a lumpectomy but I "knew" the right thing for me was to take the whole thing off. As it turned out it was 1mm from the chest wall and I'm sure if I had had a lumpectomy I would've had to go back to surgery for clear margins and I wouldn't have been happy with the shape the lumpectomy would give me as I am small breasted anyway. Can't help you with reconstruction as I have not had it although I am thinking about it more often now as the prosthesis is annoying.

    Best of luck to you on whatever decisions you make.

    jan

    Hello Mcj! Welcome!

    Hello Mcj! Welcome!
  • MCJ
    MCJ Member Posts: 59
    #17
    survivorbc09 said:

    Hi MCJ and welcome to the
    Hi MCJ and welcome to the site. Sorry that you are here because of breast cancer, but, you will find lots of support here. I had a lumpectomy, so, I can't give you advice on reconstruction. Chemo is given before surgery sometimes to shrink a tumor. If you don't trust your surgeon or oncologist, you might want to seek a 2nd opinion. But, you will survive. We all have and you will too. There is life after cancer, a good one!

    Hugs!

    Hi Survivorbc and glad to
    Hi Survivorbc and glad to hear that [your name says it all]. Thanks for the info. We've talked with two surgeons, an oncologist, a plastic surgeon, and a radiation dr. It has beem a long and frightening road so far and I have just begun. On the bright side the journey has been two steps forward and one backwards. You ladies are troopers, thanks a whole lot.
    One question of a thousand, it seems the chemo treatment before surgery would make you weak???

    So with your lumpectomy you did not need any reconstruction?


    thanks hugs
  • MCJ
    MCJ Member Posts: 59
    #18
    lolad said:

    MCJ
    Wanted to say welcome and to let you know that you came to the right spot for advice and support. Everyone here is wonderful and will help you so much. I cant answer that about how it matters if only a lumpectomy is all you need. It should actually be your choice and no one elses. I can tell you that i had a double mastectomy with tissue expanders placed at the same time. Im in chemo right now and in the process of doing my "fills" on the expanders. They will go in and do another surgery with implants when im done with the fillings part. When they do the fills its not painful at all, it just gets a tight feeling for a few days. You should listen to your gut and do what you feel is right for you and not what someone else feels is right. I know it is a very difficult decission to make, but in the end you will know that it was yours. I wish you luck and let us know how you are doing.

    laura

    Hi Laura thanks for sharing,
    Hi Laura thanks for sharing, I'm still not sure on what to do. I don't feel any preference.

    mcj
  • MCJ
    MCJ Member Posts: 59
    #19
    Marcia527 said:

    I had 4 cycles of chemo
    I had 4 cycles of chemo before surgery for the same reasons you stated. Then had surgery with two lymph nodes still with cancer. Then another 4 cycles of chemo. Then 6 weeks of radiation. I was diagnosed stage 3a in 2003. After the first 4 cycles I was changed to stage 2b. I had to have a modified radical mastectomy because my tumors were 6cm, 3cm, and another smaller one.

    was surgery after chemo more
    was surgery after chemo more difficult??

    mcj
  • MCJ
    MCJ Member Posts: 59
    #20
    MyTurnNow said:

    Welcome
    Welcome MCJ. I'm fairly new to this site too but I can tell you you have come to the right place. There is a wealth of information available and more importantly friendship and compassion with real-life experiences. I know from my experience I struggled for well over a week on whether to do a lumpectomy or mastectomy. I changed my decision from day to day. Then, one day I decided I had to make the "final" decision and I spent the day soul searching, discussing with myself and finally made the decision. I guess we'll never know if it's the right one but it's the decision we made and we go from there. Good luck on your decision; only you can make it!!

    thanks MTN I know the
    thanks MTN I know the decision will come, if not I break out the coin.

    I wish I could go back a month ago where my decisions were much more simpler.
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #21
    survivorbc09 said:

    Hello Mcj! Welcome!

    Hello Mcj! Welcome!

    Hi Mcj and welcome,Your
    Hi Mcj and welcome,Your answers to all your questions will come. The waiting is hard.

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