Ductal Cancer

tconder

For Stage 1 Ductal Cancer of the Breast, has anyone had a lumpectomy versus mastectomy?

GlowMore

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma*

They were not able to tell me the Stage of my IDC until after my surgery back in 2002.   Had a lumpectomy then chemo and radiation.......most of my details can be found on my Home Page.

My Surgeon told me that if it was only one tumor...and if it was under a certain size that the statistics were showing that the survival rates were the same with lupectomy vs masdectomy overall.    I was a Widow so my choice was not because of cosmetics..........but simply because of his recommendation looking at the statistics.  Went into it hoping that it would be only lumpectomy and then radiation.........but it had spread to the lymph nodes so had to do the chemo.  Early in the process I decided I COULD NOT live in FEAR.........so I let it go and took it all one step at a time and so far I think that God has given me a Miracle.   However...I still worry and still pray it won't show up some other location.

You are in the right place for sharing and caring and learning...........we all understand.

 

tconder

GlowMore said:

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma*

They were not able to tell me the Stage of my IDC until after my surgery back in 2002.   Had a lumpectomy then chemo and radiation.......most of my details can be found on my Home Page.

My Surgeon told me that if it was only one tumor...and if it was under a certain size that the statistics were showing that the survival rates were the same with lupectomy vs masdectomy overall.    I was a Widow so my choice was not because of cosmetics..........but simply because of his recommendation looking at the statistics.  Went into it hoping that it would be only lumpectomy and then radiation.........but it had spread to the lymph nodes so had to do the chemo.  Early in the process I decided I COULD NOT live in FEAR.........so I let it go and took it all one step at a time and so far I think that God has given me a Miracle.   However...I still worry and still pray it won't show up some other location.

You are in the right place for sharing and caring and learning...........we all understand.

 

Invasive ductal carcinoma

Thank you- what seems easiest at this point is to have the mastectomy with reconstruction, no chemo required with this, just to have the fear reduced. I love your attitude, however, of not living in fear, I think we have to put this in God's hands and know that our decisions have to be made with prayer. 

alabama_survivor

tconder said:

Invasive ductal carcinoma

Thank you- what seems easiest at this point is to have the mastectomy with reconstruction, no chemo required with this, just to have the fear reduced. I love your attitude, however, of not living in fear, I think we have to put this in God's hands and know that our decisions have to be made with prayer. 

I didn't do reconstruction,

I didn't do reconstruction, but did have to do chemo since my cancer was stage 3 on one side, and stage 0 on the other.  I had a bilateral, and I honest thought surgery was easier than chemo.  Chemo is very doable, though.  I did have some side effects, mostly low blood counts and extreme fatigue.  I also have some neurapathy.  But the nausea and throwing up my toenails, which I most scared of, never happened.  At most I had very mild queeziness which was easily taken care of with the meds I was given.

desertgirl947

I did not want to keep being

I did not want to keep being on edge about things and so I went for a double mastectomy. The lesser problem was just brewing.  I had to do chemo and rads because of the problems on the left. I am now on tamoxifen.

I chose no reconstruction for a variety of reasons.  

Lilly9

desertgirl947 said:

I did not want to keep being

I did not want to keep being on edge about things and so I went for a double mastectomy. The lesser problem was just brewing.  I had to do chemo and rads because of the problems on the left. I am now on tamoxifen.

I chose no reconstruction for a variety of reasons.  

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma -

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma - Stage 3 w nodes - 8 rounds of chemo first - bi-lateral mastectomy followed by 34 rounds of radiation.   I had expanders placed at the time of surgery and a year later had my implants placed

crselby

two women's stories

My second cousin had IDC in 2009, two months before I was DXed with DCIS (stage 0, but aggressive).  Because of her low oncotype score, she chose not to have chemo and so we both did lumpectomy and brachytherapy radiation.  She started Arimidex and I started Tamoxifen.  She was on it for 3 months and quit, I was on Tamoxifen for 1.5 years and quit as it was badly affecting my uterus.  Neither of us needed serious reconstruction and so we didn't have any. 

Fast forward to last month (April 2015).  My semi-annual mammogram (was to be the beginning of ANNUAL mammos from now on) showed DCIS, biopsy confirmed it. Nothing had shown on the ultrasound 6 months prior. 

I now have the choice of another lumpectomy with whole breast radiation or mastectomy.  A mastectomy would lead to a BI-Lateral mastectomy for two reasons: 1- be done with surveillance and worry and 2- my remaining, contralateral breast would be SO much bigger that I would have neck and back pain, I'm sure.

So there you have 2 tales of lumpectomies and radiation.  The woman with Stage 1 Ductal Carcinoma is still fine, the one with Stage 0 DCIS has had a recurrence.

Just one more anecdotal story to put in your decision making bag!  Good luck!

~~Connie~~

 

tconder

crselby said:

two women's stories

My second cousin had IDC in 2009, two months before I was DXed with DCIS (stage 0, but aggressive).  Because of her low oncotype score, she chose not to have chemo and so we both did lumpectomy and brachytherapy radiation.  She started Arimidex and I started Tamoxifen.  She was on it for 3 months and quit, I was on Tamoxifen for 1.5 years and quit as it was badly affecting my uterus.  Neither of us needed serious reconstruction and so we didn't have any. 

Fast forward to last month (April 2015).  My semi-annual mammogram (was to be the beginning of ANNUAL mammos from now on) showed DCIS, biopsy confirmed it. Nothing had shown on the ultrasound 6 months prior. 

I now have the choice of another lumpectomy with whole breast radiation or mastectomy.  A mastectomy would lead to a BI-Lateral mastectomy for two reasons: 1- be done with surveillance and worry and 2- my remaining, contralateral breast would be SO much bigger that I would have neck and back pain, I'm sure.

So there you have 2 tales of lumpectomies and radiation.  The woman with Stage 1 Ductal Carcinoma is still fine, the one with Stage 0 DCIS has had a recurrence.

Just one more anecdotal story to put in your decision making bag!  Good luck!

~~Connie~~

 

Thanks, Connie! Best of luck

Thanks, Connie! Best of luck to you and this is my thought as well on bilateral mastectomy because it seems that it would be consistent and lead to less worry with surveillance. 

tconder

Lilly9 said:

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma -

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma - Stage 3 w nodes - 8 rounds of chemo first - bi-lateral mastectomy followed by 34 rounds of radiation.   I had expanders placed at the time of surgery and a year later had my implants placed

Invasive ductal carcinoma

Thanks, Lily- it sounds like you are doing well and best of luck for the future! Every day is a gift and I want to treat it that day and not worry, although it is hard to give that up.

tconder

desertgirl947 said:

I did not want to keep being

I did not want to keep being on edge about things and so I went for a double mastectomy. The lesser problem was just brewing.  I had to do chemo and rads because of the problems on the left. I am now on tamoxifen.

I chose no reconstruction for a variety of reasons.  

Invasive ductal carcinoma

Thanks all for all your stories and advice. I hope to have a positive outcome as you have and look forward to being through surgery with hopefully no positive lymph nodes.

VickiSam

tconder said:

Thanks, Connie! Best of luck

Thanks, Connie! Best of luck to you and this is my thought as well on bilateral mastectomy because it seems that it would be consistent and lead to less worry with surveillance. 

you had time to digest, and perhaps done a

little research --  hoping you had made a decision, and have a piece of mind about your decision.

Hoping you all the very best.

Strength, Courage and HOPE for a Cure.

Vicki Sam

Maxiecat

I am facing the same

I am facing the same decision... I have a consultation with a breast surgeon tomorrow.  This is my 2nd cancer in 3 years (my first was signet ring of the colon/appendix - a high grade tumor - stage IIIB)  ...I really am leaning towards a BMX.  I don't want to have to walk around wondering if both cancers might come back.  I will see what she says - but I have heard that ultimately it is up to the patient to decide.

I have had the genetic testing - and it was negative.  I have a consultation with a breast surgeon on Tuesday followed by an MRI on Thursday.

 

Alex

jthm190

lumpectomy vs. mastectomy

I had a lumpectomy and now doing radiation . my concern and is taking Armidex or nto. the side effectof this drug ar not user friendly 

missylove

stage 1 invasive ductal cancer

I too was faced with this question in January of this year. I had to think about the emotional fact of looking down and nothing there.  I decided to do the partial and had to have my nipple reconstruction because of where the tumor was. I had my surgery on January 23rd of this year, was very blessed with a well behaved cancer so I only had to do radiation therapy 30 of those.  I will have my first mammogram since surgery in august and kinda nervous about that which I'm sure everyone is at that point.  I am taking letrozole for the next 5 years and my hot flashes are terrible. Stay positive , pray and let God help you.

Missy love