Something Helpful

dlkillingbeck

I just wanted to say that being diagnosed with breast cancer is scary however, if you surround yourself with a good team of doctors you can get through it easier.  My cancer was stage 1 with no lymp nodes involved but I had 3 tumors.  2 in the left breast and 1 in the right.  The team during surgery was my breast surgeon, the plastic surgeon and the radiologist.  I was able to have radiation, under the skin, on my right breast so after the breast surgeon was finished with the lumpectomies the radiologist did the radiation.  After she was through, the plastic surgeon rearranged my breast tissue around to make sure that my breasts looked like a normal breast.  I understand, from friends who have had lumpectomies, that this is not always the case and that they have "dimples" in their breast.  My surgeon just happens to have a plastic surgeon in his office but if yours doesn't ask about having one there for your surgery.  I can't see that a surgeon would refuse a patients request for that.

Also, don't be afraid to get a second opinion.  The oncologist that my primary doctor recommended wanted to do chemo on me.  I was blown away by that because my tumors were stage 1 with no lymp node involvement and they were quite small and slow growing.  One was 1/8 of an inch, the other was 1/4 of an inch and the 3rd was a little over 1/4 inch.  After her recommendation, I walked over to my primary doctor's office and asked for a 2nd opinion referral.  The second oncologist spend an hour with my husband, daughter and me, after his work day was over, and went over every test and lab result with us.  He could see no reason to recomment chemo.  That was a weight off of my mind and now I will be starting the radiation on my left breast tomorrow.

We have to be advocates for ourselves and do research for ourselves so that we can not be afraid to ask the questions that apply to us.  Everyone's breast cancer and treatment is different but when we are diagnosed, we need to get out of the fog in our brains and take action so that we can be participants in our treatment.

HapB

Dlkillinbeck

Thanks for that info. I don't have my plan yet, but it supposedly includes chemo. I am awaiting the results of the pathology report from lumpectomy and sentinel node excision.  So far, what I know is that I had a small tumor which was triple positive. Were you Her2neu positive and Estrogen and Progesterone positive? I think that matters. My doctor indicated to me that if a tumor is triple positive chemo is a must and that size of the tumor does not matter. I go to one of the best hospitals in the country and they practice evidence based medicine. Did you ask your doctors for statistics? Evidence? When 2 doctors differ so much in their opinions, how did you decide which one was giving you the best advice for your chances of survival?  

dlkillingbeck

HapB said:

Dlkillinbeck

Thanks for that info. I don't have my plan yet, but it supposedly includes chemo. I am awaiting the results of the pathology report from lumpectomy and sentinel node excision.  So far, what I know is that I had a small tumor which was triple positive. Were you Her2neu positive and Estrogen and Progesterone positive? I think that matters. My doctor indicated to me that if a tumor is triple positive chemo is a must and that size of the tumor does not matter. I go to one of the best hospitals in the country and they practice evidence based medicine. Did you ask your doctors for statistics? Evidence? When 2 doctors differ so much in their opinions, how did you decide which one was giving you the best advice for your chances of survival?  

I went with the oncologist

I went with the oncologist whose opinion was closest to what the radiation oncologist and the breast surgeon were in agreement with.  My oncotype dx score was 22 which is in the low intermediate range.  I have a 14% chance of recurrence somewhere else in my body.  Doing the chemo only improved my recurrence chance by maybe 3 - 4%.  Not very much for what your body has to go through with chemo.  The oncologist who recommended chemo did not sit down and go through the results of all my biopsies, and pathology tests that were preformed on me.  She just walked in and said that she was recommending chemo.  Dr. Mahmood went through the results of each test, explained the meaning of the numbers of each tumor on those tests, what the stage numbers meant for each tumor.  Basically, very thorough with each test explanation.  We were impressed.  My husband, daughter and I are very comfortable with the decision.  14% chance of getting cancer somewhere else is still small.  If, somewhere down the line, I get cancer in another part of my body.  I will deal with it then.  In the meantime, I will be closely monitored by my doctors and I will keep my trust in my Heavenly Father who has my back always.

 

HapB

Dlkillingbeck

I am glad you are comfortable with your decision. I haven't made mine yet and I don't have the results from the lumpectomy yet. Were your tumors Her2neu positive? mine was. I understand that is a big factor in the decision.

dlkillingbeck

HapB

No, I was Her2 negative.  From what I've learned, with a Her2 positive you will probably need chemo and radiation.  I can empathaize with you.  Hang in there and if you have a faith in God then trust Him.  He will see you through.