I'm new to this...

Welcome
Welcome SamuraiMom,
I was diagnosed with DCIS with invasion and I chose to have a double mastectomy with tissue expanders put in at the time of surgery. My path report came back ER and PR negative but HER2+ so I still needed chemo and started chemo on 3/10 and finished chemo treatments 7/23 and will be on Herceptin for one year starting in August.

The percentage rate is the same if you have a mastectomy or if you have a lumpectomy w/radiation---this is what I was told. I chose to have a double just to give me peace of mind.

Everyone's choice is different and for different reasons.

Come and visit the site often--there are wonderful women , men and caregivers on this site which maybe able to help you with any question that you may have.

Hugs,
Margo

tommaseena said:

Welcome
Welcome SamuraiMom,
I was diagnosed with DCIS with invasion and I chose to have a double mastectomy with tissue expanders put in at the time of surgery. My path report came back ER and PR negative but HER2+ so I still needed chemo and started chemo on 3/10 and finished chemo treatments 7/23 and will be on Herceptin for one year starting in August.

The percentage rate is the same if you have a mastectomy or if you have a lumpectomy w/radiation---this is what I was told. I chose to have a double just to give me peace of mind.

Everyone's choice is different and for different reasons.

Come and visit the site often--there are wonderful women , men and caregivers on this site which maybe able to help you with any question that you may have.

Hugs,
Margo

I also
I also had only one breast involved, was given the same info, chose to have bilateral and i will share why.
I work in the medical field and am around a lot of radiology professionals. They all scared me so when I was first diagnosed to "take them both off"....but they are the ones that see us come back time and time again for tests and told me that it would be my best chance. I need chemo and my mastectomy/reconstruction had complications, so not easy, but I chose it for survival and less anxiety.
I had Invasive ductal carcinoma (not insitu) so this may change your decision.
Lisa

SamuraiMom said:

thanks
Hi Margo,

Thanks for replying to me. Feeling kinda isolated at the moment.

So much information being bombarted at me and my phone blowing up with "I'm so sorry to hear..." calls. Ahhhhh!

I've been making decisions based on my gut.

I want to remove both breasts so that may give me peace of mind same as you.

Are we in the minority or majority in this kind of thinking?

Thanks again,

JoJo

DCIS
Hi Jojo! I had DCIS back in 2000. I had a lumpectomy but the margins weren't clear so I chose a mastectomy with immediate Tram Flap. I never thought about having a bilateral mastectomy. I had a real rough time from time of Dx to finally having my mastectomy but once I woke up from surgery, I felt so much better. I do think about recurrance often but so far ,so good. You have to make the right decision for yourself. Noone else can tell you what to do but once you make the decision, be happy with it. You will do fine no matter what you chose. Feel free to send me a PM on this site if you have any questions. HUGS!! Cathy

Alexis F said:

Hi and Welcome! I had DCIS
Hi and Welcome! I had DCIS and had a lumpectomy, followed by radiation. I, personally, don't think I could handle a mastectomy.

From what my oncologist, my radiation oncologist and sites such as this one, the ACS, breast cancer.org and the Susan B. Komen site say, your percentages are exactly the same with either way you go. The chance of a recurrence and the survival rate is the same. Even with a mastectomy, you still have breast tissue left. You actually have breast tissue clear up to your collar bone. So, there is no way they can ever remove all of it.

So, it really is a personal decision for you. I have read on here where several have had rad treatments and then had reconstruction with no problems. The rad treatments now are so much safer and do not do the damage they used to do. I have finished rads and my skin where it was done is like new baby skin. It is great!

Good luck to you!

Hugs, Lex

Hi Samurai
We met in the chatroom earlier, sorry, it gets a bit too hectic in there sometimes.

Hugs Jxxxxxx

HI Samuraimom
I had invasive dcis in my right breast but both breasts were lumpy so I chose bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. I had complications on the right side and had to have the expander removed about 1 month later but that is pretty rare. The surgeon took 21 nodes out and all were neg except the sentinel node in the breast so I am hopeful. My reconstruction wont happen until some time next year since I am having chemo and want to get thru that first, plus I have to build up some sick leave since I will have lifting restrictions again.

In spite of it all there was NEVER a hesitation for me. I never would have relaxed without both of them gone

Do what your gut tells you to do... theres no right or wrong answer

Hang in there

Linda T

SamuraiMom... I agree with
SamuraiMom... I agree with everyone else here, it is a very personal decision, one that only you can make. I had IDC and opted for a lumpectomy which turned out to be a partial mastectomy, they took about 1/3 of my breast... the rest of the treatment is yet to be decided... I wish you the best in making whatever decision is right for you.

Hugs.

~T

aztec45 said:

Hi S Mom
I agree with everyone...you have to do what is right for you.

I think you are in the majority and I am in the minority. For me, if there was no need to take the breast, I wanted to keep my breast. I elected to have the lumpectomy and radiation. If they took my breast(s) I would still need chemo and just skip the radiation. The chance of recurrence is the same either way. I am a bit on the possessive side.

Again, think if over and do what is right for you. For the record, many woman I know who have had breast cancer constantly ask me why didn't I remove my breast.

Good Luck,

P

This is only a decision you
This is only a decision you can make. I had a very small tumor and had a lumpectomy, clear margins, clean nodes and had rad treatments. I am so happy that I did that for me. I don't think I could have had a mastectomy as someone else said. That just isn't for me. But, as you see, some women had no choice.

So, decide what is best for you, and, you only. After all, reconstruction is not enhancement surgery. Some think otherwise.

Good luck!

Hi SamuraiMom.....
Welcome. As everyone has said, it is a personal decision. I walked into my Surgeons office demanding a bilateral Masectomy. He would have done that too. But after calmly going over the choices with him for 2 hours, I decided on a Quadrenectomy (1/4 breast removed) with Radiation. Ironically....I wanted the Mastectomies to avoid radiation!! Tomorrow I will complete week 2 (5 more weeks to go + 1 more day) and it has been very doable so far. I'm really glad I kept my boobies and went this route. It turned out to be the right decision for me. Good luck on whatever you decide. (:-) Pammy

survivorbc09 said:

Hi SamuraiMom! I will just
Hi SamuraiMom! I will just say the same as the others, do what you want and what is right for you. I had a lumpectomy and am thankful that is all I had done. I followed it with radiation, which was fine. Very doable.

Just be sure.

Good luck!

Hi SamuraiMom! Welcome to a
Hi SamuraiMom! Welcome to a great group who are all in the same boat: fighting breast cancer. Sorry that you have to join it.

There have been a lot of posts from women who have had either a lumpectomy with radiation or a mastectomy. I've had both, and each time, I feel that I made the right decision for where I was at the time. I had invasive cancer (no node involvement), also DCIS, in 2000 which was treated with a lumpectomy and radiation. Since then, I've had all the normal tests along with MRI's and some biopsies that were all OK until late last year.

Early this year, the biopsy showed that I had developed DCIS in the same breast where I had had invasive cancer. This required a mastectomy, but my surgeon talked to me about my alternatives which included DIEP reconstruction (fat and tissue are removed from your abdomen and a breast 'mound' is made from this fat and tissue). Using microsurgery, the blood supply is reattached under your arm. Although the number of doctors who can perform this is limited, it is a good alternative if you have some abdominal fat that can be used. (They are really using the fat that would be removed and discarded in a tummy tuck). And, it can be done whether or not you've had radiation.

I would encourage you to talk to your breast surgeon about the feasibilty of doing this type of reconstruction, in the future, if you decide to do a lumpectomy now and later need a mastectomy.

Both times, I had a great deal of peace after I made my decision, and I wish the same for you.

Joyce