When is mastectomy recommended?

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HapB
HapB Member Posts: 527
edited May 2017 in Breast Cancer #1

Sorry to be asking so many questions. I am triple positive, grade 2, in one breast. Don't know stage yet. Everyone keeps asking me, "why don't you just have a double mastectomy?"  I had asked the surgeon whether she would recommend that and she said no and that breast cancer doesn't spread from breast to breast and that I would need chemo no matter what. So, when do they recommend the double mastectomy or single mastectomy? Thanks.

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  • Beepositive
    Beepositive Member Posts: 259 Member
    edited May 2017 #2
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    my mother in law had double mast a couple years ago she is retired and decided to do that so she wont have to worry about the other breast geting caner later on (not sure what type her cancer was as far as stage normally they can tell stage estimate based on size of tumor and if spread to other parts of the body other than the breast .sometimes they dont know exactly until after the surgery.but like you said my doctor said also it does not necessary go from breast to breast.

    Keep asking questions all you want i am new to this just this year myself and have be asking lots and lots of questions to people who have been there.

    hugs to you and success!   BEEPOSITIVE!

  • HapB
    HapB Member Posts: 527
    #3
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    Thanks Bee

    Thanks for the response. i wonder why some women are recommended to have the mastectomy and some not?  

    I hope that you are doing well.

  • Beepositive
    Beepositive Member Posts: 259 Member
    edited May 2017 #4
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    Hello HapB..my doctor told me that because of the size of my mass thats why I had to do Mastectomy (sometimes they can try and save breast, size and other factor come in to play with that)   HUGS

    BEEPOSITIVESmile

  • HapB
    HapB Member Posts: 527
    edited May 2017 #5
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    Beepositive said:

    Hello HapB..my doctor told me that because of the size of my mass thats why I had to do Mastectomy (sometimes they can try and save breast, size and other factor come in to play with that)   HUGS

    BEEPOSITIVESmile

    Beepositive

    Oh, I see, so if they can remove the tumor surgically, they don't do the mastectomy. I was actually thinking if I went ahead and had the bilateral mastectomy, I could avoid the year of chemo. They told me no.

  • Apaugh
    Apaugh Member Posts: 850 Member
    #6
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    I was a double

    Mine was caught early.  It was middle right.  I have a huge family history.  I am HER 2 pos.  I went to this site and other places and looked at the odds of it coming back in the other breast and other places.  I knew the hell that chemo had on a person, I witnessed it first hand with my son, my mother, and other relatives.  The stakes seemed to high for me.  I elected to remove both.  I have done the chemo, now I am almost done with the herceptin and taking that dang anti-estrogen.  That made all my chances of a reaccurence go down.  It is not a promise but I sure feel better knowing I have done all I can to minimize it.  Take an hour and read all this post people write about different subjects.  Laced within ea. one is information, tears, confussion, and true compassion. 

    After all is said and done, it is a personal choice each one of has to make.  I dont regret mine at all.

    Hugs,

    Annie

  • HapB
    HapB Member Posts: 527
    edited May 2017 #7
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    Apaugh said:

    I was a double

    Mine was caught early.  It was middle right.  I have a huge family history.  I am HER 2 pos.  I went to this site and other places and looked at the odds of it coming back in the other breast and other places.  I knew the hell that chemo had on a person, I witnessed it first hand with my son, my mother, and other relatives.  The stakes seemed to high for me.  I elected to remove both.  I have done the chemo, now I am almost done with the herceptin and taking that dang anti-estrogen.  That made all my chances of a reaccurence go down.  It is not a promise but I sure feel better knowing I have done all I can to minimize it.  Take an hour and read all this post people write about different subjects.  Laced within ea. one is information, tears, confussion, and true compassion. 

    After all is said and done, it is a personal choice each one of has to make.  I dont regret mine at all.

    Hugs,

    Annie

    Thanks Annie

    I feel like I am cramming for the biggest exam of my life. I have read journal articles, watched youtubes, but what is most helpful is reading the posts by actual patients, like you. 

    I asked about the double mastectomy and the doctors said no, that it would not change my odds of recurrence or survival.  For now, I will have the lumpectomy next Wednesday and go from there. 

    I am glad that you hanging in there. It is a long road to travel and I am sure you have hit your speed bumps along the way, but you are almost there! 

     

  • Apaugh
    Apaugh Member Posts: 850 Member
    #8
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    HapB said:

    Thanks Annie

    I feel like I am cramming for the biggest exam of my life. I have read journal articles, watched youtubes, but what is most helpful is reading the posts by actual patients, like you. 

    I asked about the double mastectomy and the doctors said no, that it would not change my odds of recurrence or survival.  For now, I will have the lumpectomy next Wednesday and go from there. 

    I am glad that you hanging in there. It is a long road to travel and I am sure you have hit your speed bumps along the way, but you are almost there! 

     

    Ty and

    Thank you and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayer that your surgery is a huge success.   Please keep us posted on how it went and how you feel.

    HUGS<

    Annie

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