Prophylactic Mastectomy & Reconstruction
My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36. My grandmother, who has since passed (from unrelated issues) had a mastectomy to one breast in the 90's. The thought of all this makes me ...
Forum Discussion
Hi Cameron, consider getting your GP to refer to a breast surgeon as you are under 50 years of age, if a breast surgeon refers you, you can have medicare funded yearly breast MRI's. This is highly specialised and can only be done by some MRI specialists but a breast surgeon would know which ones are approved. Breast MRI's are much more accurate for a young woman with dense breasts (because you havent had kids) and so would be much better and more accurate for you than having mammograms.
Ive had a single mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction 5 weeks ago'for early breast cancer called DCIS.'I couldnt face doing both breasts. I have two sisters who have had breast cancer one at 37 years and one at 62 years. My family are Braca gene negative. You should look at gene testing too.
I'm sure you will look thoroughly into this but at the moment my Diep flap feels like a hard lump of numb flesh on my chest wall. I look fine in clothing but it looks really ugly naked like a patch work quilt of scars, as I had problems with skin infection and loss of blood supply.
Implants look like false plastic barbie boobs that sit up all the time and can feel cold. There is quite a high rate up to 10% of problems with implants; adhesive capsulitis , deformity etc.
I dont mean to scare you but you need to go into this with both eyes wide open and consider getting more effective screening with MRI's for a few more years. It wont prevent cancer but will pick it up early. Remember even total mastectomy does not eliminate your risk of breast cancer entirely (stiil 1-2%) particuarly if you have the breast cancer gene.