Single or double mastectomy?
On the 27th of March this year I was manning a stand at the Every Woman Expo. Our stand was right next to the breast screen truck. I’m 46 years old, no family history and had been told in a health ass...
Forum Discussion
Hi there
this is a question many women diagnosed with BC face.
I was diagnosed with lobular cancer in my left breast which was not shown in my regular mammogram , I discovered it as a lump .
It turned out to be quite large so I went from a discussion of a lumpectomy to a mastectomy with insertion of tissue expander for DIEP reconstruction down the track in a very short time.
After the mastectomy and radiation my breast surgeon said “ what about the other breast”?
I said “ what about it”?
And he said that with lobular cancer there was more likelihood of getting it in the other breast but that the decision was a very personal one and he would support whatever I decided.
in the end I have decided to have the other breast mastectomy and double DIEP reconstruction later this year.
A big factor for me was that the original cancer never showed up on screening so I would have that in the back of my mind every year and also if I got it in the other breast I might not be so lucky next time and might have to have chemo ( I escaped chemo this time round).
but it’s an extremely personal decision and whatever you decide is ok.
it is hard when everything is moving so fast.
obe other thing is that if you have the DIEP for one breast only and then down the track you get BC in the other breast and need a mastectomy/ reconstruction you can’t do DIEP again , although there is the possibility of getting fat from another body part like the bottom.
this is a question many women diagnosed with BC face.
I was diagnosed with lobular cancer in my left breast which was not shown in my regular mammogram , I discovered it as a lump .
It turned out to be quite large so I went from a discussion of a lumpectomy to a mastectomy with insertion of tissue expander for DIEP reconstruction down the track in a very short time.
After the mastectomy and radiation my breast surgeon said “ what about the other breast”?
I said “ what about it”?
And he said that with lobular cancer there was more likelihood of getting it in the other breast but that the decision was a very personal one and he would support whatever I decided.
in the end I have decided to have the other breast mastectomy and double DIEP reconstruction later this year.
A big factor for me was that the original cancer never showed up on screening so I would have that in the back of my mind every year and also if I got it in the other breast I might not be so lucky next time and might have to have chemo ( I escaped chemo this time round).
but it’s an extremely personal decision and whatever you decide is ok.
it is hard when everything is moving so fast.
obe other thing is that if you have the DIEP for one breast only and then down the track you get BC in the other breast and need a mastectomy/ reconstruction you can’t do DIEP again , although there is the possibility of getting fat from another body part like the bottom.