Surgery decisions
@Sheeba original post copied from the activity section.
I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast hormone positive breast cancer in august 2021. The surgeon said because of the size of my breasts in relation to the tumour, 4cm, I would need a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation or I could have chemotherapy first in the hopes of shrinking the tumor.
The tumour did shrink after chemotherapy and I had a lumpectomy 1st February. This plan seemed to be going so well with only 3 lymph nodes removed (one had a dead cancer cell in it, killed by chemo) and not a bad looking breast left afterwards...
until...due to only 0.5mm margins, my oncology team that I needed a 2nd reexcsion for clearance...but then the 2nd surgery had pathology results with further dcis!?
The surgeon offered me the choice to do a 3rd reexcision (but if she can't get clear margins I will need a mastectomy and radiation) or to go straight to mastectomy and radiation. I was shocked my treatment plan had begun to go wrong/change...it was so mind numbing I had to ask my husband to decide what answer to give at the appointment and I am booked in for a 3rd reexcision next week.
Since then I have been anxious I made the wrong decision and have spent hours researching and talking about how to make the right choice. I am confused because I was prepared to have a mastectomy at diagnosis because the certainty of getting all the cancer out this way, but I was advised to go the lumpectomy route. I hadn't thought I would need to revise the plan again. My breastcare nurse has been very supportive and positive this week, and confirmed that a lumpectomy with radiation has the same survival rate as a mastectomy, only a slightly higher chance of recurrence. My breast is already visibly smaller than the other one and the nipple is pointing downwards. I found my padded bras compensate for this but don't know what it will look like after a 3rd excision and radiation.
I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast hormone positive breast cancer in august 2021. The surgeon said because of the size of my breasts in relation to the tumour, 4cm, I would need a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation or I could have chemotherapy first in the hopes of shrinking the tumor.
The tumour did shrink after chemotherapy and I had a lumpectomy 1st February. This plan seemed to be going so well with only 3 lymph nodes removed (one had a dead cancer cell in it, killed by chemo) and not a bad looking breast left afterwards...
until...due to only 0.5mm margins, my oncology team that I needed a 2nd reexcsion for clearance...but then the 2nd surgery had pathology results with further dcis!?
The surgeon offered me the choice to do a 3rd reexcision (but if she can't get clear margins I will need a mastectomy and radiation) or to go straight to mastectomy and radiation. I was shocked my treatment plan had begun to go wrong/change...it was so mind numbing I had to ask my husband to decide what answer to give at the appointment and I am booked in for a 3rd reexcision next week.
Since then I have been anxious I made the wrong decision and have spent hours researching and talking about how to make the right choice. I am confused because I was prepared to have a mastectomy at diagnosis because the certainty of getting all the cancer out this way, but I was advised to go the lumpectomy route. I hadn't thought I would need to revise the plan again. My breastcare nurse has been very supportive and positive this week, and confirmed that a lumpectomy with radiation has the same survival rate as a mastectomy, only a slightly higher chance of recurrence. My breast is already visibly smaller than the other one and the nipple is pointing downwards. I found my padded bras compensate for this but don't know what it will look like after a 3rd excision and radiation.
Am I at the point now where the pros of a mastectomy with reconstruction will outweigh a lumpectomy?
Does reconstruction after the lumpectomy defeat the object of less invasive surgery?
I am feeling exhausted and the thought of more demanding surgery in a mastectomy terrifies me.
I am overwhelmed by the thought of plastic surgery afterwards.
Do I need to push myself and choose mastectomy now, because my lumpectomy route is clouded with so much uncertainty and unsatisfactory cosmetic results now?
Will I be dissatisfied with a 3rd reexcision in the long-term?
I may need a mastectomy anyway.
I want to get the cancer out and survive so I am loathe to cancel my reexcision next week.
Nobody said this would be easy but I honestly didn't know it would be this hard.