Last Tuesday I had my lumpectomy (wide incision). Yesterday I got my results. Well the are was bigger than first thought and a few of the convicts had escaped (now its invasive) and they aren't happy with the margins on the superior side. The goods news is that it looks like they got all the convicts in the procedure, but now the discussion will be further treatment. Because of the margins they want to go back cut out some more and do a first node biopsy. I have asked for a scan (MRI) so they can get a better picture hopefully, I am deciding do I just bite the bullet and get a mastectomy or just go in for my surgery and hope that this time they got it all and that no more little convicts are out and about. I know they plan to do radiation after, and that this will get the convicts if this is the case.Has anyone had a similar experience to me, is a mastectomy an overkill? Is having the MRI worth it does it really show if there are any more areas especially if its as small as they say it is, should I just go straight to surgery?

Hi @Blister For what it's worth, no-one is going to stare or ask questions. I know it's something we all worry about, but in my experience it just doesn't happen. People stare at ginormous boobs on full display, but if that is not your usual presentation you won't find life any different, regardless of what option you take. I've got the rattiest set of 'foobs' ever, and in 15 years of public change rooms at pools and gyms no-one has ever commented. Not once. Mxx

Well my surgeon phoned, even though the MRI and ultrasound suggests the nodes are clear she wants to do the sentinel node biopsy, I have told her I want the mastectomy, I don’t want to have another wide excision with the possibility more has to go, and I don’t want to wait and see what the 2 other areas do in 6 months time. I’m happy with my decision, will wait and do the reconstruction next year, as there is still a possibility of me having to have radiation therapy.so next week I’m booked in

@Blister. I think if we have been diagnosed with DCIS we are by far the 'luckier' group of ladies as the rotten sod did not venture too far around our body and a mastectomy, whilst not the prettiest, does mean that they can quickly get the blighter off and away. Like @Fraser I have only one boob and as droopy as she is I have no set plans to go through more surgery to have a matching set as she'd also need a nip and tuck. I prefer to count my blessings and get on with my life. No-one seems to notice even when I am braless and throughout a recent long stay in the sunnier climate of Qld I just seemed to be one of a crowd. I agree with the comment by @Zoffiel that unless you want to have them on display then just go with what feels right for you. Good luck with your decisions and surgery.

@Blister I had one node removed on left side, and two on right side as my cancer was bilateral. It wasn’t a prophylactic double mastectomy. I don’t feel major changes, except for some numbness in my armpits, but it’s already getting better. Now, I just need to say that at the age of 60 you are still very young. And regardless of age, you have every right under the sun to want to have nice looking, even breasts that will allow you to wear what you want and look pretty and be comfortable. These are all your rights as a human and as a woman. Especially after having gone through bc. It is NOT vain, and you deserve it. Women have breast augmentation just for self confidence, well imagine us, after having our poor breasts cut in pieces or cut away completely! We deserve it more than anyone I think. And having bc can make you feel like you’re not woman enough and it can also make you feel very unattractive, so you end up thinking why should I bother. I know because that’s how I felt after my diagnosis. But after some work on my mental and emotional health I feel and think differently. I now believe I am deserving of all the beautiful things this world has to offer, including nice breasts, and so should you! 👊🏻👌🏻. Partial reconstruction is possible, as is mammoplasty, so that might be a good option for you. If you’re in Sydney, I can give you the name of my surgeon who is fantastic at it. Let me know and good luck 😊❤️

I agree with @Zoffiel - it’s entirely up to each individual to do what they most want, go for it, but as someone who didn’t do any reconstruction at all over her missing boob, no-one has ever mentioned it. I look perfectly normal dressed, wear whatever clothes I choose, get changed in change rooms and have stripped off entirely in a shared Icelandic hot pot shower room, without anyone batting an eyelid. We tend to worry about it far more than anyone else, and once you stop doing that, it’s a non thing! Best wishes.

DCIS treatments | BCNA Online Network

47 Replies

Afraser
Member
5 years ago
Dear @Blister
You not only have a right to a clear (clear to you!) explanation of what your medical team are seeing and discussing, it’s what any good medical practice would require! You can hardly make your own wishes known and understood if you don’t know the whole story. And yes, that may include uncertainties and possible contradictions if those exist. Just calmly ask for full information on what is known and what is being proposed. If you can, take someone else with you - two pairs of ears can be useful! Best wishes.
Blister
Member
5 years ago
thank you @ddon I was so disheartened yesterday
ddon
Member
5 years ago
You have a right to carry on. This is your life. Stamp your foot and tell them you want to survive this and you want peace of mind. I felt the same way initially with my surgeon but he came around and didn’t argue with the second mastectomy. It shouldn’t be this hard should it! Hang in there and don’t give up.
Blister
Member
5 years ago
@ddon when I’ve mentioned doing the mastectomy I’ve been made to feel I’m just overreacting to the situation, my gut instinct from the day I was told was do the mastectomy, had this feeling it wasn’t as straightforward as they were telling me.

Now I just wait til they send my surgeon a report about yesterday, hope they aren’t doing another group discussion. Apparently I’m a complicated case

I know I don’t have the right to be carrying on, I’m a lot luckier than a lot of people who get breast cancer
ddon
Member
5 years ago
It’s hard to accept in 2020 but all scans have limitations and frustrating as it is not everything shows up. After MRI not showing my 86mm of DCIS (after two small invasive tumours removed) I whipped the whole breast off and wished so much that I had opted for immediate mastectomy in the first place and not fiddled around with wires and wide excisions and scans that failed to show the extent of disease. It is my only regret. Now I have both off.
It’s a difficult time for you, and you just would be feeling so out of control with it all. I feel for you and hope you get good advice and treatment. Your life is more precious than your breast.
Blister
Member
5 years ago
Well had my MRI with dye, my surgeon called me and told me that it showed 2 suspicious areas, one was just over 1.5cm and asked me to have a targeted ultrasound and biopsy.

well fronted for said ultrasound and biopsy. They were only interested in one area, I asked about the second area no one would answer and just kept looking for the 1.5cm one which they couldnt find. I explained the ultrasound I had the day they found the DCIS didn’t pick up my original mass which was twice the size than even the mammogram said it was.

So they got the doctor in that reads all the images and he starts looking and he can’t find it either, so no biopsy

so I now have to sit and wait to see where we go from here.

Has anyone had where their cancer hasn’t shown up on ultrasound.

Sorry having a bad day today, got very annoyed and a little angry. Nothing is going the way they said it would
Blister
Member
5 years ago
@JulieVT11 thanks I will discuss it with my surgeon, hoping I get my results of the MRI tomorrow, I have an aggressive invasive DCIS, so I want to make sure it’s all gone. My surgeon has also mentioned putting me on Tamoxifen which I’m concerned about because I have uterine polyps and from what I’ve read that can cause issues.
JulieVT11
Member
5 years ago
I am almost 2 years from my single mastectomy for DCIS and small tumour. I actually had the MRI (over $720) done before surgery as surgeon was a bit concerned she would have to take too much breast to get clear margins. The scan showed that it was bigger than first thought so I opted for mastectomy and it was the best choice in the end and definitely not overkill. I had the single node removal for biopsy and it feels a bit weird sometimes but no pain or long term issues. If there was a bonus to my mastectomy it meant no radiation and as it was low grade I didn’t need chemo either. My biggest regret was not getting implant or recon done at the time so my only advice would be to really explore all your options and what YOU want. My surgeon sort of talked my out of it at the time claiming it was close to Christmas etc and best just to get the breast removed and worry about recon later. Good luck with your scan results xx
Blister
Member
5 years ago
@Artferret I had an MRI with dye yesterday waiting for results of this, I asked about PET scan was told the MRI is better, I’m in Qld
Artferret
Member
5 years ago
Ask whether a contrast enhanced mammogram with tomosynthesis is an option. They run a dye through and it is supposed to give clearer results than an MRI particularly if you have dense breast tissue. The Royal Melbourne has been doing it for 12 months or so and Peter Mac are starting it.

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DCIS treatments

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