Advice please...

Sorry to hear about your bc diagnosis but welcome to this network.Your first breast biopsy via fine needle or core procedure only tells you whether it's cancer or not. You will get detailed pathology after your surgery which also determines your treatment.I've had breast cancer twice and this happened each time.I've had a mastectomy and wear a prosthesis in my bra.To tell the truth,I just wanted the cancer gone as quick as possible and didn't think about the other breast at the time.I think if you have large breasts then being lopsided might be annoying- I'm a c cup so it's not too bad.Still having one breast with sensation might need consideration with regards to intimacy.Yes,it can be abit uncomfortable to lie on the mastectomy side in bed.Lots to consider but if in doubt,just have one breast taken now.You can always have the other one taken later or reconstruction later. There is no right or wrong decision- all bc decisions are awful!! Keep asking questions and then go with what feels right for you NOW. Big hug, Tonya xx

Hi Donna ; it's a tough decision but in the final wash-up it's one I think you can only make for yourself , your own life circumstance and what is going to "sit " with your psyche the most comfortably going forward . I ended up choosing to have a double mastectomy for lots of reasons and I would do it again in a heartbeat . I am comfortable , symmetrical, no more mammograms ever. I either put my prostheses in which look exactly like my old boobs ( granted they were small!) or I get around flat and free . As it turned out my " good breast" had a significant amount of precancerous changes in the ducts , none of which had ever shown up on any imaging , so it was a bit of a time bomb anyway . It is also now likely I may have the BRCA gene so it was a good thing as I would have needed the other breast removed anyway . It's so hard at the stage you are, because so much is still a bit up in the air until the final pathology is done and there is a clear plan of forward treatment . The surgeon explained to me that it's really important to go step by step . The tough part is that it means lots of waiting for pathology , test results etc which can do your head in a bit but it's the best way . Just tough at times ! We are all so different and I think sometimes the best guide is your own intuition . All the very best to you Donna with whatever decision you make :) xxx Karen

Hi Donna ; it's a tough decision but in the final wash-up it's one I think you can only make for yourself , your own life circumstance and what is going to "sit " with your psyche the most comfortably going forward . I ended up choosing to have a double mastectomy for lots of reasons and I would do it again in a heartbeat . I am comfortable , symmetrical, no more mammograms ever. I either put my prostheses in which look exactly like my old boobs ( granted they were small!) or I get around flat and free . As it turned out my " good breast" had a significant amount of precancerous changes in the ducts , none of which had ever shown up on any imaging , so it was a bit of a time bomb anyway . It is also now likely I may have the BRCA gene so it was a good thing as I would have needed the other breast removed anyway . It's so hard at the stage you are, because so much is still a bit up in the air until the final pathology is done and there is a clear plan of forward treatment . The surgeon explained to me that it's really important to go step by step . The tough part is that it means lots of waiting for pathology , test results etc which can do your head in a bit but it's the best way . Just tough at times ! We are all so different and I think sometimes the best guide is your own intuition . All the very best to you Donna with whatever decision you make :) xxx Karen

My situation did not allow for a lot of time to research before i had my first surgery. I figured that it was more important to treat the life threatening cancer i had than to remove a healthy breast. As my surgeon said i could always have this done at another time or in conjunction with reconstruction if i chose. I asked my oncologist to give me the statistics as a guide. It is such a difficult decision but I wanted to base my decision on facts as much as possible. The fact is for me, removing my other breast is not going to do much to improve my odds of not getting breast cancer again. I think unless you have a high risk of getting cancer in the other breast (some people do) that you really need to think about what you will achieve by a second mastectomy. Will it give you peace of mind? Will it make a difference if you want to do reconstruction? These are questions that your surgeon may be able to help with. If in doubt don't do it now. Give yourself time to research, you can always have it done later, but once you remove your breast, even the best reconstruction will never make it the same as a real breast. If only we had a crystal ball! Best wishes and take care. Deanne xxx

Thank you ladies....very helpful and reassuring to hear you both had a similar start to me.  Yes Deanne, I think I need to do a bit more research on one or two.  Do you suggest where I can find good info about it as I am deliberately not looking at Dr Google.  Had a very quick look on this sight last night but didnt find any info on it.  Thanks again,

Donna

The process was fairly similar for me. I found the lump, had mammagram and ultrasound. My specialist did the biopsy (to confirm tumor was cancer and also to confirm second area was DCIS) and then recommended mastectomy. I received the pathology results a week after surgery from the surgeon. Then saw medical oncologist and radiation oncologist before further treatment. Just to be clear on one point, if you were to get cancer in your other breast this would be a totally new separate cancer not a recurrence. The cancer you have now cannot move into the other breast. Once you have had breast cancer there is a slightly increased risk of having a second cancer begin in your other breast. It is very much a personal choice about whether to have a double mastectomy and depends on many factors. I thought at one stage that I should have had a double but my surgeon was very clear that I needed to begin chemo as soon as possible. Having a second mastectomy increases your chance of complications (infection, etc) and could delay chemo if you need it. Also she said that I may feel differently about it given more time, which is absolutely true. At this stage I am glad that I did not have the other breast off (I was diagnosed in May last year and finished chemo 51/2 months ago and radiation almost 4 months ago). I have been through a lot and still have about a 20% chance of recurrence. For me at the moment, I am happy to wear a breast form on my mastectomy side and continue to recover through physio and lots of exercise. I am glad I have a 'good side' to sleep on. There is a lot to consider and weigh up before making these decisions. Many people feel that they need to do it for piece of mind. I don't feel that way as my chance of recurrence is much higher than my chance of getting a new cancer in the other breast. Get lots of information before making your decision. I hope it goes well no matter what you decide. Deanne xxx

The process was fairly similar for me. I found the lump, had mammagram and ultrasound. My specialist did the biopsy (to confirm tumor was cancer and also to confirm second area was DCIS) and then recommended mastectomy. I received the pathology results a week after surgery from the surgeon. Then saw medical oncologist and radiation oncologist before further treatment. Just to be clear on one point, if you were to get cancer in your other breast this would be a totally new separate cancer not a recurrence. The cancer you have now cannot move into the other breast. Once you have had breast cancer there is a slightly increased risk of having a second cancer begin in your other breast. It is very much a personal choice about whether to have a double mastectomy and depends on many factors. I thought at one stage that I should have had a double but my surgeon was very clear that I needed to begin chemo as soon as possible. Having a second mastectomy increases your chance of complications (infection, etc) and could delay chemo if you need it. Also she said that I may feel differently about it given more time, which is absolutely true. At this stage I am glad that I did not have the other breast off (I was diagnosed in May last year and finished chemo 51/2 months ago and radiation almost 4 months ago). I have been through a lot and still have about a 20% chance of recurrence. For me at the moment, I am happy to wear a breast form on my mastectomy side and continue to recover through physio and lots of exercise. I am glad I have a 'good side' to sleep on. There is a lot to consider and weigh up before making these decisions. Many people feel that they need to do it for piece of mind. I don't feel that way as my chance of recurrence is much higher than my chance of getting a new cancer in the other breast. Get lots of information before making your decision. I hope it goes well no matter what you decide. Deanne xxx

Hello,and welcome to this great online network!! I was very similar to you.i am almost 3momths past chemo now,but when I was first diagnosed!I found the lump,had a mammogram and ultrasound,then a core biopsy,then the surgeon told me it was cancer and I needed a mastectomy.After the surgery,I was referred to my oncologist,and she had all the pathology results that they do after the mastectomy.(they send it away for detailed testing) The oncologist then discusses your treatment with you.As for having both breasts removed,it is a very personal choice.I had a right mastectomy,and if I had known then,how I feel now,I would have definitely had both breasts removed.I am very small breasted,and it wouldn't have made much difference to me.I never wanted a reconstruction,so it would have just been easier.There is a lot to take into consideration,and if you are thinking about reconstruction,there is a group on here that I think would be the best place for you to get advice from.I am sure that other ladies will come on here with their opinions also,but at the end of the day,it is you that has to make such a personal choice.All the best,and stay on this fabulous network and let us know how you are travelling.Take care.xoxoRobyn