Decision
I have been diagnosed a second time the first was DCIS 3.5yrs ago, had a lumpectomy without radiation or chemo. Cancer has now returned in the milk duct 2mm. I am having surgery soon was given choice of total mastectomy or total nipple and aerola removal. His recommendation was mastectomy, I have chosen the later. Now wondering if I was offered radiation after the first surgery would I be in this situation now. Also not recommended for radiation after this current one. Not sure if I have made the right decision.DCIS and endometriosis- HELP!!
Hi everyone, totally new to this amazing network and this whole new world of cancer & DCIS! I am looking for advice to to hear from ANYONE who may have been through something similar to what I am going through. two months ago I found a lump in my right breast and the GP sent me off to the experts. Biopsy’s, ultrasounds, MRIs, mammograms later it’s DCIS. I am run through the options and go into for a wide local. During this surgery they find a 0.8m tumor and remove and take wider margins. However they do not come back clear, so the following week I go back in for some more “housekeeping” and wider margins. I was told yesterday that those margins are clear, hooray! The direction now is that they want to do 5 weeks of radiation and put me on Tamoxifen for 5-10 years. HOWEVER, I have endometriosis and have been told tamoxifen will heighten my endometriosis. Along with the standard early menopause (should say I am 39 years old with one kid, happy with one child, based in Newcastle NSW). As this has already been such a whirlwind, I am trying to find resources or people who have had to go into early menopause - did you get endo side effects? Or if you already had endo, did you opt to have your ovaries etc removed to stop any side effects/pain? Or did you opt for a mastectomy instead? Soooo many questions! I am discussing with all doctors and specialists but haven’t ever spoken to another person in my position. Please PM me or comment if you want to share your experience thanks for listening 😊
Mistake in pathology report
Has anyone discovered any mistake at all in their pathology report? I discovered months later that they got my specimen orientation wrong. Prior to Mastectomy, I had a lumpectomy at my upper, outer area of my breast. But in the mastectomy report, they described the former surgery site as located in the inner, bottom area. That’s comoletely wrong. To make matters worse, they discovered an occult DCIS in one of the margins. But since the specimen orientation is wrong, we now have no idea which margin is really affected. Can I sue someone or lodge an official complaint? My breast surgeon doesn’t even seem bothered by this mistake. I am so disappointed.
Don't know what to do
Hi I was diagnosed with DCIS in 2015 had it taken out and I have had radiation done, now i have another one come back in March this year and had it taken out way were both benign now my specialist is asking me to choose between a mastectomy or keep being checked regularly not shore on what r
Question on Tamoxifen vs Zoladex and Exemestane. Does this s**t ever end?
Hi everyone, This is my first posting here. I have read and gained so much from the many postings, wisdom and inspiration from everyone on this forum and for that I have to say thankyou. The information contained within this network, I believe, far outways what most doctors can tell you. I guess that's because they really don't involve a lot of the emotional side of the treatments and how that effects every aspect of your life for so long. So I am eight months into the battle after being diagnosed with stage 2 invasive carcinoma (of no particular sort aparently) + DCIS with 5 of 24 lymph nodes positive ER/PR + HER2neg. I've had lumpectomy, re excision to gain clearer margins, 4x AC and 12 paclitaxol (manged to keep my hair thanks to cold capping YAY!) and am on number 14 of 30 sessions of radiation. So my question is: Saw my oncologist the other week who, up until then, had only ever mentioned doing 10 years (OMG) of Tamoxifen after everything else is finished. Then on my last visit decides that Zoladex monthly injection and exemestane tablets for 5 years is the way to go although he couldn't really tell me the success rate of one verse the other. You should get a laugh out of this.......(my Dr is Indian and sometimes things get a little lost in translation) So with a big smile on his face claims the Zoladex will "castrate" me and would be the best option..............wow......if I hadn't nearly fallen off my chair laughing I would have burst in to tears (which I did as soon as I left his office). Has anyone had any experience with this combination? Seriously, I am already getting 20 -30 hot flushes a day, wake up 5-10 times a night due to overheating along with all the other usual things your body does when suprisingly has all its female hormones shut down unexpectedly. There seems no end to treatment. I would be keen to also hear if anyone knows any natural ways to lower estrogen as an alternative to years of hormone blockers? Thanks for listnening.
HIgh grade DCIS
Hi all This is my first post. Following a first ever mammogram I was diagnosed with high grade 50mm DCIS. I had a nipple saving mastectomy with a saline implant. Two days post op half my breast skin died including my nipple. I had a second surgery immediately and the surgeon used my back muscle and tissue to help with a skin graft. I was very disappointed and still wonder what went wrong. I have a few thoughts, but I need to move on. Got my pathology today and all clear, with no follow up treatment. I look forward to hearing from others who have been through my situation thank you Lisa
Double Mastectomy Feb 15 - Grade 2 /12mm invasive carcinoma May 16
Hi, Since October 14, I have been on a journey. Discovered fairly large amount of DCIS right breast in Sept 14 Removed in November 14 - result not a big enough margin, suggest mastectomy. Decided to have a double mastectomy Feb 15 resulting in something reacting greatly with my liver, we never found out what it was but liver functions were in the 700-800's. Hospital for 14 days due to these complications and the drains taking sometime to settle to a level that they could be taken out. I also had the flex attached to my muscle, which I believe is the reason the drains too so long to settle down. Discharged and within a week I had a blood clot in my right calf, needles daily the tablets and stocking for 7 months. July 15 expanders removed and implants put in. August left breast became infected and back to hospital for its removal, left out for four days and new implant put in. October I was going overseas and I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get sick while I was away, so I had a full body scan to make sure there wasn't any hot spots. All good, Great Holiday. 5 months later, I am back into life completely working and I notice a small lump below my nipple on my right breast at about 6o'clock. WIthin days I was at my specialist and she was more than sure it was scar tissue. So we waited 6 weeks to see. I had a fine needle biopsy which came back 'a typical'. I had the lump removed a week later under local in theatre as I didnt want to upset my liver as I have nearly got my liver back to normal. That was interesting. The result stunned by doctor and me even more, she said I was in the 2-3% of people that have a double mastectomy for DCIS and within 12 months have a Invasive carcinoma. I am on Anastrozole for 5 years. I was negative to Her2, that took 2 weeks to come back negative. That waiting is horrible. Now I am going to gym 2 times a week and walking as I have had a bone density test and I'm not as good as I should be and I was also low in Vit D. I am taking daily Calcium and Vit D and eating well. Do you know If it is possible to improve your bone density while on this medication or am I just trying to maintain it? Also I have another worry, because I had breast sparing surgery and the expanders where put in after they took my breasts away, I am worried that I could have cells up with the implant and muscle that cannot be felt? I will ask my doctor next month, but I just thought about that recently. I have been on the drugs for 2 weeks with minimal side effects so far. I am tired but that could be just living life. I was shocked to get that result and I know there are a lot of ladies much worse than me but I had to vent and to ask if there is anything I should be doing or not doing. thank you Joanne
Double Mastectomy with Y shaped closures
I was diagnosed with DCIS and had a double mastectomy on 14/4/16 with Y shaped closures instead of the normal straight lines. My surgeon said he did this because of the original size of my breasts as well as the condition of my skin, which was/is very fragile due to long term Prednisolone use (For severe asthma and Crohn's Disease). I am hoping to get in touch with others who may have had this same type of closure.