A MUST READ IF FACING MASTECTOMY EARLY BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS DCIS LCIS
I am writing this letter in the hope that the following story will help anyone facing a mastectomy or an early diagnosis of breast cancer. Women are being diagnosed with breast cancer every day and not all of them are provided with the information required to make informed decisions. A 42 year old mother of one is diagnosed with early breast cancer at a Brisbane Breast Clinic, August 2013. After receiving her diagnosis from a doctor at the centre she is advised by the doctor to make an appointment with her General Practitioner to attain a referral for a surgeon to have the cancer removed. Her referred surgeon performs a lumpectomy and then suggests the best treatment option for her cancer is mastectomy. She believes she has all information required to make a decision and elects to have a mastectomy four days later. SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO A BREAST RECONSTRUCTION AT THE SAME TIME AS MASTECTOMY. SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO A SKIN SPARING MASTECTOMY. SHE IS A POSSIBLE CANDIDATE FOR A NIPPLE SPARING MASTECTOMY. BUT SADLY SHE IS NEVER TOLD! This is the true story of my friend Lisa. She is currently enduring the emotional suffering caused by not being fully informed of her options. I now know that this is not an isolated case as I know many more women are having this same experience in Australia. Six weeks after Lisa's surgery I too went to the same Brisbane Breast Clinic to have a mammogram. I am a 38 years old mother of two, I had no known symptoms or lumps and no strong family history. Lisa's story saved my life. I was diagnosed by the same doctor with early breast cancer and advised to seek a referral from a General Practitioner. Through this experience I discovered that we currently have surgeons in Australia who are using advanced and accepted techniques like skin sparing and nipple sparing mastectomy that can effectively treat cancer without disfigurement. Both types of surgery combined with reconstruction are helping women preserve their breasts in a way that improves their quality of life after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis. I also learnt that the REFERRAL LETTER was the key determinant on whether or not I would be informed of my options. My first treatment recommendation from a surgeon was mastectomy with no reconstruction. A breast reconstruction, Skin sparing and nipple sparing mastectomy were not an option at the same time as mastectomy. My second treatment recommendation offered by a different surgeon was mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, skin sparing and nipple sparing mastectomy. How could two surgeons in Australia have such vast differences in approach to the treatment of early breast cancer and why didn't anyone tell me? I have leant that not all surgeons in Australia are trained nor practice the latest procedures that are widely accepted and used in Europe and America for the treatment of breast cancer. Receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer is one of the toughest moments a women will experience. You feel compelled to make quick decisions. Hence, I can't believe more guidance is not provided when first diagnosed to enable women to select surgeons based on known treatment alternatives. That's why it is so important to have complete, up to date information and know all of your options before you consent to any type of surgery. You are entitled to ask questions. Your breast care nurse will not tell you about known treatment options, nor can they tell you which surgeon to go to - they are not allowed. But if you want to know who performs skin sparing or nipple sparing surgery ask them and they will tell you. If you don't get the answers you need on a particular procedure then keep pushing for information. Keep searching for the information you need until you get the information you beleive that you need to make a decision. On August 17th, 2010 a new law was passed in New York to ensure that breast cancer patients from all socioeconomic groups are informed about their options regarding breast reconstruction. The law mandates that all women are informed, prior to undergoing a mastectomy, about their right to reconstruction and the types of reconstructions that are available, even if this means referring women to another facility or hospital system. This bill went into effect Jan 2011 and already other states are following with similar legislation. Breast cancer patients are being informed of their options and told where to get the procedures they prefer. Surely, in Australia we do not need to legislate or pass a new law to inform women with breast cancer of their options. It's a fact that in Australia, around 5000 women have a mastectomy every year, but only 6% to 12% of these go on to have reconstructions. This compares with 42% of women in the US and 16.5% in England. We need to ask ourselves - is this because when diagnosed with breast cancer women are not being informed and empowered to know all of their treatment options in order to make informed decisions. After being throgh this experience I hope that this information will help anyone who is facing a mastectomy. If you are facing a mastectomy get a second opinion and consult with a plastic surgeon as well as a breast cancer oncologist. Every women deserves to know there options and I am disgusted that women will continue to be blind sighted by certain surgeons, nurses and doctors who do not feel compelled to tell women about certain types of reconstructive surgery. If you are in a remote area of Australia my heart goes out to you. If you are facing a mastectomy it is in your best interest to see a Breast Cancer Oncologist who specialises in Breast Cancer in your nearest city. Knowledge is power. I wish anyone facing a breast cancer diagnosis all the best and I hope that I can prevent what happened to my friend Lisa from happening to anybody else.
Up coming Mastecomy update
Hi all, I posted back in February about my up coming Mastecomy and the decisions ahead. Update. Had the surgery Thursday 8th. I had a skin saving double mastecomy with immediate reconstruction direct to implants. Surgery went for 2 hours longer than planned as I lost a lot of blood and my blood pressure plummeted. I was feeling pretty wrecked afterward and had to have a blood transfusion at 1am on Friday, 4am and a third later that day. I have yet to see my new boobs but am told they are looking good. The pain is bearable for day 3 and I'm able to walk around today without feeling wobbly. Hoping the drains come out tomorrow but could be Tuesday. I'm really busting to go home. My blood pressure is back to normal thankgod. Really looking forward to my own bed to recover.
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.Post Mastectomy
Hi! I haven't been on the forum for a while, mainly reading and just the odd response! I did say Oo roo! for awhile, probably a month or so ago now, so that I could concentrate on my own health and well being. Since then I have done the rounds of all the Specialists, some for review and others because of body changes and I have been accepted into the ex-Med Cancer program. http://www.exmedcancer.org.au/ It is coming up three years since mastectomy and the pain and discomfort from the nerves in the last few months has become so intense. It would appear I am suffering from past mastectomy pain syndrome and the Breast Surgeon has said they had found this can come about even as long as 4 years since surgery.............Lucky me, I used to have PMT and now it's PMPS I have included a link here for anyone that wants to learn a little about this. I am also conscious that there are forum users on here who are yet to have surgery and becoming quite anxious about where they are at and not wanting to upset them. It's a little like side effects from treatment, some glide through and others end up with more than their fair share of side effects. My other trauma has been Tamoxifen! My body has accepted it and settled into routine however now I have medication induced complications which means at the next Onc review, due shortly, I will come off Tamoxifen and onto something else! One wonders if the something else will be better or give me a new set of problems - now that is being pessimistic isn't it! http://www.achr.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/Chronic-Pain-after-Breast-Cancer-Surgery.pdf https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/pain/post-mastectomy-pain-syndrome.htmlMastectomy/Diep flap reconstruction - What to prepare for
Hello, I am heading into hospital shortly for a Mastectomy with a DIEP flap reconstruction at same time. I am starting to prepare everything now, ie stocking freezer, ensuring I have everything at home ready and staying to look at what to pack for my stay in hospital (5 days). My Plastic Surgery has asked that I bring in post op bra and if I have spanx or similar bring that in. The bra was no issue I got ones from Kmart and Berlei. In terms of compression pants, I am at a lose. So much on the market, Any recommendations, do I go for underwear type, shorts or just stomach ones. I would be grateful for any tips.
Mastectomy bra
Hi All, I have just joined and would like to see if anyone knows if there is somewhere I can donate 2 x mastectomy bra's - they were my Aunties - 1 used and the other new - I know that these bra's can be expensive so happy to donate. Any suggestions would be great - I live in Brisbane but happy to post .
Is reconstruction right for me -
I am very new to all of this and the site. I had a diagnosis in May. Surgery within 3 weeks and then straight into chemo in June. I was told by my surgeon because my margin surgery was still not 100% that following chemo, there would be a mastectomy of my right breast. And that included a reconstruction and reduction of left breast. Well, it's moved so fast that now I've finished chemo 3 weeks ago and met the surgeon and plastic surgeon but 2 weeks out I don't know that I can face a reconstruction. I'm older, not super fit, exhausted by chemo and just not sure I can cope with reconstruction surgery. I haven't concentrated on this during chemo as I couldn't do the thinking - I know I should have. I just accepted it because that's what I was told was happening. I'm really not certain I could cope with a reconstruction. I'm struggling but thinking at this stage I'll opt for a mastectomy but really concerned of having a large remaining heavy breast on my left side. Actually, I really don't know what to do.
