Why not jsut be done with it

[Guest guest]

I was diagnosed with breast cancer (ductal carcenoma in situ) and

underwent a lumepctomy on 10/12/06. My Oncologist is not happy with

the margins and says I either need to go back in or try a higher dose

of radiation - her exact words were - " We can give the radiation a

try " . Not the words I like to hear out of a doctors mouth. My

thought is this....If they have to go back in surgcially, why not

just have them take the breast completely, get the reconstruction

done at the same time, and be DONE with it.

I am past the point of being scared of this. However, I don't want

to have to go through this additional surgery, then radiation, and

still have the chance that the cancer can return.....worrying ever 6

months each time I have a mammogram.....

I have left my surgeons office a message telling them that I want to

just go ahead and have the mastectomy if they are going to cut me

anyway....I would rather be put under once and have it all done at

the same time....than to be put under, cut, and then have to hope for

the best.

Thoughts anyone? PS - I live in Virginia.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

I totally agree with you going ahead with the mastectomy. I am glad I chose a

mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy so I didn't have to go through what you are

going through. I will keep you in my prayers.

Hugs

nne

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Why not jsut be done with it

I was diagnosed with breast cancer (ductal carcenoma in situ) and

underwent a lumepctomy on 10/12/06. My Oncologist is not happy with

the margins and says I either need to go back in or try a higher dose

of radiation - her exact words were - " We can give the radiation a

try " . Not the words I like to hear out of a doctors mouth. My

thought is this....If they have to go back in surgcially, why not

just have them take the breast completely, get the reconstruction

done at the same time, and be DONE with it.

I am past the point of being scared of this. However, I don't want

to have to go through this additional surgery, then radiation, and

still have the chance that the cancer can return.....worrying ever 6

months each time I have a mammogram.....

I have left my surgeons office a message telling them that I want to

just go ahead and have the mastectomy if they are going to cut me

anyway....I would rather be put under once and have it all done at

the same time....than to be put under, cut, and then have to hope for

the best.

Thoughts anyone? PS - I live in Virginia.

Thanks!

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[Guest guest]

>I Had a lumpectomy as well but my margins were good. I think your

decision is good for what is right for you and how you feel. I

think, if I had to go back in for them to do some more clearing out

and possible lymth nodes, I would have said just give me the

mastectomy with no radiation. Although I still have to have another

mammogram done this Thursday, they want to make sure there are no

more calisfations left with the lumpectomy. So hopefully things are

good then. If not, I may be making my choice alot sooner than I

though I would

Best of luck

char

I was diagnosed with breast cancer (ductal carcenoma in situ) and

> underwent a lumepctomy on 10/12/06. My Oncologist is not happy

with

> the margins and says I either need to go back in or try a higher

dose

> of radiation - her exact words were - " We can give the radiation a

> try " . Not the words I like to hear out of a doctors mouth. My

> thought is this....If they have to go back in surgcially, why not

> just have them take the breast completely, get the reconstruction

> done at the same time, and be DONE with it.

>

> I am past the point of being scared of this. However, I don't

want

> to have to go through this additional surgery, then radiation, and

> still have the chance that the cancer can return.....worrying ever

6

> months each time I have a mammogram.....

>

> I have left my surgeons office a message telling them that I want

to

> just go ahead and have the mastectomy if they are going to cut me

> anyway....I would rather be put under once and have it all done at

> the same time....than to be put under, cut, and then have to hope

for

> the best.

>

> Thoughts anyone? PS - I live in Virginia.

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

Good choice! I went for the lumpectomy initially and then did the

radiation required (plus a bit of chemo thrown in there) and NOW

have to get a re-excision to make even more " sure " there isn't a

recurrant cancer. I now wish I'd had the mastectomy initially. I'm

only 48 and was trying to save my breast - for what - i dunno - it

was mental for me. Now i'm " mental " because I wish I'd had the

mast. right away. Hindsite! Obviously, my thoughts are go for it!

Hugs!

Ellen

>

> I was diagnosed with breast cancer (ductal carcenoma in situ) and

> underwent a lumepctomy on 10/12/06. My Oncologist is not happy

with

> the margins and says I either need to go back in or try a higher

dose

> of radiation - her exact words were - " We can give the radiation a

> try " . Not the words I like to hear out of a doctors mouth. My

> thought is this....If they have to go back in surgcially, why not

> just have them take the breast completely, get the reconstruction

> done at the same time, and be DONE with it.

>

> I am past the point of being scared of this. However, I don't

want

> to have to go through this additional surgery, then radiation, and

> still have the chance that the cancer can return.....worrying ever

6

> months each time I have a mammogram.....

>

> I have left my surgeons office a message telling them that I want

to

> just go ahead and have the mastectomy if they are going to cut me

> anyway....I would rather be put under once and have it all done at

> the same time....than to be put under, cut, and then have to hope

for

> the best.

>

> Thoughts anyone? PS - I live in Virginia.

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

I would ask more about the margins. Were they too close? Most doctors

want at least 2mm clear margins; some more. Or were the margins not

clear, in which case I would ask for at least a re-excision to get clear

margins. Also, where is the area that needs to be re-excised? e.g., if

it's close to the nipple, some surgeons will recommend mastectomy

because it's hard to get clear margins close to the nipple and stray

cancer cells can hide under the nipple.

Alot of your decision is based on what you can better tolerate -

re-excision, quicker recovery, but possibly feeling worried about it

coming back, or mastectomy and reconstruction, longer recovery, but

maybe feeling like you've done what you can to lower possible recurrence.

-

[Guest guest]

I was diagnosed with DCIS and LCIS in Sept. Finally going for the

mastectomy this thurs. ll/09. It has been an incredibly hard thing

to wait all this time. I had several locations in the same breast so

mast. was recommended by oncol. and surgeon. I too didn't want any

more surgeries/tests to wait for every six months! I totally

understand where you are coming from!! the hard part is the " wait "

will begin again after surgery(more results!). Anxiety levels are

peaking!! Whew!! A day at a time!!!

Where in virginia are you from? My entire family is down there.

Diane - Pa

>

> I was diagnosed with breast cancer (ductal carcenoma in situ) and

> underwent a lumepctomy on 10/12/06. My Oncologist is not happy

with

> the margins and says I either need to go back in or try a higher

dose

> of radiation - her exact words were - " We can give the radiation a

> try " . Not the words I like to hear out of a doctors mouth. My

> thought is this....If they have to go back in surgcially, why not

> just have them take the breast completely, get the reconstruction

> done at the same time, and be DONE with it.

>

> I am past the point of being scared of this. However, I don't want

> to have to go through this additional surgery, then radiation, and

> still have the chance that the cancer can return.....worrying ever

6

> months each time I have a mammogram.....

>

> I have left my surgeons office a message telling them that I want

to

> just go ahead and have the mastectomy if they are going to cut me

> anyway....I would rather be put under once and have it all done at

> the same time....than to be put under, cut, and then have to hope

for

> the best.

>

> Thoughts anyone? PS - I live in Virginia.

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

I had chemo before my surgery - my onc and my surgeon wanted the lump to be

small enough for a lumpectomy, but it had started at 10cms in May 2005.

Once it was small enough, the surgeon asked what I wanted him to do; but he

said if he did a lumpectomy and didn't get clear margins he'd have to go in

again ... I'd wanted a mastectomy right from the start, so I chose that as

the safer option, had my mastectomy in May 2006, and have been happy with

that choice all along.

I had radiation as well, and found that easy.

Hope this helps -

Love,

Margery.

============================================

margery@... in North Herts, UK

============================================

> Why not jsut be done with it

>

> I was diagnosed with breast cancer (ductal carcenoma in situ) and

> underwent a lumepctomy on 10/12/06. My Oncologist is not happy with

> the margins and says I either need to go back in or try a higher dose

> of radiation - her exact words were - " We can give the radiation a

> try " . Not the words I like to hear out of a doctors mouth. My

> thought is this....If they have to go back in surgcially, why not

> just have them take the breast completely, get the reconstruction

> done at the same time, and be DONE with it.

>

> I am past the point of being scared of this. However, I don't want

> to have to go through this additional surgery, then radiation, and

> still have the chance that the cancer can return.....worrying ever 6

> months each time I have a mammogram.....

>

> I have left my surgeons office a message telling them that I want to

> just go ahead and have the mastectomy if they are going to cut me

> anyway....I would rather be put under once and have it all done at

> the same time....than to be put under, cut, and then have to hope for

> the best.

>

> Thoughts anyone? PS - I live in Virginia.

> Thanks!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>