I will be having surgery on 6th Dec (five weeks after last chemo) - expecting to need mastectomy, because of DCIS. Has anybody else considered bi-lateral mastectomy even though only one breast is affected (BC does not run in our family, so news was a ‘bolt from the blue’), but I don’t want it to come back! Also, some confusion whether you can have radiotherapy after immediate reconstruction - my breast care nurse says “no”, but I have spoken to someone else (different NHS trust) who had it done - anyone else has this done?
Sally
hi sally ihad bi lateral mastectomy with 10 chemo and i had to wait 4 months before they would let me have my radiotherapy because the skin might not heal right julie
Sally
I dont know yet whether having wle or mastectomy - but told if I have mastectomy they wont do recon for a year cos theres a risk that rads will ruin the recon - and then they would have nothing to work with. Have always hoped for wle but now thinking would I be better just getting mast to stop risk of it coming back in that breast??? I have had 4 out of 6 chemo and will prob get surger sometime in Dec - will have to speak with surgeon
Take care
Fiona
Hi there
I would really like to know if you can have rads after immediate reconstruction too. I am due to have a mastectomy, not sure when, last chemo next Friday.
I was told that the recon can intefere with rads and I really don’t want to delay my rads. Therefore I was considering having the recon later but I just don’t want this to drag on too long.
Any advice greatly appreciated!
Cecelia. x
Hi Cecelia,
Where I am being treated they carry out recon after radiotherapy.
A xx
Hi Scaredsam,
Sorry to hear you are going through this, I can’t advise on the rads after reconstruction as I haven’t taken that route.
Regarding asking for a double mastectomy, funnily I asked about that at my appointment last Tuesday.
I was advised that there is not clinical indication to suggest that the cancer that was in my left breast would start in my right. I have had a left mastectomy and have grade 3 cancer and family history of BC so I was surprised they said there was no evidence.
The consultant I had was very reassuring as to how they come up with such views, in addition I think if I pushed for one they would consider it.
Perhaps you could talk to the consultant to see if they can give you sound advice. The Breast Cancer Helpline will also have people to talk to the number is on the home page of this sight.
Good luck
Carol
Hi Julie
Did you choose a bi-lateral or did they advise it?
I find it strange that they give us our treatment in different orders - mine was chemo first. I suppose with BC it’s not a case of ‘one size fits all’.
Sally
Hi Fiona
I think we need more information so that we can make an informed choice about surgery. I will see my consultant on 13/11/07 - have a mammogram and ultrasound to see where we are at - then the decision will be made. I feel that I am ‘in a rush’ to get everything done and dusted, so that life can get back to ‘normal’, but at the end of the day I just want to be cured, and for it never ever to come back! I wish that for everyone with it too!
Sally
Hi Cecelia
Reading through posts on this site I think that we just have to be guided by our consultants - different NHS Trusts seem to have different ideas, just as us ladies have our own ideas about the treatment we want to have. Wish it was clearer though!
Sally
Hi Carol
Has what the consultant said made you think that a bi-lateral mastectomy is not necessary for you? I’ve heard that there’s only a 1% chance of getting BC in the other breast, but I would like to know what the chances were of me getting BC at all, in the first place! Will ask the consultant this!!! He may say “how long is a piece of string?”! Oh, for a crystal ball…
Sally
Hi Andrea
Thank you for telling me that - that looks to be the way the majority of NHS Trusts work.
Sally
Hi
i had my last chemo on 24th Oct and am due to have bilateral mastectomy on 8th Nov even though my left breast is not effected. (my choice) for the same reason why you are thinking of it. I have suffered a lot with breast lumps (cysts, fibroadenoma) and do not want the worry of finding another lump. My BS as agreed to do what i want.
I will also be having immediate recon using stretcher implant which will be followed by radiotherapy due to start after christmas. The radiotherapy can have an effect on the recon, but fingers crossed it will be ok.
i wrote down a list of ALL the pro’s and cons, Left it for a couple of days, then went back to it. reading it back made everything fall into place as to what i really wanted.
Karen
Hi Karen
Thank you for your post - writing a list sounds like a good idea.
Wishing you all the very best with your operation.
Sally
x
Hi Scaredsam
I had a bilateral mastectomy on 19th October, it was only my left breast that was affected but I didn’t want to have to go through this again and so requested they took both, I was going to have immediate ld reconstruction but without implants incase I needed radiotherapy but my surgeon didn’t have time to do that so I went ahead with the mastectomy and will have implants at a later date if I want to. As soon as I came round from the op I looked at my scar and I felt no sense of loss, for which I was extremely grateful, in fact I felt relieved. I don’t have any problems with anyone seeing my scar, even my father in law, which I find quite strange as I was a bit prudish before. I went to collect my daughter from school with no bra and softies without the thought of how it might look.
I guess not everyone will be as happy as I am with their decisions, but I followed my gut instinct and I don’t regret a thing.
Good luck
Debbie
x
I’m having a mastectomy and also some tissue removed from the other side to check if it’s okay or not. I asked about having both breasts removed for safety’s sake - I *do not* want to go through all of this again! - but was persuaded not to by my surgeon and my breast cancer nurse. I’m happy with the decision, because I think a double mastectomy would have been pretty difficult to cope with, and I can always have the second mastecomy at a later date if I change my mind.
Yvonne