Just been diagnosed with invasive ductal cancer and have been given final decision on my treatments. Due to largish lump relative to breast size its either mastectomy and lymph node removal followed by chemo (possibly radiotherapy too ) or chemo first to potentially reduce the lump so that there could be a lumpectomy instead (still with lymph node removal). Has anyone been given this choice and how did you decide what to go for? Is it valuable to have surgery first so that you get a full pathological report? The surgeon says outcomes, in terms of life expectancy, are identical with both routes. I’m in my forties so not classed as young by the hospital but I feel young.
Hi forties
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Lucy BCC
Whatever option you choose, you have to take into consideration that for a lumpectomy (WLE) they have to get clear margins. If they don’t, they will have to perform a cavity shave. This can be done (I believe) twice after WLE. After that, if there are no clear margins, a mastectomy will be performed. I decided to cut out the middle bit and went straight for the mastectomy. But it is purely a personal choice, and they might get clear margins first time.
poemsgalore xx
Hi Forties I was diagnosed last Thursday with this and was told that I need to have chemo first because it will shrink my lump and then potentially make the surgery less stressful because it will mean cutting away a much smaller area… I feel soooo scared I cannot quite comprehend it all…last June I was told that the lump was a ‘simple cyst’ and it would go away of its own accord…so when I was sent by my GP a couple of weeks ago to have the ‘cyst’ drained - you can imagine my surprise when I was told I needed to have a biopsy… Sorry to waffle - this is the first time I have posted anything…I should say I am 46…
Thank you for your reply Forties!! I have also read loads (perhaps a little too much sometimes) I am back at the clinic tomorrow to get the results of the repeated lymph node biopsy…I am also hoping that I will get a start date for my chemo as my work are giving me stress because until we have some dates cover cant be organised… Have you been given a start date yet? Anne