Hi all,
My biposy showed invasive BC. I am having surgery in a couple of weeks. I just wondered whether it is possible to have DCIS and invasive BC at the same time? If the answer is yes, then does that affect the surgery? I am having WLE with axillary dissection.
I am sorry if these questions are silly, but it is on my mind and it is bothering me. Also, did anyone experience tenderness/stabing pains in their lump?
Hi chatterbox
I had invasive BC with DCIS in the surrounding tissue, and the surgeon said this was absolutely normal. I did have to have a second op to get a clear margin, but it’s not always necessary.
My lump was only painful when I got a hospital appointment!
Good luck with the surgery.
Carol
Yes you can have both hun, I had DCIS in my tumour - lots of ladies with invasive cancer do. It shouldn’t affect the surgery.
Fuschia
xxxx
Hi Chatterbox
I had a grade 3 invasive tumour which showed up on the mammogram and ultrasound and when the lump was analysed, there was also extensive DCIS which hadn’t shown up at all before. I didn’t have further surgery because there were clear margins except for nearest the skin where there was only 1 mm clear but my surgeon said that the radiotherapy would sort out any DCIS that might be left in the skin. I didn’t even know I had a lump as mine was found during routine screening, so no it wasn’t sore. However, I know that it can be, it does vary from person to person.
All the best
Anne
Hi Carol and Fuschia,
Thanks for your words of wisdom 
I don’t know what’s the matter with me I think of a question almost every minute of everyday!!
xx
I had a tumour which they said was larger than 1.5cm and around it I had focal DCIS - both grade 1 which is the least likely to spread.
I found that you are more likely to have more extensive surgery than lumpectomy if you have DCIS than if you have invasive cancer only. I had a segmental mastectomy (partial mastectomy) which was certainly more extensive than if I’d only had the <1.5 cm tumour. I had focal DCIS around it and had about one quarter of my breast removed.
Other women are recommended to have mastectomies, dependent on how extensive their DCIS is and what grade it is, and their breast size which may have an impact on cosmetic results of cutting out quite a large area.
DCIS can recur, apparently it ups your risk of developing further cancers by times 11. I had radiotherapy as well as the partial mastectomy to minimise the risk of recurrence.
I had lots of stabbing pain in my lump after the first biopsy, also soreness under my arm which i was tod was just nerve pain. I had a ductal invasice cancer so i cant help you with your other query. Hope this helps
Lots of love Juliexxxx
Julie,
Yes it does help thanks. The pain you describe is exactly what I experience. I have invasive cancer, but not sure which type I geuss I am told that after the surgery. but thanks agin
xx
Hi chatterbox -yes, as others have said, you can get invasive tumours as well as DCIS. I was dix with a 2 cm invasive tumour, but no-one told me I also had extensive DCIS as well, until I asked for a copy of my two pathology reports, after WLE and total axillary removal. Why didn’t they tell me? I still wonder why. Eventually, I asked my bc surgeon if they had removed the DCIS with the invasive tumour and he said “Yes”. I have to believe him, because I don’t know how to question this.
As for stabbing pains under the arm, I had them before dx, but just thought I had pulled a muscle. I didn’t have a palpable lump, just a mass shown on a normal 3 yrly mammo.
Although I totally respect Mole’s insight, and her own experience, my WLE did not make my breast to be maligned . Perhaps we just had different surgeons. My cancerous breast is not in any way deformed, although I now have lymphoedema in it. It is not painful, nor deforming, just a lot puffy. I am happy to live with that.
I hope you get on well
Liz/
Hi Chatterbox,
Hope you’re doing Ok and don’t worry, it’s good to have lots of questions! Just to say I also had DCIS and invasion as well. The invasion was only pinpointed to a 10mm grade 3 tumour after surgery. It may have broken out of my ducts or it may have just been a separate tumour, they were unable to ascertain this for sure. I had to have a full mastectomy because the DCIS was quite widespread.
Take care
Carole
Thanks veggiebean, so does that mean only part of a tumour can be invasive? That is to say my biposy picked up cells that were invasive;could be others that are not??? I wonder what that means in terms of lymph nodes…some of mine looked swollen on ultrasound
Hope you are ok
Sue