Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hi there, I know where you are coming from about the nerve pain, to me it feels like I was being tazered every 30 minutes or so! lol I spoke to my doctor who said there was nothing I could do only time would mend the tissues. It does get better honestly but will take quite some time. xx ... View more

Hi, I really dont know the answer to this one as I'm not offically menopausal yet however my doctor GP and Surgeon both said I wouldn't be able to take any HRT due to the hormone in it.  Speak with your GP for some further advice.   Best wishes   ... View more

Hi there   To you and the other ladies that are recently diagnosed.  I was diagnosed on 2nd April 2014 with high grade 5cm dcis underneath my nipple, at first I was told this was a papilloma which is a non cancer tumour but biopsy results showed DCIS.  I ended up having 2 Lumpectomies and removal of my nipple and aerola, plus 15 radiotherapy sessions.    I totally understand how frightened and alone you can feel but please believe me this will pass and you will be totally fine. The treatment is really ok, and radiotherapy as scary as it sounds is not too bad at all.     I might have a boob that is smaller than the other and looks different but it is a small price to pay for good health.  If I knew then what I know now, I would tell myself to put things in perspective and not to dwell each day on what is happening and try to get on with life as normally as possible.  DCIS is very early cancer and in comparision to other cancers this is the most treatable/cureable.     Please please talk things over with your breast care nurse and or friends or just come on here and ask questions, do not feel alone and scared we are all here to help and support you.    You can ask me anything and I will answer honestly.   Take good care of yourselves xx ... View more

Hi there, so sorry this has happened, I'm not much help as I didn't have a mastectomy just lumpectomy and radiotherapy like you.  In order to diagnose your current DCIS they must have tested the tissue so would know by now if it had spread anywhere else or was invasive? or have I got that wrong?  Please try not to worry too much about things that haven't or may never happen, its enough to think about just getting through your surgery. Try and take everyday as it comes or think about a positive to counter a negative such as if the implant doesn't take I'm in no worse postition if I had just had the mastectomy alone.. I know its a bad analagy but I hope you get my dift! I really do feel for you, I've just had a second biopsy as when I went for my 1 year check up the nurse found a lump, luckily it was only scar tissue so I do know how anxious you are feelng, its a feeling that will probably never go away for any of us we just have to deal with it as best we can, I'm sure there will be other ladies along soon who have been in your postition but please feel free to message me if you need any support. xx ... View more

Hi I had 2 WLE and had exactly that for nearly a year, I felt like I was being tasered every 30 minutes for the first 3 months.  It will stop I promise. ... View more

Hi, I had 2 WLE and to be honest didn't have any real pain after.  After a couple of weeks I started to get electric shock type pains which are the nerves healng but I didn't have any of the pain you describe.  Why not give your breast care nurse a call and see what they say.   Hope your feeling better soon x ... View more

Hi Maria   Glad your feeling ok hun after surgery but I know exactly what you mean about feeling twitchy.  Try not to worry as things could be a lot less awful that you are imagining, I also know that's easier said than done!  I was diagnosed with high grade DCIS 15mm and ended up having 2 WLE back in July last year, I also had 15 sessions of radiotherapy but decided not to take tamoxifen.  DCIS has 3 grades, low, intermediate and high so your not high which is great.  Your right about DCIS is certainly isn't the worst thing by far which I am eternally grateful for, but the worry, the anxiety and the surgery are all comparibable with having an invasion cancer so you have no need to feel any guilt at all.  The other feeling you might come across is that its not 'real' cancer as its non invasive but like I say but with the worry and anxiety I'm sure it feels the same as if it was invasive.  I think most people do have radiotherapy after surgery as a belt and braces kind of approach but really don't worry about that because it really is nothing to fear, 5 minutes lay on a table, no pain at all, the worst part is possible skin irration after.  Hope that helps you a bit, keep in touch I know its a lonely place to be in even with family support.  ... View more

Hi Everyone   Thought I would add to the thread with my experience in the hope it gives comfort to anyone just about to have radiotherapy.  I had DCIS which is non invasive cancer of the milk ducts, no chemo needed as it does not travel and is limited to the breast.  I had two lumpectomies and unfortunately lost my nipple and aereola and a bit of breast tissue.  I had 15 sessions of radiotherapy and I was terrified of what was involved but can honestly say it is nothing to worry about, you lay for about 5 minutes whilst you are zapped with the lazer, you feel nothing and can go back to life as normal, however.... after about a week after I finished treatment I had a really bad burn underneath the breast tissue which was constantly moist and took several weeks to heal.  I was also offered Tamoxifen and was very worried about the side effects, I realise that some people get little effects and some will have many but for me I felt the side effects would have impact on my daily life and decided not to take them.  I spoke to the doctor about how effective they were as I had heard several women who had taken it and still had a new or reccurring breast cancer, he said on average if I didnt take it I have a 1% chance per year of a reaccurrance so after 10 years I have a 90% chance of no further cancer, those odds made me feel better about my choices.   Everyone is different and choices are individual so for anyone facing the choice of taking hormone drugs good luck and best wishes. xx   ... View more

Hi,   Sorry to hear your diagnosis and hope you will feel comforted reading others replies.  It's funny to read your thread as I was just thinking about whether or not I have made the right decision in having lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy.  I had high grade 3 cm dcis in one breast and unfortunately due to where it was I lost my nipple and areola.  I was totally deverstated knowing this was going to be my fate and thought I would look like a circus freek etc but was and am grateful everyday my cancer was non invasive, however 2 WLE later plus radiotherapy, I am now fully recovered with the exception of the daily electric shock type pains but I have been questioning wether I made the right choice.  I was adamant at the time I would not lose my breast but ever since I worry about whether it will come back and will it be a more serious case.  I know I shouldnt worry about something that might not happen but I suppose thats my point, if I had gone ahead with the mastectomy and reconstruction I wouldnt be worried now would I?   I can only say that I did what was right for me at the time and will have to live with my decision but if it happened again I would seriously consider mx.    Very best of luck to you what ever decision you make, like me will be right for you at the time. ... View more

Hi Ruthie   It's such a shock isn't it? I had only had a mammogram 6 months earlier which was clear so when i started to bleed from the nipple I wasnt in the least bit worried, went to the hospital and had a biopsy which came back as DCIS 3cm high grade.  I can't explain just how shocked I was and remained for several weeks, together with bursting into tears every 5 minutes!  However all my friends were totally supportive and remained so all through my 3 surgeries and radiotherapy.  Take your time and only tell people when your ready to you will be suprised how nice people can be.  I feel so lucky that it wasnt invasive cancer, I count my blessings everday.  Please try not to worry  Jan xx ... View more

Hi I finished my rads beginning of October, I had 15 sessions and like everyone else has said the actual treatment is a doddle, no pain, just lying back for 5 minutes or so.  However I did suffer quite a bad burn under my breast which took about 2 months to completely heal and still today the skin underneath is quite itchy. It really is the travelling to and from and finding a parking space which is the worst part of the whole thing.  If you have got through chemo you really wont have a problem with radiotherapy.   Very best wishes ... View more

Wow I'm so glad someone else thought this!  When I got my diagnosis the doctor said "I'm afraid we have found some pre cancerous cells".  Although shocked I thought oh well thats ok at least its not cancer!  So he began to tell me about my treatment, surgery, radiotherapy, tamoxifen.  I was so alarmed at hearing the words radiotherapy , I remember saying to him "is this all necessary I've not even got proper cancer"?  He then apologised and said he was sorry he had obviously confused me in using those words but this is the correct medical terminology but dont be confused because this is cancer.  So I wholeheartedly agree the terminology should be more explicit.  I must admit when I am talking to my friends and family I do always say "it wasn't real cancer".  How strange! ... View more

Hi I was never told to do any excerise after my ops or after radiotherapy so I was quite suprised to hear anything about doing them. Oh well no real harm done, I've started doing them now I've noticed by chest is a bit tight.   Thanks for the reply ... View more

Hi,  I'm probably the wrong person to ask what to ask the doctor about because I hardly asked anything! My doctor was so laid back about the whole thing that I was too.  I did ask about the potential decrease in breast size and he said not much, like I said before I've gone down about a cup size but because I've lost my nipple and areola I think it looks a bit smaller.  He told me that my dcis was about 3cm which he said was quite large but I have heard from other ladies who had much larger areas.  I was more upset about the radiotherapy which sounded totally alarming to me but in fact apart from a radiation burn which took an age to heal it really was all ok.  All I think is thank god I didnt have to have chemotherapy which I really dont think I could have coped with, DCIS really is the cancer I would choose if some one made me pick one!!  I am lucky it is non invasive and am now absolutely fine and so will you be.  Feel free to keep in touch I know its so worrying and upsetting at the start of things. Take care Jan ... View more

Hi Kittkatt     I had a high grade DCIS unfortunately it was behind my nipple so my WLE included removal of the nipple and aerola.  I cant tell you how upset I was at first, I felt like I was going to look like a circus freak and did nothing but worry and cry,  but you know what, now that its over with it really doesnt bother me at all!! All in all I have probably lost about a cup size in bra but I do think its a small price to pay to be cancer free. I wasnt so lucky but the vast majorty of women dont lose as much as me and from all the photos I have seen post op the most you will see is a small dip about the size of a 50p and a very small scar about an inch which will fade over time.  Please try not to be upset over it I'm sure it wont be as bad as you might think. xx ... View more

Hi hun   I know what you mean about it all feeling surreal, I kept bursting into tears every other day! Its ok to feel scared, although my treatment is now over I am still fearfull about it coming back in the years to come.  With regards to Tamoxifen I chose not to take it.  I didn't feel I would cope well with the side effects, having said that I know not every woman has all the side effects I just felt it wasnt right for me.  Yes I had 15 sessions of radiotherapy which during the course of the treatment really was a doddle, no bad effects until it finished when I then developed some nasty burns which took about 5 weeks to heal but all is good now.  I dont want to worry you but dont be suprised if you have to have another WLE because the margins are not clear first time round, it appears over 50% of ladies do, I was one of them.  Please try not to worry about things and if you do then feel free to come back and chat on here.   Take care xx   ... View more