Hello, I am 48, I have MS and I was recently diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast cancer, grade 3, with lymph node involved. I have just finished with 2/4 AC with 12 weeks of taxol after.
I am waiting on gene studies to make a decision on lumpectomy vs mastectomy after chemo.
What are others thoughts in surgery options?
Hi, I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I was also diagnosed TNBC stage two. Did the doctors give you an option yet? Personal thoughts on types of surgery are that it's a very personal decision. As far as recurrence risks go they are the same regardless of the surgery type, unless you have a mutation. Typically less is more, meaning that recovery wise the lumpectomy would be easier, but again every choice is personal. I opted for mastectomy and don't regret it.
Talk to your oncologist about the option that would be best for you based on test results. I chose to have lumpectomies in each breast and do not regret the decision. Breast cancers were my 2nd and 4th cancers - all primaries. The testing of each breast cancer was different, so it was not metastacised. Repeated studies show that the outcome is the same whether you chose a mastectomy or lumpectomy, and recovery from a lumpectomy is much easier. Ultimately the choice is yours, but please know that the difference between lumpectomy and mastectomy is near zero, so don't let fear of metastasis make the decision for you.
Hi Anrean, Could you explain what you mean by "the difference between lumpectomy and mastectomy is near zero". Are you talking about recurrence because I have not heard that, or about recovery from the surgery? I had my second primary breast cancer, TN and BrCa1, and both times felt that masectomies (for diffferent reasons) were such a major decision to make in under 3 weeks! Now I'm thinking about it more realistically if (God forbid) I'm DXed again.
Hi Broodge45
Yes, the recurrence rates for lumpectomy v mastectomy are near zero in difference. Recovery is a completely different story. Mastectomy is an extensive surgery and there are many side effects to the surgery. Lumpectomy, depending on the amount of tissue taken, can be a relatively easy recovery with far less side effects. Praying you are never diagnosed again!
So sorry to hear about your diagnosis - while I have a lower stage breast cancer, I am opting for a bilateral mastectomy because I personally wanted to avoid radiation & follow-up MRIs/mammograms every 6 months (I'm 31 and really don't want to have to keep screening for the rest of my life, if I can avoid it... and had a genetic mutation, which made the decision that much easier) I would highly recommend creating a pros & cons list of your treatment options. For example, my choices were between a mastectomy with reconstruction, or a lumpectomy + radiation + tamoxifen. After writing down the pros & cons to both treatment choices, it helped me gather my thoughts a bit & made me feel more confident in choosing the mastectomy. As others have said, it's not necessarily about recurrence rates, survival rates, or chances of future metastasis, but more about your preferences for future screening/if you can take time off to recover from mastectomy, whether radiation/chemo come into play, etc... Best of luck in making your decision and know there is not one right way to tackle this. Between you and your doctors, you will know what is right for your specific circumstance. Sending you lots of support and encouragement, and know you're not alone. <3
Hi I just wanted to let you know hidden that I had surgery before chemo and I am currently doing chemo I wanted to let you know that you are not alone virtual hugs
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