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Double mastecomy and trying to decide whether to do chemo or not
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Nov 7, 2025 | Replies (32)Comment receiving replies
@waterlilies1899
I was 72. ATM gene and triple negative early stage. I chose double mastectomy. I did not want radiation as my tumor was right over my heart and there is much written about avoiding radiation with the ATM gene. I had taxol/Carboplatin and I did just fine. Was always able to function normally. I always wore ice gloves and booties. I did try an ice hat, but I still lost my hair. My hands were fine and I have some numbness in my toes. I bought a wig I liked in advance and nobody knew.
I am not familiar with your drugs, but if they are concerned about circulating cancer cells, if it were me, I would do it. Even an 12-15% improved survival chance is significant.
Replies to "@waterlilies1899 I was 72. ATM gene and triple negative early stage. I chose double mastectomy. I..."
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@drummergirl I agree, any improvement is better than none. My gain will only be 5% at best since my recurrence rate is 16%. So happy to hear you were functioning like normal. That's a concern b/c I’m normally busy and moving around. Someone else mentioned after the first couple of days they felt relatively normal…that’s my goal!
Thank you so much for sharing!