Unilateral mastectomy/Implants

Double for sure! Prophylactic mastectomies reduce recurrence on the opposite side from 1/7 to less that 5 percent

Well, as always, I'd go with what your oncologist recommends. But for what it's worth...I had old (silicone) implants for 35 years & finally decided to have them removed in 2023. My stage 1 ILC was found in August, 2025. I was so glad that the implants were already gone before treatment & I wonder if not having them made the cancer easier to detect. Implants are technically supposed to be replaced every 10 years, they told me. Anyway, I had a lumpectomy & radiation & honestly, I much prefer how I look now, with no implants. But I'm older (72) so there's that. I hope you find a solution you're happy with!

I had a double mastectomy. They thought my cancer was only in the right breast but after the surgery they found it in the left as well. I also had radiation so I had to wait a year until I could finish my reconstruction. If you don't need radiation the tissue expanders and then the implants go quicker. If you do both sides you won't be wondering all the time if it will show up there too. It will also make it easier for the plastic surgeon to match them.

I was so afraid of the damage that radiation would do, that I opted for bilateral mastectomy. I had already had a biopsy in each breast from earlier scares, so I wasn’t willing to risk doing one side and then having to do the other side at a later date. Plus the radiation they want you to do if you only have a lumpectomy. And, wanting to go with the best chance for symmetry, doing a bilateral. I know "they say” the chances are low for it to end up also in the other breast, but I’ve read too many stories saying otherwise and I just wasn’t willing to wonder and put myself through the surgery all over again in however many years after the first surgery. I am very happy with the reconstruction. Expanders aren’t enjoyable, but what they do, is a great medical service and was only for a few months. You can do it!

@marygrannie Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I really appreciate it. So many tough decisions.

@dlardin great information! Thank you so much.

@jmab thank you so much for sharing your experience! I appreciate it.

It is definitely a lot to decide usually in a short period of time! Sending good thoughts, vibes/and or prayers to you. I was diagnosed DCIS bilateral breast this past April and invasive ductal carcinoma to left breast with 1.2 cm tumor with 6 mm invasion per the biopsy. I am ER/PR positive and HER2 negative. I am 63 and have normal saline breast implants (prepectoral above muscle). I have an excellent surgical team - breast oncologist surgeon and then the plastic surgeon (so important!) and per my breast surgeon oncologist double mastectomy recommended r/t lack of lack of my own breast tissue. I will also be doing 'direct to implant' above muscle with normal saline implant which is immediate reconstruction. I have 350 ml implants now and downsizing considerably as well to about 200 ml and have also opted to have nipple removed as well but not required (due to downsizing plastic surgeon will need to do mastoplexy and remove excess breast tissue - felt too large risk for necrosis in my situation...). I have also located a very skilled medical tattoo artist for my 'hyper-realistic medical tattoos'. I know that aesthetically silicone considered superior but from my research the NS implants are opaque on MRIs so that was my reason for going with NS. But we all have to do what works best for our personal situation... It's a lot to process and I encourage you to be careful with the internet and being exposed to negative experiences! For me, this last step in finding the tattoo artist really helped me to fully embrace my plan. My foremost concern has always been to treat the cancer first for longevity. Just remember it has all come a long way with treatments for breast cancer. I also chose a top notch medical oncologist for my care post surgery. I was able to get an Oncotype DX lab on the biopsy completed for the tumor and my score was 13 which is low. I am a RN but not an oncologist RN so I have had a lot to learn and still learning and hope to be very proactive. I have a 'holistic' PCP that has encouraged me to eat diet with increased protein and fat and also to work on building strength before surgery and spoke a lot about support for mental support during this journey. My surgery is scheduled for next Friday. I encourage you to get all items needed for recovery at home. Sending you hugs I know how scary it can be.

Also passing this on. I just ordered these 2 books from Amazon and hoping they will be helpful!

BREAST CANCER: From Diagnosis to Breakthrough Treatments - Everything You Need to Know
by Sophie Domingues-Montanari (Author) Format: Paperback
FIGHTING CANCER: Recent Advances in Cancer Treatment: From Genomics to Immunotherapy
by Sophie Domingues-Montanari (Author)