Mastectomy instead of lumpectomy

I "went flat" after two mastectomies and that has worked for me. We are all different! I don't wear any prostheses.

I love your name. My mother was Asta Lucina Adolphina. She was born in Denmark.
Gina5009

What a beautiful name and from Denmark awesome.

@clynnford
Since you were just diagnosed you have time to get a second and third opinion which will get you can better sense of what you want to do.
I had unilateral mastectomy 31 years ago- I was hormone receptor negative plus the size of the tumor. I asked to have the other one off too but in those days it wasn’t done.
I had reconstruction right after and redone 12 years later.
This one has moved up a bit so last year I was going to do another one- or leave it flat.
However, other health issues came up so I’m still waiting to clear them up before I’ll go through another reconstruction.
They never look equal and I’m always aware of it. It would have made life easier to take both off.
I never regret having the mastectomy. I wanted the tumor gone from my body.
I also had chemo for 6 months.
Take your time to think it through.

Thank you so much for sharing! I am 61 yo with HER2+ stage 2. Just met with an oncologist who recommended chemo / 6mo. I am waiting to see the surgeon and waiting for BRCA results. I also have an autoimmune disorder and so am very concerned with the chemo and steroid. I am still not clear as to why Docs just don't do a mastectomy. Do you wish you had gone straight to that vs after your chemo?
Best,
Cheryl

When I said I wanted mastectomy over the recommended lumpectomy the doctors said that a mastectomy is a major surgery and probably not necessary. My thought was that I am the fittest and youngest I'm ever going to be NOW so do the invasive hard surgery now not 10 years down the line. They said mastectomy does not increase survival rate, which doesn't make sense to me. My thoughts are get rid of as many cells as possible in surgery and those cells won't come back to haunt me. Obviously, they could have already traveled elsewhere in the body but those in my chest are gone!

Hello,
I asked my oncologist and surgeon the same question, I was HER 2 + stage 3 plus lymph node.
Chemo for 8 rounds, then surgery (double mastectomy.)
The doctors want to know how the tumors are reacting to the treatment so, when and after surgery they know what treatment will continue to address all microscopic cancer cells in our body.
After reviewing results 25 rounds of radiation and additional preventative chemo.
I am currently recovering from reconstruction and I am cancer free.
I will be monitored for 5 years for reoccurrence-
HER 2 + is an aggressive form and chemo first is protocol but ask questions with your care team and second opinion to help you understand.
Breast cancer diagnosis has come a long way! Every plan is designed for your type and person for treatment.
I have no regrets, looking forward!

There is research showing that mastectomy can increase survival but they say there isn't enough data yet so they follow protocol. I have lobular carcinoma with bone only mets diagnosed de novo. Chemotherapy doesn't work for lobular as it does in the cdk4/6 studies for ductal so for me, mastectmy to reduce tumor burden makes sense. But it's difficult to find a surgeon who will step outside that box.

I should add that more than 4 months after diagnosis of lobular with de novo bone mets that I am asymptomatic, no lumps, no pain, good energy, eating well and my weight is good, on the treadmill daily. I'm taking letrozole and other than hot flashes, no adverse effects. Never having had symptoms doesn't put me in denial but makes the experience surreal. But real enough and realistic enough to want mastectomy.

@clynnford
Be sure to wait for the BRCA results before making any final decisions. My breast surgeon was so sure my test results were going to come back negative based on family history, she put me through a lot of extra visits and stress planning a lumpectomy, new type radiation, etc. She even had the lumpectomy scheduled. I was nervous about the plan. The genetic tests came back the day before surgery and I did have the BRCA2 mutation. She was shocked and now uses my case as an example to other surgeons not to assume. So we cancelled surgery and added more visits to go through the mastectomy plan. I also have the CHEK2 mutation, but wasn't tested for that at the time.

Once we knew BRCA2, she told me I could still have a lumpectomy if I wanted, and we would be vigilant watching for new cancer to pop up due to the mutation. We could just keep doing lumpectomies. Uh, no! Good for her, not for me. Who wants that worry? And who wants to go through all that every year? I had a job and a life to live. Cancer and treatment is a huge disruption. I chose the double mastectomy and never looked back.

It's your body, your choice. They just need to present you with all the options and data.