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Repeat lumpectomy? And treatment decisions. Need advice
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Jan 28 8:37pm | Replies (72)Comment receiving replies
kikay @kikay
First, I doubt your surgeon mess up. A surgeon goal is a balance between complete resection of the tumor, and avoiding removing healthy breast tissue.
Cancer cells in margin are not visible by naked eye and requires a pathologist to examine. At some hospitals they are able to do during surgery using frozen section analysis. Not all hospitals offer this option.
The 2nd surgery is necessary to remove rest of cancer cells. But, there is no guarantee that it will produce clear margins. Ask your surgeon how often there is a need to repeat surgery to get clear margins.
It is a shame that you will need more surgery. Ask your oncologist and surgeon how soon surgery needs to be done and if should start hormone therapy immediately or wait till after surgery.
Wish you luck
Laurie
Replies to "kikay @kikay First, I doubt your surgeon mess up. A surgeon goal is a balance between..."
Thank you Laurie for your comment. My surgeon told me yesterday that he will present my case to the tumor board since I was hesitant to do the surgery. This will happen next Thursday. Treatment plan is for radiation 2 months after the surgery followed by hormone therapy. Your comment helps. Again thanks .
Hi again. Sorry I have another question. Since cancer can’t be seen with the naked eye, when surgeon takes the lump out and see that the posterior edge is already black and suspicious that is why it was sent to pathology, how come surgeon didn’t go back inside to clean up more on the posterior edge instead of closing it and waited for the pathology report? Just a thought.
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Agree. If cancer cells are left they must be removed. Please consider following the advice of the breast surgeon, especially, but not exclusively, for your future ability to raise your teen children. So sorry clear margins were not attained; this does happen even with the best surgeon.