Deciding if I should do bilateral or double mastectomy??

I chose both with no hesitation. Even though two surgeons said the chance of getting cancer on the other side is very slim, I didn’t even want to have that chance. Going thru it once is enough and not worth regretting the decision down the road.

We do not know all your considerations, but I had early stage triple negative with the ATM gene. I was 72 at the time. I was offered lumpectomy, but did not want radiation. I chose mastectomy of both breasts with no reconstruction. One of the things that was not mentioned by any of my Doctors was the fact that they do not know if you have any degree of lympho vascular invasion until pathology after surgery. I had a small amount and my doctor said it was good that all that tissue had been removed. I have no regrets about not reconstructing. I healed faster and got on with my life. I also have the sense that I could feel any reoccurrence more easily. We all have to work out the best decision for ourselves. Wishing you all the best.

No reconstruction for me either. Its great to be free!

I have 1cm DCIS (ER+) in left breast, right breast “shows” clear in MRI and biopsy. I’m still thinking DMX, has anyone here had this experience? I feel like my doctor and my family/friends think I’m being too extreme… I met with t surgeon again on Monday to make my decision.

These are my thoughts exactly. I was diagnosed with DCIS stage zero level 2. I’m being told: it’s only 1cm, it’s only in one breast, mastectomy is too aggressive. But I’m in the camp that says get it all the first time. Thanks for your input. Meeting with the surgeon again soon…

Do both! You have a higher than 1 in 7 chance of getting BC on the other side without the mastectomy. It’s higher than 1 in 7 because you have had BC already (thus let’s say 17-20%). If you have the prophylactic mastectomy it’s 5%. What’s bigger? It’s a no-brainer. I wish I had those statistics before I became an advocate with an assigned single. I had to fight tooth and nail to get the other side off afterwards following a recurrence on the chest wall 2 weeks after the surgery. In hindsight the double mastectomy gives you peace of mind and as a extra bonus symmetry with a reconstruction. I went from a literal “dog’s breakfast” to looking great when they removed the other sagging tit and giving me two perky new breasts. Angelina Jolie is my new hero.

Hi. I only had cancer showing in my left breast and it was triple negative. I opted for a bilateral mastectomy even though the right breast looked clear on an mri. (The breast surgeon said she usually recommends bilateral for triple negative patients, even if the cancer shows only in one breast.)

During surgery, the pathology of the right breast showed atypical cells that did not appear on the mri, so I am glad we took the bilateral approach.

I did have reconstruction and I’m pleased with the symmetry and the outcome.

Good luck!

My diagnosis TNBC, and thought process was similar. Symmetry was part of my thinking, but I elected double mastectomy with no reconstruction at 72.
You don’t know about lympho vascular invasion, microscopic DCIS or atypical cells until the post surgery pathology is done.
I wanted to be done, no more surgery and just get on with my life. I also wanted to be able to feel any reoccurrence easily. I wear a sports bra with inserts and am very comfortable. Nobody would know.

I had DCIS in two areas of my left breast last year and decided on double mastectomy. I didn't want the worry of getting cancer in my right breast. I'm 72.

I was diagnosed with early stage IDC in the right breast (2 cm tumor). After more diagnostic work (ultrasounds; MRIs and biopsies), DCIS was found in the left breast. I was also given the option of lumpectomy or mastectomy with similar recurrence rates cited.

But the biology of the cancer cells indicated stage 3 with a relatively high Ki-67. Because that indicated the cancer cells were aggressive, I chose the double mastectomy. That was followed by chemotherapy and I'll now begin the fun stuff of trying an aromatase inhibitor and possible CDK-4/6 inhibitor. At age 74 I did not want to chance having a lumpectomy and then needing a mastectomy after all down the road.

I chose reconstructive surgery with saline implants. The tissue expander experience was miserable, though it's not always for everyone. It actually took me more time to choose saline or silicone implants than to choose between lumpectomy and mastectomy. I wanted to try a return to looking like my old body as much as possible.