What kind of scan should one have after a partial mastectomy surgery?

Posted by lifetraveler @lifetraveler, Jan 9 6:49am

Hi! I just went through the surgery on 12/26/23, had my post surgery follow-up check with my surgeon on 1/3/24. According to my Surgical Pathology report, the IDC had extended to the posterior margin. I thought that I need a re-excision to get clear margins to ensure that there's no more Invasive ductal carcinoma left in me; however, my surgeon recommended radiation treatments as further treatments plan. Anyone else had a similar experience? Please advise on the following 2 questions:

1. Should I find another surgeon to perform a 2nd surgery to get the clear margins?
2. Shouldn't I get some kind of scans, such as: UltraSound or MRI, PET scan, etc., to make sure that there's no more detectable cancerous cells left in me after the surgery?

Any experienced advice is highly appreciated:) Thanks!

Wishing you all a very healthy, happy and fulfilled new year!

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Chris, Volunteer Mentor | @auntieoakley | Jan 14 10:37am

Hello @lifetraveler you are certainly having a journey. If this were me and I trusted my current doctor, I would ask, maybe “how will we know if there is more, in the breast or elsewhere?”. We all have these questions, the good doctors will take the time to answer, if the doctor doesn’t take the time or have an answer, then I would consider a second opinion. You said radiation was recommended, have you met with the radiation oncologist yet? You could ask them as well, often, there is a plan for some kind of scan either before or after treatment. Are you comfortable asking your doctor these questions?

lifetraveler | @lifetraveler | Jan 14 2:31pm

In reply to @auntieoakley "Hello @lifetraveler you are certainly having a journey. If this were me and I trusted my..." + (show)

Hi! Chris:

Thank you so much for replying and pondering upon these questions with me, you are my true comrade:)

My surgeon thinks that a 2nd operation will not clean up those possible remaining Invasive ductal carcinoma left in me, because the IDC had extended to the posterior margin (the chest wall) and there's no more breast tissues to be taken out! Surely I am no medical expert, but it puzzles me greatly and troubles me constantly... This is the reason that my surgeon recommended me to meet with a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist to seek out further treatments. I am still waiting for my oncotype test result and will meet with 2 more oncologists - one is medical oncologist and the other is radiation oncologist - next week. I will ask them about some kind of scan before any new treatments. Thanks for your kind advice!

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and safe journey ahead!

lifetraveler | @lifetraveler | Jan 19 10:27am

Hi! Chris and my comrades in spirit of fighting cancers:

I went to see the medical Oncologist yesterday for consultation on my further treatments plan after the excision surgery on 12/26/23. I asked him for some kind of scans to assure there's no more detectable cancer cells in me before we start any new treatment, he flatly replied with a definitive "NO". I asked him is there anything that I can do, such as: healthy diet, routine exercises, etc., to boost my own T-cells to rid of those cancer cells that are floating around in me? He answered with another "no", and advised me to keep my normal diet. This surely surprised me greatly! I thought a medical Oncologist would serve as the general (or an architect ) in charge of the war to defeat cancer for their patients. Apparently I was wrong:( He did prescribe me with Anastrozole (1 mg per day) and Zometa - Zoledroic Acid Injection. Frankly I do not know whether I should trust the treatments plan that he proposed, and wondering whether you guys would kindly share with me your experiences with these two drugs...

Thanks in advance for your valuable advices with experience!