QuestionQUESTION: 5 years ago my mammogram showed microcalcifications in my left breast. I had a wide excision with radition. I then continued with 6 month mammograms for the first 3 years and then went to yearly. I just had my yearly mammogram and was told the microcalcifications are back. I went to my surgeon and he delivered the bad news first. He said when we do the ster. biopsy and if the results are malignant then he said the treatment would be a mastectomy. My cancer doctor said usually the second time they find microcalcifications they are not malignant. When I asked my surgeon why not just do the wide excision with radition, he said you can't have radiation on the same breast again. (these calcifications are in the same breast about an inch from the last place). My cancer doctor said hopefully they are benign because of the previous radiation received 5 years ago. What do you think? I am very nervous right now waiting for my biopsy.
ANSWER: Before any decision on what to do is made it should first be found out what this is. You have mammographies of it so a stereotactical needle biopsy of this lesion should be possible. That way we will KNOW if it is a cancer or not and be able to act accordingly! Please do keep me posted!
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QUESTION: well, i just got my results back from my biopsy and the news was not good. The report showed the calicifications were malignant. My cancer doctor and my surgeon both said mastectomy was the only option. My cancer doctor said since it is in the same breast and i have had radiation it would need to be removed. My surgeon said i could do reconstruction at the same time of the surgery. Do you think mastectomy is the way i need to go or are there more options. Someone said they may recommend chemotherapy before they do the mastectomy. any thoughts i need to check out before meeting with all my doctors again. thanks, carol
ANSWER: I'm sorry about that! Yes, since you have had a lumpectomy before and radiation in the same area before too that option is out unfortunately because there is an upper limit to how much radiation you can give in this situation. So unfortunately a mastectomy is the only available way to go. Chemo therapy could be given before or after surgery, but unless your lesion is so big that presurgical chemo therapy is necessary (only your drs. who have all the information can decide that), I think surgery (including any reconstruction desired)should be done first followed perhaps by chemo therapy (again the decision of your drs.). Good luck!
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QUESTION: after having met with my surgeon, cancer doctor, and plastic sureon, I have another question. 2 of the 3 doctors think i need to have a double mastectomy. They say since I have had 2 bouts with cancer, I really need to have both removed. my cancer doctor says i will probably have to take a round of chemo. My plastic surgeon says he will put somthing under the muscle and use cadaver skin and after it stretches out he will take out the drains and put the "real thing" in. As you can see I was a little taken aback when he said double mastectomy so I didn't listen to everything else (thank goodness my husband did). would like your thought on having a double mastectomy.
AnswerThere IS some merit to that suggestion since you most probably run an increased risk of breast cancer in both of your breasts. However, the choice must be yours.
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