Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

For those wanting to share with others living with secondary or metastatic breast cancer.
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chrismelb
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Re: Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

Postby chrismelb » Tue Oct 07, 2014 10:37 am

I can't imagine they would reject it but I think you'd be put on waiting list. I really think you'd want to be off chemo as just too much for your system. I know the surgeon was loath to do my port when I was on chemo. Sounds like Kim did it a good way with two weeks off prior and 4 after. I think recovery form a 'simple' mastectomy would be rather quick but we are compromised so don't know. Good luck xo
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Re: Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

Postby Marydean » Fri Oct 03, 2014 11:03 am

Tigger :hug: I think asking for a prophylactic mastectomy is totally understandable and a very reasonable request, especially if you have considered the reconstruction option and decided it is not for you. If your surgeon isn't keen to help out, by all means seek another opinion.
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Re: Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

Postby Tigger » Wed Oct 01, 2014 12:24 pm

Thank you ladies! I feel most encouraged and am going to make an appointment with the surgeon. I mentioned it to my oncologist and she wasn't negative but also wasn't positive. I would have to stop chemo which I don't want to do at the moment as everything was growing but I suspect the waiting list would not be short so no worries there. My husband won't be happy but he doesn't have to live with being lopsided.

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Re: Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

Postby INTHEPINK » Mon Sep 29, 2014 11:41 am

Hi Tigger,
Sorry - Just seen your post. I can't comment on having surgery whilst on chemo (I suspect healing would be the biggest concern), but I can say that I wish they'd chopped both boobs off at the same time! To outsiders it may seem radical but I had a right mastectomy but due to complications with radiation burns etc.. I couldn't have any easy reconstruction so I didn't get it done.
Then I got cancer in the left breast. The surgeon wanted to do another mastectomy but the doc won the battle to keep the breast :( I was no given the choice. So I had another round of chemo and radiation.
Now I'm in the ABC group with bone and liver mets. I do sometimes think that if I had the other breast off I might not have ended up here. Also - sometimes I find the prosthesis just plain uncomfortable and I can't leave home without it. If I had had both breasts off I would simply look flat chested, could rush off to the shops without the saga of putting a bra on and could even lie on my tummy! I could keep extra boobs handy for special occasions....weddings etc. :wink:
It's funny when I think about the fact that we are actually amputees, but because its a breast not an arm or leg we would be looked down at if we were to go around the place without a prosthesis but walking around without a arm in public is OK. Although, of course, loosing a breast is very much less disabling.
Good luck with your decision,
Jane.
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Re: Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

Postby JudyB » Sun Sep 28, 2014 11:31 am

Tigger, they seem to take reconstructions very seriously and understand why it is so important for some women. I see no difference with the mastectomy, it would make you look and feel more balanced. A mastectomy is such a simple operation to both do and to recover from generally as opposed to a reconstruction that can be nine times longer in the operating theatre and a lot longer recovery with more things that can go wrong. If a reconstruction is covered by Medicare I can't see why a mastectomy wouldn't be as well.
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Re: Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

Postby mum2chloe » Sat Sep 27, 2014 2:51 am

Hi Tigger,

I had my exchange from expanders to implants surgery 1.5yrs into my chemo Abraxane for liver mets. Originally my surgery was scheduled to take place 6wks after I was diagnosed with mets unfortunate for my mets timing so I had expanders in for a further 1.5yrs.

The only thing the surgeon said is healing can be compromised during chemo so I ceased chemo a fortnight before surgery and had about a 4wk break from chemo post surgery so 6wks with no chemo.

I don't see why they wouldn't take your request seriously when you explain the pain it causes you.

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Re: Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

Postby Janette » Sat Sep 27, 2014 1:15 am

Hi Tigger,
Gosh I think your wanting a second mastectomy is understandable. I honestly doubt a refusal could be based on your mets diagnosis. You should have equal rights to anyone else. If you have a surgeon in mind, can't hurt to make an appointment and hopefully get on the list. :hugs:
Janette


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Prophylactic mastectomy for remaining breast?

Postby Tigger » Sat Sep 27, 2014 12:15 am

Hi Ladies. I have been examining some areas of my life where I am not happy and one of them is the intense discomfort I experience wearing a bra due to residual pain in my mastectomy side. Since my initial left mastectomy I have been unhappy having my chest so uneven and the degeneration in my skin means that reconstruction would be complex. I was not happy that they never offered a double mastectomy but I guess that is something that women initiate themselves and I didn't have any knowledge or experience to even ask the question at the time.

Now that I have metastatic disease what is the likelihood that a doctor would take my request to have my other breast removed seriously, given that I have no medical reason to have it done? And for those who have had surgical procedures on chemo, what has your experience been? I know that no one can give me a medical opinion and I am not asking for that, just people's experiences/opinions.
I don't have any health insurance so it would have to be public. I guess I would have to live long enough to get to the top of the list first. :ouch:

Thanks!


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