Wednesday, June 8, 2011

If you have a double mascetomy can you still get breast cancer in the area in the future

If you have a double mascetomy can you still get breast cancer in the area in the future?
I have a friend with a very aggressive breast cancer and she only removed the lump stating that if she removed the breast her chances were not decreased of getting it again in the same area. Is this true?
Cancer - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
i dont think so, but cancer is a sneaky thing. It may try to return in another area. Good luck with your friend. More and more women are chosing double mascetomies even if the cancer is only in 1 breast.
2 :
Yes, local recurrences can happen even after a mastectomy. I assume in your friend's case her medical team recommended a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy and were able to get clear margins. Lumpectomy isn't a 'second best' to mastectomy, it depends on the individual patient's cancer. I had a mastectomy because as well as my tumour, I had pre-cancerous cells in other parts of my breast.
3 :
I was told by my Oncol that my risk of getting cancer in my breast again was about the same as getting it anywhere else.
4 :
It is always possible there are still tissues that get left behind that seemed to be cleaned during surgery.
5 :
I have an aggressive breast cancer and I am having chemo treatments before surgery. The tumors are visibly and palpably shrinking. I originally considered a full mastectomy of the affected breast (mine are quite small) but after talking with the surgeon, am currently thinking I'll go for lumpectomy with reconstruction. All of this is dependent on clear PET scans at the termination of treatments. Yes, even double mastectomy patients can get a recurrence of breast cancer is the small amount of tissue left behind. Also, any place breast cancer decides to grow, it's breast cancer (brain, lung, liver, bone).
6 :
Of course, there is tissue left after a mastectomy but the amount of tissue is so reduced that you have a much less chance of a local recurrence after a mast than after a lumpectomy. A lumpectomy definitely has a higher rate of local recurrence. Survival rate is the same as mastectomy, local recurrence rate is different. Recurrence can be a distant or a local recurrence. A distant receurrence is very bad. A distant recurrence can occur whether you have a lumpectomy or a mast. I had a double mastectomy and all 3 of my doctors and both second opinions have told me that I have a 98% 'cure' rate for my chest area and a 85%-90% 'cure' rate for the rest of my body. That being said, it's probably very important to your friend to save her breast and that's her choice and it should be respected and supported.

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