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DCIS treatment

Magpiemaggie
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met with a consultant today, it was a bit strange, all he said was the DCIS has to be cut out and as there are no lumps this will take a half ball size out of each breast. Other than that he was more interested in reconstructive surgery. He’s proposing a breast reduction to hide the gaps created by the removal of DCIS (although he said there was a 15% chance he would not get the margins) or double mastectomy with implants. I have been given a couple of weeks to decide. I don’t feel I have enough information to decide. I’m more interested in the DCIS and it’s risks, future risks, future treatment of risk than what my breasts will look like. 

So I have been left with two choices, but I think I’d rather have a 3rd i.e. area removed and lived with the gaps for years and if it came back then straight in for double mastectomy, but what are the risks sssociated with that?

im confused.

  • Offline in reply to Butterfly2019

    Hi,

    sorry that you find yourself here. My DCIS was originally 11mm but ended up 7.6cm. The mammogram can only show so much, it’s down to the operation in regards to how much they need to take. Your mum would have had wires inserted before the op to show the surgeon the area to be worked on but these are only a guide.  the surgeon needs to ensure there are clear margins. So each bit of tissue he takes out is taken to radiology dept to be looked at, if no clear margins the surgeon then takes out more and will continue to do so until radiology believes the margins to be clear. Although it will be the pathology dept that will give the final results if all has been removed with clear margins, if not clear then another operation to clear the margin will be needed - as was the case with me and your mum.

    I am of the opinion that all those presenting with DCIS should be given a MRI but sadly that’s not standard practice - mostly down to cost.

    the good news, from what I can gather from your post, is that your mother does not have invasive cancer and DCIS is contained, cannot spread and has 100% survival rate.

    please give your mother my best wishes and please let me know if I can be of further help x

     

  • Offline

    R u still on line. I'm petrified, as I also don't receive necessary info to help me. I have 6 cm tumor, right Breast, dcis , just spread to lymph nodes, I told my surgeon 8 months ago, I refuse treatment, so go ahead give me a mastectomy, she refused, now look, the inevitable, spread, I'm furious. Seems we have no say about our bodies, wants or refusals, I'm do frustrated, to the point now I'm going to a lawyer, for negligence

     

     

  • Offline in reply to Frogger

    Hi Frogger

    Sorry to hear of your situation, not sure why you'd refuse treatment, although not technically cancer its still a disease. I'm surprised to hear that DCIS has spread as its 'in situ' so guess there was, like mine, an invasive element within the DCIS. We do have a say about our bodies, I certainly did and chose a surgical option that was right for me. I suggest you concentrate on getting the treatment your cancer warrents rather than pursuing negligence as the former is far more important. Good luck with it all and hopefully you'll get treatment soon. x

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