Hi Tinchytigger,

I note that this is your first visit to the forum and would like to welcome you to Cancer Chat. I am sorry to hear that you still have this uncertainty after having surgery. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 7 years ago and developed a second primary in the same breast the following year. I had a lumpectomy the first time followed by Tamoxifen. The next time I opted for a double mastectomy and this was followed by Letrozole, which I have just finished with.

After my first operation, Pathology claimed that a large enough margin had not been taken, but my surgeon assured me that he had realized this at the time and had taken another margin, which didn’t show up in Pathology. My cancer is a rare type which only affects 1% of people, and it is supposed to be a less aggressive strain than others. Why then did it return within a year? I suspect that my surgeon still hadn’t removed enough.

It may be a pain in the butt to have to return for another operation, but I would strongly advise you to do so, particularly if your surgeon is advising this. I was fortunate that my second diagnosis was still a primary, but it still meant that I had three miserable weeks where I expected a diagnoses of metastases.

To be honest, I didn’t find either operation as bad as I had expected them to be. I had to carry 2 shoulder bags to hold  my drains around for the first week when I had the double mastectomy. This saved me from having to carry a stand around with me all the time. I think that I found the double mastectomy less painful than the lumpectomy. I had bother for months after the lumpectomy, especially driving over speed bumps. I couldn’t have reconstruction due to scarring from previous surgery, so I still manage with prostheses – not ideal, but I can manage and even go swimming regularly.

Hopefully, someone who has had the same as you will come along shortly to advise you. It is a difficult one to call, and only you can make the final decision, but I hope that you make the right choice.

Do keep in touch and let us know how you get on. There is always someone here to talk to whenever you want.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Tinchytigger,

I note that this is your first visit to the forum and would like to welcome you to Cancer Chat. I am sorry to hear that you still have this uncertainty after having surgery. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 7 years ago and developed a second primary in the same breast the following year. I had a lumpectomy the first time followed by Tamoxifen. The next time I opted for a double mastectomy and this was followed by Letrozole, which I have just finished with.

After my first operation, Pathology claimed that a large enough margin had not been taken, but my surgeon assured me that he had realized this at the time and had taken another margin, which didn’t show up in Pathology. My cancer is a rare type which only affects 1% of people, and it is supposed to be a less aggressive strain than others. Why then did it return within a year? I suspect that my surgeon still hadn’t removed enough.

It may be a pain in the butt to have to return for another operation, but I would strongly advise you to do so, particularly if your surgeon is advising this. I was fortunate that my second diagnosis was still a primary, but it still meant that I had three miserable weeks where I expected a diagnoses of metastases.

To be honest, I didn’t find either operation as bad as I had expected them to be. I had to carry 2 shoulder bags to hold  my drains around for the first week when I had the double mastectomy. This saved me from having to carry a stand around with me all the time. I think that I found the double mastectomy less painful than the lumpectomy. I had bother for months after the lumpectomy, especially driving over speed bumps. I couldn’t have reconstruction due to scarring from previous surgery, so I still manage with prostheses – not ideal, but I can manage and even go swimming regularly.

Hopefully, someone who has had the same as you will come along shortly to advise you. It is a difficult one to call, and only you can make the final decision, but I hope that you make the right choice.

Do keep in touch and let us know how you get on. There is always someone here to talk to whenever you want.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx