Recently diagnosed with DCIS...opionion on treatments?

I was recently diagnosed with DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ), which...I suppose if I had to get breast cancer, everyone tells me this is the best kind to get.

I am scheduled for a lumpectomy and then 6 weeks of radiation therapy, 5xper week.  THen a mammogram every 6 months for the next 2 years.

My other option is to just go ahead with a mastectomy on that side and reconstruction.  That option would be more my choice to not have radiation and to have a very small chance of the cancer coming back.

For you who have gone through either of these options, which treatment would you recommend to me to consider more thoroughly?

If the lumpectomy causes aesthetic issues, I would have the option of going in later for reconstruction, or if the results from the lumpectomy come back that I need more surgery I could do the mastectomy at that point....but I wonder if the peace of mind in having a mastectomy is worth going through the more invasive surgery?

Thanks for your insights.

De

Hi De.

I'm sorry about your diagnosis.  But, you're right - it's the best type to have.  I've had two primary breast cancers - left side in 1997 and right side in 2006.  Lumpectomy on the left with chemo and radiation.  Started with a lumpectomy on the right and found out two weeks later that they found DCIS scattered through the tissue.  My surgeon said he would be happy to leave things as they were, do chemo and radiation and then mammos EVERY 6 MONTHS because "it's not a matter of if a tumor occurs, but WHEN a tumor occurs!"  After much careful thought and research, I decided on a double mastectomy.  The thought of going through mammos and the stress that goes with them every 6 months made me sick.  Also, I avoided radiation which has its own demons.  When you have radiation, it's harder, but not impossible, to do reconstruction.  I did have reconstruction but the side that had been radiated definitely has issues.

 All in all, I feel I made the right decision for me.  Any cancer diagnosis is stressful and deciding not to add to it made my life a little calmer.  Just remember, if you make a decision based on knowledge, then you've made the right decision - for you.  Good luck to you!

 

De:

I was diagnosed w/ DCIS 5+ years ago, had CA history in family so went ahead with a simple mastectomy and reconstruction within 6 months.  Then in 2007 was diagnosed with Fallopian tube CA.  Mother and Aunt had both died of Ovarian, which is very similar, same treatments, etc.  THEN I got smart and had genetic testing, came back positive for BRCA-2, so after 2 rounds of chemo I had the other breast removed, plus reconstruction.

 

If you have similar CA in your family, get the genetic testing.   Also, if you go ahead with a single or double mastectomy, get the expanders put in at the time they do the mastectomy(ies.)  This reduces your total surgeries from 3 to 2.  About six months later, after they have injected fluid into the expanders several times to stretch the skin to accommodate the implants, they will insert the implants and you are basically done.  I would recommend the mastectomy and worry less in the future.  CG

 

On 8/12/2009 gsd4de wrote:

I was recently diagnosed with DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ), which...I suppose if I had to get breast cancer, everyone tells me this is the best kind to get.

I am scheduled for a lumpectomy and then 6 weeks of radiation therapy, 5xper week.  THen a mammogram every 6 months for the next 2 years.

My other option is to just go ahead with a mastectomy on that side and reconstruction.  That option would be more my choice to not have radiation and to have a very small chance of the cancer coming back.

For you who have gone through either of these options, which treatment would you recommend to me to consider more thoroughly?

If the lumpectomy causes aesthetic issues, I would have the option of going in later for reconstruction, or if the results from the lumpectomy come back that I need more surgery I could do the mastectomy at that point....but I wonder if the peace of mind in having a mastectomy is worth going through the more invasive surgery?

Thanks for your insights.

De

 

Hi!  I had stage 1 invasive BC arising out of DCIS.  I opted for lumpectomy and radiation.  One consideration is that the surgeon must obtain clear margins.  This is true with DCIS as well.  As in, I believe, Dee's situation, it showed that she had DCIS throughout which leaves a clear probabilty of having invasive BC at some point. If clear margins can be obtained then lumpectomy with radiation, research shows, is as equally effecitve as mastectomy,  So considering they would be able to attain clear margins the choice is really up to you.  One note to make, I lost a lot of breast tissue between the biopsy where he removed a fair amount of tissue, the actual lumpectomy, going back to attain clear margins and an infection and with radiation (once doctor described as the gift that keeps on giving) you can expect additional shrinkage.  I lost so much between the mentioned that I had to use a breast piece to fill my bra.  After going through radiation my surgeon indicated that I would not be a candidate for reconstruction as radiated breast posed problems.  I had to wait a year but did go ahead and have reconstructive surgery with implants.  It took some tweaking as my surgery scar was smack in the middle of my breast and it was difficult to get the skin to stretch in that area. But in time the results are very good, at least I am pleased.  For me I would go through this again vs. mastectomy but this is me.  Should I have a recurrence then mastectomy would be my only option along with chemo which I did not have the first time around.  It has been 6 years for me cancer free and again I am happy with my decision.  Hope this helps.

Hi De

I actually just got diagnosed with the same thing as you just yesterday.

I'm 38 and have no history in my family at all.I haven't even met with my doctor yet he just called me on the phone and told me that my stereo tatic biopsy came back posative and he said DCIS ,but i had no idea what any of this was.Then he gave me a list of numbers to call sergeons and make appts ,ugh i'm so lost and confused and can't stop crying.

Oh my goodness. Don't think of a masectomy. I am sure your dr will think this is harsh given your  early diagnosis. It is a very early stage. I had ductal carcinoma 2 yrs ago, and it was not in situ. It was recommended that I have 6 weeks of radiation and that's all. I had the oncotype test done, which tests for your chance of recurrence and it was low so I didn;'t even have chemo. Pls reconsider teh masectomy. Don't let your emotions get in the way of making a drastic decision. Kathy