Should I choose a lumpectomy or mastectomy?

Statistics have shown for years that lumpectomies have the same results as mastectomy. In the past they just did mastectomies, but then they started to look all the results and their philosophy changed. It is still a personal decision and there is No wrong decision if you make it. With the exception of 3 people in my life out of the 10-15 in my life, all had lumpectomies and they are 20-30 year survivors. I believe they were all caught early. I lost a friend that had a lumpectomy who didn’t survive, but she was already stage 3 or possibly 4. I was 65, stage 1, low reoccurrence and had 2 lumpectomies. Mastectomy was too much for me to wrap my head around. But that’s me! Again, there is NO wrong answer. It’s your body! Talk to your DR about ALL of your test results, including the geno test that indicates if your cancer has a low or high reoccurrence rate. We are all here😌

Hi Karen Thanks for replying! I wanna do a lumpectomy but don’t wanna do radiation

I get it. My team said it was recommended based on my onco test result. I only did 14 and that was plenty. My dr used Meptiel Film that is applied by the team after the first treatment, it protects your skin from burns,blisters and irritation and they reapply when needed. He even gave me some after I was done to take with me on a 3 week trip because they like you to keep it on 2-4 weeks after treatment. I did 2 weeks and it was perfect. No skin issues. It was a game changer. It’s new to the scene, so if you do move forward insist on them using it. I met with 1 radiologists that wanted to do 17 rounds, and didn’t use Mepitel Film. So question your DRs I did my research about this product and my DR was part of the testing and he believes in it so much, he purchases and supplies the clinics with all of it. He has returning patients that had treatment before this product and used it for more treatments and said they wished it was available when they had their prior treatments. That’s says it all!!!

Karen, I had my original cancer in 2013 and opted for a mastectomy on the malignant side. I decided after speaking with the plastic surgeon and them not quite knowing how much was going to be removed in a lumpectomy. Fortunately I made the right choice because the tumor was 9 cm. It was way larger than they expected. I made the correct choice. Although now last year I found out I have metastatic breast cancer it's in my spine and all over the place. Nobody checks where you had then mastectomy by CT scan nor blood work to see if there is evidence of cancer. Who knew Cancer could grow underneath a reconstruction across the chest under the Reconstruction and under the arm.

Hi Karla! Sorry to hear about that! What type of Breast Cancer did you have?

I had dbl mastectomy May 17. Just started chemo & HER2 treatments. I was told it's possible, was surprised because they said no more mammogram, but surgeon will show me how to self check & do annual visit. I think that's a great idea to mention ct scan & ask to be checked every so often. Thank you & pray for comfort and healing for you 🙏

This is such an important decision, and it's completely understandable to want as much information as possible before moving forward. The choice between lumpectomy and mastectomy depends on many personal factors including tumor size, location, your overall health, and your own preferences about treatment and recovery. Many people in this community have faced this same decision and found it helpful to discuss the pros and cons of each option with their medical team, including their surgeon and oncologist. Consider asking about factors like recurrence rates, reconstruction options, and how each choice might affect your specific treatment plan - having all the facts can help you feel more confident in whatever decision feels right for you.