Has Your Lumpectomy Left You Feeling Regretful?

I had lumpectomy a week ago and literally can’t tell anything was done except small amount of glue left…. Was a plastic surgeon involved? He told me I would never know they were there and he was right! I would get in with a PS…

Yes, my surgery scar is very unnoticeable. It's the whole breast look after radiation

So sorry….. I haven’t done that yet but my RO and PS assured me I would look fine

I had a lumpectomy 9 days ago. I'll be starting radiation sometime next month. I'm worried about how my breast will look. I have a friend that went through the same thing and she said the only difference in her radiated breast was the skin was darker. What changes did your breast have, if I may ask?

Hi Sherry, my cancer was stage 1, ER/PR + HER 2 neg and so had lumpectomy, LN removal x2 and needed no chemo and only 1 week of partially accelerated radiation but my skin color did not change nor do I have any scarring or skin texture changes- hopes this helps you ❤️

Thank you, Shalini! Our diagnosis and surgery are identical. I really appreciate you sharing your experience!

May i ask how it looks? I have a tissue expander in right now and am supposed to be starting radiation. I also don’t feel like my docs are being forthcoming with me. I’m very scared and concerned of how it will Look and feel. I don’t know if it’s the right decision. I’m very connected to my body and it’s aesthetic. I will be devastated if it’s dramatically different. Can i ask what treatment course you had and what products you used? I wish there were other options then these horrific treatments :(

I had a lumpectomy, radiation and chemo. My breast and nipple shrunk after the radiation. So it's 2 cup sizes smaller. I've learned to live with it. I've seen pictures of reconstructed breasts and 90% look terrible.

Caitlin: I have tissue expanders in my L breast (only one effected) and required only 1 week of partially accelerated radiation ( they were in place during radiation) without any issues now waiting for final reconstruction surgery with implant and bilateral breast lifts. My L breast was 1/3 the size of my right breast so expanders will help with asymmetry until my surgery. I’m finished my radiation May 17 and hope to be able to get my reconstructive surgery earlier than 6 months but need to speak with my plastic surgeon as she said before I have to wait 😩will find out August 9 about next steps ….

If anyone has any suggestions or experience please let me know this is all been very hard, second cancer diagnosis in same year- other was uterine cancer dx luckily stage 1 too so no chemo or radiation just surgery phew

None of us deserve this!!

I had a lumpectomy and 30 days of radiation. I had absolutely no discomfort or discoloration from the radiation and my lumpectomy scar you can hardly see at all. Stay strong 💪

Donna- and all- I’m heartbroken for you- we have enough problems with our diagnosis- there are options for reconstruction- get a lift and make em pretty- there’s insurance coverage from 1998 that permits this after lumpectomy…I scar bad, but don’t have misshaped after lumpectomy/ might depend on where your tumor was- give some time to heal- may improve- wear sports bra at night etc.

Donna. I had double lumpectomy with immediate reconstruction. My onco and plastic surgeon did a lift with reduction they rearranged breast tissue to fill in any holes and 8 weeks later they are perfect. You can wait until later to have this done. It’s less chance of infection, fast healing and insurance does cover.

The breast that I had radiation and surgery on looks as if it's been lifted, however my other breast that's untouched hangs about 2 in lower. I never thought it would bother me, but it actually does I had to get a prosthetic to fill out my bra for the surgery side in order to go to my son's wedding so I looked even.

Hi. I’m sorry to hear this. I was concerned about these very things and opted for a bi-lateral mastectomy. I believe insurance will allow for reconstructive surgery. I am a flattie on purpose.

I just had a revision done. The radiation really shrunk my left breast. It was fully covered because of the partial mastectomy, aka lumpectomy. They decreased times right to match the left, lifted everything up and they look the same now. Like 25 year old. Only good thing to come of BC!

I had lumpectomy and radiation and now my skin on that breast is dark and hard and nipple looks different

I’m sorry. I think every individual is so different and reacts differently to these treatments! There is no “standard”

I agree

I had a lumpectomy thirty years ago and I still feel the same way.

I had a Lumpectomy and was told prior to it they were just talking a little bit it wouldn’t be any big deal And I didn’t need to see a plastic surgeon because it wouldn’t be noticeable. The day of surgery the surgeon says I’m going to have to take a bit more than I originally thought. At each step I expressed my concern for not looking right after and was told it won’t be a big deal. Now I’m having chemo and then will do radiation. I lost at least 1/4 of my breast. It looks terrible. After surgery when I’ve expressed my dissatisfaction with how the surgery breast looks compared to my other breast I’m just told worry about it later. It’s no big deal. I am so mad and frustrated. I know that after radiation if I have reconstruction, it will look terrible. I wanted to have something done with my surgery to make it look good and I wasn’t really even listened to or given the option! I wish I would have been more demanding before surgery to see that plastic surgeon!

I had a lumpectomy and a reduction on the contra breast at the same time. My tumor was large 4.5 cm so they took almost my entire breast and reduced the other side to a B cup. I was DD/E. They looked pretty good minus the scarring and had to delay radiation due to necrosis on the cancer side. Radiation shrunk me to AA on that side. I’m hoping to do lipo on my muffin top and fill it out to a B cup once I reach the 5 year mark.

My cancer nipple is very pale almost white after radiation, the only difference in color

After radiation mine looks different, skin is darker around the nipple where they did the surgery looks almost gray!! Very odd! I’ll be asking when I go back to my radiation oncologist!