Surgery & recurrence

[Ruth S]

I am getting to the stage of thinking about reconstructive surgery and had a question. When some women write their stories they post the time lines of their disease. I noticed that sometimes it seems that a few had a major surgery right before they were diagnosed with a recurrence. I'm wondering if that is just coincidence or could the two be related? Wouldn't the doctors do tests before the surgery to make sure that there is nothing going on? We all know that surgery puts a strain on your system...is the strain too much? It probably is nothing but I have thought of it and wondered if anyone else noticed it?
Thanks!

[lauren]

I too have noticed this. But I don't know if it is a causal connection or a coincidental thing - I mean, recurrences are more LIKELY to happen during the first few years after diagnosis, and that is also when these surgeries are more likely to happen.

Just so you know, reconstruction is not "major" surgery, like a hysterectomy is. I had immediate reconstruction with my mastectomy and then a year later, I had to have a new implant put in because I ruptured the original one doing a very STUPID yoga pose that I shouldn't have done (involved placing all of my body weight on my breasts!!). The surgery was fairly short in duration and the recovery was nothing. I also had a laparoscopic removal of my ovaries. Also, not a major surgery.

I think a hysterectomy is much more taxing on the body than reconstruction. But ask your doctor. And if your instincts tell you not to put any strain on your body, then don't do it....our instincts can be very powerful. My instincts told me nothing of the kind. And if you look at my timeline, I am a year past those surgeries....

[Sheila]

That is an interesting topic as my recurrence occured while undergoing reconstruction with a tissue expander....coincidence???
Hugs
Sheila

[Kaye]

Sheila, as my oncologist once said--people talk about the cancer "coming back." Where does it come back from--the pathology lab? In other words, recurrence is not necessarily the correct term. It was always there but not yet visible or diagnosed. Surgery, perhaps, may help accelerate the growth of some remaining tumor cells. Or, perhaps some were dormant but the surgery itself did something to stimulate their proliferation...