Mastectomy and Stage 4...preventative?

[Ceesun]

Hello, I am wondering if anyone has chosen to have a preventative mastectomy (unaffected breast) after they became stage 4? Is there a benefit to doing so if you are in this advanced stage and NED? Just trying to analyze my options. Thanks Ceesun

[PinkGirl]

Hi Ceese
Women definitely have an "unaffected" breast removed as a precaution, but
I am not sure about your question regarding Stage 4. Hopefully one of the
"wise ones" will see your question and have an answer. Good luck on Thurs.

[Jean]

just recently posted an article on this subject...which you may be interested in reading...I do not believe that it has a focus on stage 4, but rather primarialy on decisions women are making as a preventative measure. Hope this helps.

Kind Regards,
Jean

[Verna]

When first diag. I was going to have mastectomy on both sides ( I just didn't want to deal with b/c in the other breast if it recurred there), my surgeon recommed I didn't and I'm very glad I didn't. Being stage IV, which I am, after my mastectomy and treatments I started going to MD Anderson and seeing an onc. there, as well as seeing my onc. local. The first thing she said to me was why did I have a mastectomy being stage IV, and that blew my mind. (I mentioned that to my surgeon and she said it was for the best because of the multiple tumors I had) so I told her because I needed one? She had said since I was stage IV it wasn't necessary. That was the first time I had ever had someone tell me that. Appearently the treatments will get to all the mets in your body including the breast.

Hope I made sense, I still feel I have chemo brain.

Good luck.

[jml]

Hi~
I'm Stage IV & have been since my primary dx in May 2002.
I initially had a L lumpectomy for the original primary tumor & weeks-years,actually-of chemo to get to the mets in my liver under control.Finally, after a liver resection, my liver is NED x 2yrs!
I did eventually have a L mastectomy, b/c 8 weeks after my liver resection, a 1cm malignant nodule popped up in my breast again & mammo's showed lots of calcifications again. The last thing I wanted was for that local disease to progress and grow and invade my liver again!
My surgical onc also discouraged me from doing a prophylactic mastectomy on the R b/c 'cutting away healthy tissue wouldn't effect my survival prognosis or prevent the bigger problem of distal met from recurring.'
I know that some BC types (lobular?i think, i really don't know) are more likely than others to occur bilaterally & that might be a just reason to pursue a prophylactic mastec on the unaffected side.
But as a Stage IV'er, I'm far more concerned about my liver & every other distal organ that mets like to live & grow than disease in my breasts!Treating local disease feels far less threatening & scary.
I've even recently had a recurrence to 2 supraclavicular nodes, which is a bummer, but my immediate reaction was "But how's my LIVER!!??"
Also, with all the speculation of how surgery & general anesthesia affects dormant, stable micromets, possibly "waking them up" & causing the disease to grow & progress again, why put yourself at risk?
Ultimately, if you feel a prophylactic mastectomy will provide you more peace of mind, then you must do what you feel compelled to do.

Hope my perspective is helpful to you~
Take good care,
jessica

[Sherryg683]

I only had a lumpectomy on the effected breast. I guess they figured if it came back in the breast, that would be the least of my problems, as long as it didn't come back in a major organ. Since I am scanned so often, I don't worry too much about it coming back in the breast. Sometimes I wish I would have just had them whacked off because I really can't stand my breasts now. I actually HATE them sometimes, don't like them touched or anything. I know this is bad and something I need to work through...sherryg