[Mary Jo]

Hi Caroline,

In the beginning I too questioned my surgeon and onc. about prophylactic mastectomy (removing other breast that was healthy as precaution). I was told by both of them that the "chance of recurrence elsewhere in my body was greater than in that breast" so I listened and only had my right breast removed at that time. However, after all treatment was over, I had a mammogram of left breast and there was a suspicious area of calcifications near the chest wall that they wanted to biopsy. I went through a sterotactic biopsy and an INCREDIBLE amount of stress and thankfully it was all benign. HOWEVER, at that time I decided to have that breast removed. First of all I didn't want to go through that every 6 months and second, I felt as if I was just waiting for those calcifications to become cancer as often time they do.

So, that was my experience and I've never regretted my decision even once. Oh ya, on a happy note, when the pathology report came back for that breast there was no cancer anywhere found and I felt incredible relief.

Good luck in your decision process.

Mary Jo