[Becky]

Statistics on getting a brand new breast cancer (not a recurrence of the current one) depend on whether you had ductal or lobular bc.

For ductual, you have an overall risk of 15% but you have a 1% risk per year for the first 10 yrs.

For lobular, you have an overall risk of about 25% and the overall for the first 10 years is 2%+ per year (lobular which is about 15% of all bc does have some predisposition within the lobes whereas ductual can be much more "one of those things that happen). These statistics include women who are BRCA 1 & 2 positive (and probably didn't know it at the time so their risk for a new bc is greater). Also, these stats are (in general) from even prechemo let alone preherceptin (which should help reduce dcis - bc precursor, as most dcis starts as Her2+ but loses that in favor of other growth factors - most notably ER and PR).

Lastly, I know (like me), that you removed your ovaries while premenopausal. That act alone reduces your chances of getting (another bc) by 68% (no joke).

I think alot too as we have said to each other before because I had cancer on the right AND a low grade dcis on the left (so am I done now?) and had lumpectomies on both and have my breasts. Plus the dcis being low grade, ER+/PR+/Her2 negative and being only 3mm with a 2cm wide, clean margin - I did not have radiation on that side and worry about that (and had a cyst on that side 6 months ago).

However, don't beat yourself up over this. If the biopsy comes out fine (and it probably will), take your time to decide if bilateral is what to do and investigate all reconstruction options (or not).

You are a warrior woman and give hope to all of us and get the word about us out there to everyone. You are a real heroine.