Cancer misdiagnosis???

[Vicky234]

I had a mammogram, ultrasound, core needle biopsy, and a breast MRI prior to my breast surgery.  Based on all the tests, they told me I had Invasive Lobular Cancer (about 8cm in size, which is quite large), and DCIS.  The doctor recommended a mastectomy, based on the Invasive Lobular Cancer.  The pathology from the breast tissue came back, and I had no cancer in the breast  - just DCIS.  So they staged me at Stage One Breast Cancer.  I did not have the invasive lobular cancer.  They were only leisions.  How could a mistake like this be made?  I

Anyway, now I'm wondering if I needed to have the mastecomy, or would a lympectomy have been more appropriate.  

[yizzit]

Thanks so much Sue I will contact her...We all need each other at times like this...
Disappointment like this is earth shattering!

I just hope that all you've endured has given you some peace too~
Losing both breasts is traumatic but thank God that reconstruction is
your compensation-  Blessings to a long and happy life for you

I was unable to have reconstruction so it was
a double whammy not having cancer etc.

[SueYoung55]

you can send a private message with your email address.

Click on the other person's name and lick on send message.

I am so glad you didn't have invasive lobular carcinoma. I don't know how anyone could make a mistake of that magnitude.

I have 10 cm ILC and will tell you that you not having it means you dodged the bullet! I had double mastectomies since it tends to go bilateral. I'm sorry you lost a breast but glad you are still here to tell them off! God Bless you!

[yizzit]

Hi Vicky
It is so hard to accept such an outcome -  I know how you feel because it happened to me too even with a surgical biopsy!-
For your own peace, I would suggest you request your core biopsy tissue slides and get another opinion .  If you need someone to talk with about this I'd be happy to offer some support...on how I dealt with the same thing.

Not too many women find someone else who has also  experienced the terror of cancer and later have to learn whether to be grateful or regretful.

I'm in Calif--what state are you in? I don't know how people contact each other offline but
maybe japdip will post that information?

[japdip]

Your surgery should have been based on the biopsy results only. Since 8 cm is quite large I can't imagine that post-op it wasn't there. Actually what's done is done but there is no way to say that lumpectomy would have been a better option. There is always the possibility of margins that are not clean and additional surgery may have been needed. I suppose you could ask that your Pathology slides (biopsy and surgery) be reviewed by another Pathology Lab for your own satisfaction. Perhaps this is a good example for the need of second opinions before surgical decisions are made.  Best Wishes ....