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What are my options

I have Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Multifocal Breast Cancer

Before a mammogram revealed my tumor I thought of myself as a healthy, active, 80 year old woman. My oncology surgeon knows that I believe in quality of life and don't want to live my last years, or months, in a debilitating state battling cancer.  He also knows that 15 years ago I had invasive ductal cancer in my other breast and had a mastectomy. My lymph nodes were clear.  I didn't have chemo, radiation or hormonal therapy.

In pre-op counseling he explained that breast cancer in the elderly spreads slowly and seemed quite certain that I wouldn't die of cancer.  He recommended lumpectomy, no lymph node removal and hormonal therapy. Ten days ago I had a lumpectomy.

The surgical pathology report revealed Invasive Lobular Carcinoma, Multifocal cancer. The tumor was 2.4CM.  My oncology surgeon says I have 3 choices: a mastectomy or another lumpectomy, both combined with hormone
therapy.  Or no surgery and hormonal therapy.

If I knew that my lymph nodes (side that was just operated on), were clear, I would opt for a mastectomy.  If they weren't, I would have have hormonal treatment only. Yesterday I read, in the hospital's own literature, about Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy.  I have no idea why my oncology surgeon hasn't mentioned this as a surgical procedure that would enable me to make a better decision.  Am I missing something here?

What are my options?

Thank you very much.

Joan







2 Responses
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739091 tn?1300666027
I'd get the mastectomy and chemo and radiation too with a 2.4cm Invasive Lobular cancer. I'd like to know where he thinks that cancer at your age moves slower than cancer at my age, I'd really like to see studies for that. Mine was 10cm and it was quite aggresssive. Don't let your age stop you from great treatment if you think you can handle it. If you're fit and don't have other serious health issues, go for it!

Best wishes in whatever course of treatment you decide on.
Helpful - 0
274009 tn?1224434467
I just wanted to tell you first ... How sorry I am about your second diagnosis.. I had a sentinal lymph node biopsy done 2 weeks prior to my Double masectomy. The way they did this was a day surgery. I went in and they injected a radioactive material around my nipple area (stung for a second like a bee sting). I then waited a few hours before the actual removal of sentinal node. In surgery the doctor injected a blue dye to help better locate the sentinal lymph node. The only side effect I had was I had really pretty blue urine for the day..My lymph nodes were clear.  I just posted right below your with questions also about future treatment.
Helpful - 0
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