Lumpectomy vs Mastectomy

Two days before I had surgery to remove a malignant tumor from my breast, I had a panic attack. I didn’t know whether to have a mastectomy or a lumpectomy.

My doctor wanted to do a lumpectomy, but I have friends who have lived through this awful decision and chose to have a mastectomy.

Research shows that lumpectomy plus radiation to treat women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer offered the same survival rates as a mastectomy. However, a lumpectomy has a slightly higher risk of recurrent cancer.

Still, some women who’ve been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in one breast choose to have that breast and the other healthy breast removed because of the fear that a new, second breast cancer might develop in that breast.

Earlier studies suggest that more women, especially younger women, diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in one breast, choose to have the breast affected by cancer and the other healthy breast removed. They can then have reconstructive surgery and insurance covers it.

A woman may also choose to have a mastectomy because of an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Having one of these abnormal genes dramatically increases a woman’s lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

If you have cancer in your family, you can talk with your doctor or oncologist about a referral to someone in genetics about your risk of breast cancer.

I asked my husband what he thought I should do, and he said, “Honey, this is a decision you will have to make. It is your body, and I will love you and be there for you all the way.”

Being diagnosed with breast cancer is a journey I never thought I would be taking. The biopsy report showed a malignant tumor that was not yet very big, so having a mastectomy to remove my entire breast was a little overwhelming for me.

I know many women who chose a lumpectomy, went through radiation and hormone therapy, and the cancer has never returned. I also know women who had the lumpectomy and later had to have a mastectomy.

With the information I had, I was willing to take that chance.

During the lumpectomy, the goal was to remove the malignant tumor and a few lymph nodes to determine if the cancer had already begun to spread.

My surgery day started in radiology, where I had a surgical procedure called a sentinel node biopsy. With this procedure, the pathologist can see whether cancer has spread beyond the primary tumor into my lymphatic system.

The sentinel nodes are the first few lymph nodes into which a tumor drains. The biopsy involved injecting a tracer material that helped the surgeon locate the sentinel nodes during the lumpectomy later that morning. My doctor removed three sentinel nodes and sent them to the laboratory to be analyzed.

It was almost two weeks before my follow up appointment. Yes, my breast was very sore, and not knowing if the cancer had spread was scary, but I’ve trusted God for my life since I was nine years old when I gave my heart to Christ.

Since then, I have walked through many painful and devastating times, including my husband and I tragically losing our youngest daughter. I have never felt alone.

In the weeks of waiting, I was blessed with family and friends checking on me and sending me beautiful words of encouragement.

A few days before the follow-up appointment, I decided to go to the hospital and ask for a copy of the surgery’s pathology report. I sat down alone in the cafeteria and held my breath while I read the information.

It was good news, and I couldn’t wait to get home to my husband and call our children. The report showed no malignant lymph nodes, and the surgeon had removed all of the malignant tumor, leaving clear margins around the removal site.

I didn’t understand everything in the report, but when I went in to see my doctor, I was able to ask questions. I felt more peaceful because I had done my homework and was able to have a more productive conversation with her about what she found and the next steps in my journey.

Every step is important to recovery. My next appointment with an oncologist and a radiology oncologist will help create a plan to lower the recurrence of the cancer.

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