You might find this article helpful...... If there was a totally clear cut definitive answer, then we all would be doing the same thing - but there isn't....so we don't! That is why it is such a personal decision:) Good luck with whatever you decide.

http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/DecidingBetwe...

Actually recurrence rates are lower with lumpectomy and radiation. I had a lumpectomy first but the margins were not clear, I had mastectomy after chemo. It's a hard decision, get a second opinion if you can.

Hi

I was Stage 2 Grade 3 estrogen positive with some node involvement. On the day of diagnosis they told me that they were going to give me 8 rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the tumour which was large though I don't know how large. They planned to shrink it to the size of a pea and then give me a lumpectomy. By the time I began my chemo last ?July It could be seen through my skin. By the time I had my first chemo session the cancer had left my nodes. By the fourth chemo session my tumour had shrunk to nothing. Imagine my surprise when I visited the surgeon after completing my 8 rounds of Chemo to be told she was considering a mastectomey. I had cancer dots spread through my right breast that could be harmless but could flare into cancer. AS I had had cancer already, she felt it was safer to have a mastectomy. I did and had some nodes removed. The nodes were clear and my margins were clear. I had had a complete pathological response and they said my chance of recurrence was very low. However, they had found 6 cm of precancerous tissue in my breast which is not detectable beforehand and cannot be destroyed by chemo until it turns cancerous. It had a 50/50 chance of turning cancerous. So, even though I thought I was getting a lumpectomy and I had a particularly good response to chemo, i'm very glad I had the mastectomy. One of my fellow patients had to have her lumpectomy redone because when they examined the tissue afterwards, they realised that they needed a bigger margin.
I hope this helps. I was a grade 3 whilst you are a grade 2 and that might make a difference. I do have peace of mind though. I had some discolouration recently and the radiotherapist moved to reassure me that it wasn't cancer, but i hadn't been worried because silicone doesn't get cancer.However, if I had been told I was getting a lumpectomy, I would not have quibbled either.

Best of luck with your decision.

Siuin.

I chose the BMX and was a candidate for direct to implant surgery. I had some necrosis, which is not uncommon and could happen with any surgery. Very manageable and all healing well now.

My non-cancer breast ended up having some pretty good tissue for cancer as well though no precancer yet, after they got post op tests back. so ultimately it was a better choice.

However, it does matter how you feel about rads, the side effects etc, as opposed to having implants (I wanted them before so mentally I am good with the effort to have them in) and more surgery impact.

lumpectomy and rads are going to fix the immediate issue the same as the surgery, but with no rads. In my mind it was more about wanting to be done all at once and get on with life.

I was stage 2 and had lymph node involvement. The plan was to have chemo shrink the tumour and then perform a lumpectomy. By my fifth round of chemo, my tumour was gone, so when I went to my surgeon after I had finished all 8 rounds ,I was surprised to learn she had decided to take the breast off because I had little calcium dots in my breast that might flare up into cancer. After the mastectomy, analysis of the breast revealed that I had a complete pathological response to the chemo and even my nodes were clear but also revealed 6cm of precancerous tissue that cannot be destroyed by chemo( as it is not yet cancer) and had a fifty/fifty chance of turning cancerous despite my excellent response. I am very glad I had the breast off.