With mastectomy there is probably a lower chance of cancer being left behind which basically what a margin is. Tissue that surrounds the tumor having cancerous cells . If breast are removed then all the breast tissue is removed also

I'm sorry, you are having to travel this road again! I had the single mastectomy, and was informed that the margins were clear. So, it should still have been checked with your mastectomies. You may be able to still find your records online if your center uses a patient portal (ours is called MyChart. Most places keep your records for 10 years- at least that is what one of the specialists offices told me when I called to get records. Keeping you in prayers! Hugs!

Well that is very interesting because I have had both breasts removed and not once did she mention anything about margins so I don't know if it was a positive or negative thing but here I am 6 years later with the metastatic recurrence that I am absolutely not thrilled with

Think of tumor and all the area that surrounds it. They take from all around the tumor hoping they got all the surrounding tissue that the tumor might have spread to . In mastectomy they remove the whole breast, so all the tissue was removed. Basically, its the same thing they do with a skin cancer. They remove a layer and label it A, B, C, D and then test it, if A & D are clear but B & C are not then the next piece, they remove they take more where B & C are and then test that. If B still shows cancer, they then remove more of where B is and so on until it comes out clear. Thats how it works with tumors, they will keep taking tissue from the area that pathology shows cancer has spread to but mastectomy takes all that.

Thank you so much for your quick response it makes sense