microcalcifications

Hi Hopeful

I went through this myself and was told "Scattered microcalcifications are usually a sign of benign breast tissue and fairly normal". Also has something to do with my 'age'. They rechecked me after 6 months and everything stayed the same. I hope that helps you not to worry as much. I also have a small 'node' on the adrenal gland and one on the liver they've checked several times and - they're not doing a thing. Something about ageing bodies..and it's normal.. Hoping the best for you.

Hello Hopeful Lady! Sounds like Sue has some good information there. I hope it all turns out well and that you'll come back and let us know how it goes!

A double mastectomy does not mean no breast cancer. I hope this doen't worry you more. I am surprised your surgeon did not mention this to you. I do believe it reduces your chance. I am going to have a double mastectomy myself on the 23rd. So I know it's easier said then done but don't worry yourself time is to precious. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Sue is right. Microcalcifications are normal, especially as we get older. I'm 45. Was diagnosed and had a mastectomy at 42. My surgeon (female) discussed my treatment and surgical options in length and preferred that I have a double mastectomy. However, I read several research findings and opted to remove only the breast that had the tumor. I don't regret it at all. In fact after my surgeon got to know me a bit more she too agreed that I made the right choice for me. Everyone is different and only you know how you feel.

As Courtneyll said, a double mastectomy does not guarantee you will never have breast cancer.

Thanks all for replying. I went in today for the stereotactic biopsy and will opefully have negative results by Wed or Thursday. It definitely wasn't fun but not too bad. My mother is currently dying of breast cancer found years ag at stage 4 and it has recently been found to have spread to her brain. I guess with all of that going on I am extra scared. I also have to young, 4 & 7, children and can't imagine what will go throug their little minds if this is cancer. The have been through too much already with Grandma. Once again thanks for the support!

My surgeon called this evening and said it is DCIS grade 1 or 2. I'm trying real hard to look at the positive. My hardest part is what and how to tell my children (by the way I'm Hopeful Lady). Any thoughts?

Hopeful, you are fortunate in the fact that you have been diagnosed at one of the earliest stages of breast cancer. The first advice I got was this, you will only remember less than 20% of what you are told so it's best to have someone with you so they can help with the details later.

Educate yourself. Don't rely on others for all the details, many times that information is inflated. Go to Mayoclinic.com to get some great and detailed information concerning DCIS.

Keep looking at the positive, it will help tremendously.

Thank you very much cvera. I go see the surgeaon @ 5 today to discuss the options. Do you have thoughts about Tamoxifen? That seems more harmful than helpful with the liklihood of uterine cancer jumping up. I am educating myself but when I see something negative it brings it all back to reality again and I go numb. Thanks again to all of you.

Tamoxifen is an option if your breast cancer is hormone related. I don't believe DCIS is hormone realated but that would be a question for your doctor.

Your Oncologist will explain all treatment options to you. Trust him/her. Don't be afraid to ask questions or discuss anything that is out of the ordinary, no matter how small. It can all be relative.

Hopeful Mom, I was diagnosed with DCIS stage 1. I also had a few microcalcifications. I had a lumpectomy, radiation, tamoxifen for 4 years and now am on arimidex. I was 48 when diagnosed. Seven years later, I am still here. It sounds like you have caught yours early so I think your prognosis should be good. Try not to be scared. I lost a summer of my life to fear when I was diagnosed. Just dive into treatment, start getting it done, and you will feel better. You can do this.

Breast cancer is scary and so many people tell you horror stories about Chemo. I had was diagnosed with breat cancer both DCIS and invasive breast cancer with a large tumor. Had my surgery and 5 months of Chemo I was scared but determined and have to tell the world I was never sick a day and only tired 1 day a month . I have no problems today and I am coming up on my 9th anniversary will soon be 75 yrs old and healthier than my younger friends . I know you can beat this . Good Luck

hi ladynew I am glad chemo was easy on you, not sure what meds you were on. I just found that when people told me how it easy it was it made me feel like I wasn't strong or that I was doing something wrong. Best wishes to you on 9 years I hope to say that someday.

The Chemo I took was adrimyacin and cytoxin probably spelled wrong the medication I took was Zofran .Given to me with the Chemo and by mouth for 3 days after caused some constipation but milk of magnesia took care of that a small price to pay to not be sick .

Courtney11, I am keeping you in my thoughts. I know your surgery is coming up and I hope all the best for you. I will get all my test results back this week hopefully so I will know if the cancer is anywhere else. Then I have to make the lump vs mast decision. I am leaning toward the mastectomy due to odds of recurrance and no radiaton. DCIS is supposedly hormone related, cvera, according to my surgeon. I will be checking in to that more though. Ladynew, I am very happy for your success and positive attitude. I am getting both sides and trying to stay positive. It's hard for me with my Mom's breast cancer having gone so negatively so far. I hope she will fight longer but I feel she has had enough. Good and kind thoughts to you all.

I had AC chemo as well but I was sick for a week after each treatment. None of the anti-nausea pills worked for me. There were days I couldn't get out of bed without help and some days I couldn't walk without help. But hey I know it could have been worse. So Courtneyll don't feel like you did anything wrong. Everyone has a different cocktail. I was not as ill as some patients but more ill than others. That's just the nature of the treatments.

Guess I was fortunate in my treatment. I have a lot of faith in the place where I was treated Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. Also had a friend the local Oncologist told to get her life in order that she would not survive she went there also and is alive today another 8 year survivor . My mom had Breast cancer twice 10 years apart and passed away much later from a heart attack at 84 . Keep me posted as to how you are doing Hoping and praying you do as good or better than I did . I'll be rooting for you

Hopeful mom. I was 44 when I was diagnosed at stage 3, 5 years ago. My kids were 3, 8 and 11 years old. I had a bilateral mastectomy. Bilateral does not mean I can not get breast cancer because no one can guarantee that they remove every breast tissue cell but I figured that it would greatly decrease the odds. It was the best decision for me but everyone is different. You are lucky you found it early. Believe me it is the early days and the decision making that is the hardest. Like someone said before, ask questions then trust in yourself to make the best decisions that you can. I can't imagine going through all this at the same time that your mother is so sick. Remember that she was diagnosed at a much later stage than you and your fight with this horrible disease should be much more successful and reassure your kids of that too. Has anyone talked with you about genetic testing, since your mother also had breast cancer and I assume that you are on the younger side yourself? It doesn't have to be done now but it might be something to consider. If you carry the BRCA genes for breast cancer you might choose a more aggressive approach than otherwise. My advice now is to spend quality time with your kids. They need your love and to have fun with you. They will help get you through this just because of who they are. They are a wonderful distraction from all the bad stuff. I hope all goes well for you. Hang in there.

PS I took tamoxifen for 2 years and am now on an aromatase inhibitor. Tamoxifen scared me too but all drugs have side effects. You have to ask questions and weigh the pros and the cons then trust your decisions. Easier said than done. I know, I've been there. Good Luck.

HI I'm a Survivor. I, too, am 44. I did the genetic testing (the radiologist set it up for because my surgeon would not even though I requested it)and am awaiting the results. My daughter is almost 5 but I need to know for both our benefit. I am to talk with the plastic surgeon on Mon. 2nd to get info. I still haven't had anyone give me any ideas on how or what to tell my children. I have had a lot of people tell me what to do because "that is best" but I am just blocking all that out just as I did when I was pregnant. I know I (aong with my husband) need to make the best decisions for me and us as a family. My surgeon says that Tamoxifen is no big deal except for increased risk of blood clots (like birth control he says) I have read otherwise. I am not sure that I am happy about the surgeon I have either. There are two in our hospital and they are in the same office so I'm not sure it would do any good to get an opinion from the other or how I would go about that. I've caught the sugeon in several contradictions and he seems to be very "flip" about it. He says, lumpectomy and radiation are the way to go. I am definitely leaning toward a bilateral mastectomy for many reasons - recurrance rates, family history, etc. Once again, thank you all for helping me through this. My husband doesn't understand it all and I can't talk to my Mom. I really don't want to have it spread around our small community so you all are a great help!!!

Hello Hopeful Mom, I am a 15 year breast cancer survivor. I found my cancer i year after my husband had a stroke that left him paralyzed on the complete left side. I was orphaned at age 5, raised in foster homes, so I never knew any family medical history. I chose to have a mastectomy and had 6 months of chemo---adrymicin/cytoxin--sorry for the spelling. I was very fortunate to have very little sickness--more tired. I had to put my husband in a nursing home and the day I had my last chemo, went and brought him home, took care of him until he passed away 7 years ago. Two years after a hystorectomy, I got the cancer, which I honestly believe was due to taking harmones. I also took Tamoxifin for 6 years--I had no uterus, otherwise I would not have taken it. So far, there has been no reacurrance, but I do have leukemia. I feel it was caused by the chemo but of course the Dr. doesn't agree. I have 5 daughters, 2 have had scares but so far nothing. I hope it continues that way. I will keep you in my prayers.

MEMOM562 thank you for the reply. It sounds like you have been through a lot as have so many people. I, myself am turning out to be one of the fortunate. I chose to have a double mastectomy with reconstruction over the suggestion of the surgeon to have a lumpectomy and radiation. My surgery was Dec. 3rd and I am doing well in the recovery process. My surgeon decided I made a better decision than he because my nonaffected breast was completely filled with LCIS. My oncologist feels I have already done the best possible to reduce my recurrance risks and that no further treatment is neccesary because the risks would outweigh the benefits. I am so relieved on one hand, but terrified still in some ways on the other, because if I still have 10% of my breast tissue left (this is what my surgeon said) then I have just as much chance for a recurrance in that tissue and it probably won't be found until it is too late (that is how I feel). I have other issues also because I have a third nipple that was supposed to be removed by the plastic surgeon during the mastectomy surgery but "he got distracted and forgot". Now I am terribly worried that it could also get cancer in it's tissue or nipple before it will finally be removed when the implants are put in.

At least I did get all the neccesary info to my children and they are mostly okay except about the possibility of me dying. My Mom has been "near death", according to the hospice workers, for about 3 weeks. My children know she had breast cancer and no matter what I tell them they still aren't sure I won't die like Grandma. We all have to be strong and make it through.

Thanks to you all!

Hello Hopeful Mom, I pray that you have a quick recovery. I am 73, my daughter's ages range from 43 to 53. My youngest will not go and get a mammo and will not tell us why. We try to talk to her but we think she is so afraid they might find something. Their father died of brain cancer at 45--it was 31 years for him on New Years Day. Please pray that I can convince her to get the mammo. When I got my cancer, as I said, my second husband had already had the stroke, so he was in no condition to give me any support. I had a lot of family and good friends and I was able to go back to work the following year. I have always been a positive person and I know that taking care of two husbands has helped me to be the strong lady I am today. God bless you and your family always.

The one thing you must remember is that no one has ever had breast cancer before you. I know, a weird statement. But think about it. That is YOUR cancer...it's personal...and the solutions are yours and the treatment is yours and how your body reacts is yours. When a male doctor says "don't worry, tamoxifen is nothing". Sorry, don't believe him. Wait and see how you personally react to it. Every single one of us who has survived breast cancer or is presently dealing with it have had our very own personal reactions to everything. I guess the reason I am saying this to you is that we all react different and can only give you our experiences. You can digest all of it but it is still up to you to make your own decisions of what is best first of all for YOU and secondly for your FAMILY!! The only way you can remove the fear from your children is proof. Every day...they will see you and how strong you are and slowly begin to believe that you will be here a long time. My sister died two weeks before I was diagnosed and it took a very long time for my adult children to believe that I was actually going to be ok. One Day At A Time, Lady!! With all the tests they are doing, such as the BRACAnalysis, PET, MRI...that will be called making an intelligent decision on your part. Hang in there! Soon it will be 5 years and you will never forget what you have gone through but you will be able to say "I made the decisions that were good for me!!" God Bless!!!

My Dear Hopeful Mom,

My thoughts and prayers are with you - my mom died of breast cancer several years ago and I thought I would never be able to live without her. It takes a lot of time and prayers and the help of family and friends to get you through it - but children are very resillient and bunches back quicker that adults do. My advise is to only tell them what they need to know right now - they won't be able to take it all in at one time so over the course of several months - years you may give them more as they are older and can understand fully.

I find that having a relationship with God gives one comfort - He promises to never leave us or forsake us - try trusting in His word. I will pray for you and your family as well. Stay stong.

One who cares

My sis-in-Law jut went through a double with flying colors & is in process of reconstruction & hear no complaints from her,( 48 yrs. ) hope the same for you, Good Luck + I myself(at time- 61) am into my 4th yr. now for single mastectomy, still have fingers crossed, Have faith!