DCIS ABNORMAL CELLS PRE-CANCER

Marypoppins007007 · 2025-03-09T15:20:37+00:00

Hello all, I have been told I have DCIS abnormal cells and must have surgery to remove 4cms (this includes margin). This is because it could turn into invasive cancer at a later date. Has anyone had this surgery? I really do not know what to expect. My mind switched off when they told me. Is surgery extremely painful? When can I return to work? Will my breast look deformed with having 4cm removed (I am a 38DD). Apparently I'm having a 2cm cut ✂️ to remove the area. Any advice or information is appreciated.

WellyBootsandPuddleSuits · 09/03/2025 15:47

I was diagnosed with DCIS but mine was scattered throughout the breast tissue so I had to have a single mastectomy. It may not be the same but I didn’t find the surgery too bad (I think I built it up in my head to be worse than it was…) but I made sure I followed the recovery advice to a T. I was sent home with codeine for the pain and had more prescribed by my gp when they ran out. Make sure you take it easy for a while after the op, lots of rest and nothing strenuous. I would plan for at least a couple of weeks off, and then see how you feel. I had a similar-sounding but completely different surgery before and was overly confident I’d be back the next week - I think it took about 3 or 4 weeks to get back to my desk-based job after that one. My mastectomy had a recommended 6 week recovery period (I wasn’t working at the time but did have a young child to complicate matters!)

I found the breast care nurses to be amazing - if you have ANY questions, I would recommend you give them a call or try and sit down with one of them. They really helped explain everything to me and my partner, what to expect before, during and after the surgery, and they can signpost you to various services that can offer continuing support. Their job is to help you through this and the ones I’ve come across are worth their weight in gold. Oh, and check out the Breast Cancer Now website - they have loads of information on there which I found useful.

I hope it all goes well for you, it’s fantastic (doesn’t seem like an appropriate word in this situation!) that it was found so early. Wishing you an easy surgery and a smooth recovery

Original poster

Marypoppins007007 · 09/03/2025 15:54

WellyBootsandPuddleSuits · 09/03/2025 15:47

I was diagnosed with DCIS but mine was scattered throughout the breast tissue so I had to have a single mastectomy. It may not be the same but I didn’t find the surgery too bad (I think I built it up in my head to be worse than it was…) but I made sure I followed the recovery advice to a T. I was sent home with codeine for the pain and had more prescribed by my gp when they ran out. Make sure you take it easy for a while after the op, lots of rest and nothing strenuous. I would plan for at least a couple of weeks off, and then see how you feel. I had a similar-sounding but completely different surgery before and was overly confident I’d be back the next week - I think it took about 3 or 4 weeks to get back to my desk-based job after that one. My mastectomy had a recommended 6 week recovery period (I wasn’t working at the time but did have a young child to complicate matters!)

I found the breast care nurses to be amazing - if you have ANY questions, I would recommend you give them a call or try and sit down with one of them. They really helped explain everything to me and my partner, what to expect before, during and after the surgery, and they can signpost you to various services that can offer continuing support. Their job is to help you through this and the ones I’ve come across are worth their weight in gold. Oh, and check out the Breast Cancer Now website - they have loads of information on there which I found useful.

I hope it all goes well for you, it’s fantastic (doesn’t seem like an appropriate word in this situation!) that it was found so early. Wishing you an easy surgery and a smooth recovery

Thank you so much for your response. Perhaps I should give the nurse a call. I just don't want to come across as being a baby if you like. There are many others out there that have it worse and mine is minor compared to their going through. X

OP posts:

WellyBootsandPuddleSuits · 09/03/2025 16:06

Please don’t compare yourself to other people or minimise what you’re going through, I know it’s hard!! We joked that it wasn’t even ‘proper cancer’, I never had to have chemo or radiotherapy so it wasn’t really that bad… but looking back I don’t think that was a helpful mindset. I’m actually looking in to getting some therapy (over 6 years later) because I still don’t think I’ve processed it all properly. Again, this is something I can access through the breast care nurses.

They absolutely will not think you’re being a baby. They’d rather you called and asked questions than worry about it at home alone - it’s literally what they’re there for! For every person they see who has high-grade breast cancer, they see dozens who don’t, and I am fairly certain they don’t treat anyone any differently.