Likely breast cancer after ultrasound- thread 3

[SpartanRunningGirl]

Welcome. Previous threads :

Thread 1
Thread 2

The original thread was started after I had a mammogram recall and was told at the ultrasound that it was likely I had breast cancer - before biopsies were taken, and before I was ready to hear that (if you are ever ready to hear that).

Two full threads later we are still sharing support, experiences, and advice. We’ve celebrated breast cancer wins and thrown virtual hugs around those who’ve needed it. (We’ve all needed it 💗)

This is a hugely kind and caring bit of Mumsnet - where we’ve all felt that awful fear waiting for scans, tests, results, or with an early and uncertain breast cancer diagnosis.

You are not alone.

This is the awful club - full of awesome women💗

I've had one taken away and no reconstruction. Prosthesis ok no problem, but I would, with hindsight, had both off. I am 78 so am/was very lucky. It is not a walk in the park though at any age.

Thank you very much. I’ve joined a FB group this evening for women who choose not to have a reconstruction, just exploring it all at the moment.

Only just 40 here but feel the same.

@JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch I was faced with this choice. I use the word choice very loosely here! I was given a date to decide by and told to consider permanently flat, reconstruction with implant at time of mastectomy or delayed reconstruction using my own body fat etc. I spoke to a lot of people who had been through similar and decided to go for reconstruction with implant. I couldn’t face later surgery to have an autogalous op using my back skin and tummy fat, although I think that this would be the better option longer term as I will at some point need my implant replacing (or removing).

I like a cleavage and look normal clothed although I have ended up with a chicken fillet partial thingy to even me up. I’m not for having a reduction on the remaining real breast. I can get away without a fillet in a swimsuit although do look a little lopsided. My friend said to me that I would need to feel at ease with my choice when I woke from surgery and looked down.

it’s not ideal and was a Hobson’s choice for me. I loved my boobs until one of them tried to kill me. My implant boob does not look like the lovely MacMillan booklet boobs. Tbh I feel it’s a bit of a state but I don’t want any more surgery on it - I had a lumpectomy, a resection to try to get margins and then the mastectomy. During that time my dad died and we then had his funeral. I had enough going on in my life.

I had a double mastectomy last year. I had the cancer confirmed on the Thursday and had the surgery the following Tuesday so no time to reflect or research at all. The surgeon asked me if I wanted to talk about reconstruction and said it would be a much longer operation and I just instantly was clear that I would go flat. At 63 I knew that there was no relationship or part of my life that depended on my body shape. I have had some hard moments - felt very shy when I returned to work - and hate my large stomach but overall it was the best decision for me. For lots of other women it is different.

@BatshitCrazyWoman thanks for replying thats hopeful

If you are seeing Mr K at the Shard, the man is a bloody genius (he was my surgeon, he's an onco plastic surgeon).

@JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch I had a single mastectomy. I wasn't given a choice for reconstruction, just told I was having a mastectomy. I'm on a list for reconstruction now but not convinced I'll do it tbh

Thank you. A lot of variation! And interesting that you are not sure you will. In my case it was very much “and don’t worry, we’ll do a reconstruction at the same time “. Whereas actually minimising recovery time is my highest priority tbh.

I think my lack of choice tbh is because I can only have diep reconstruction, and they don't do it at my hospital. I thought I would be bothered about it, but tbh I barely notice anymore unless I wear my lighter prosthetic as it's not quite symmetrical 😂 I'm not sure I'll have another op just because it isn't needed medically, and in reality it's 3 more operations - a reduction, reconstruction then symmetry surgery.

Good luck with your op!

@PoptartPoptart Hope you have a lovely break and enjoy Xmas, and also thats good about the Paclitaxel if you don't get so many side effects 😊

I've got my final EC on 29th Dec and will be half way chemo, then on to Docetaxel which I hope is a bit better than EC.

What a year it has been for all of us, 2026 can't come soon enough!

My lumpectomy is later this week. My first GA then will find out if there is to be further surgery and or chemotherapy prior to radiotherapy. After the GP appointment mid October I cannot believe how my life has changed in two months. I still can’t believe this is happening to me.

@alseb Remember, once the op is over you're a step nearer to getting through this. Just take it a step at a time
Like you, my GP appointment was mid Oct. and since the diagnosis my life has seen drastic change, not to mention a combination of emotions I didn’t think it was possible to experience simultaneously !
I had a lumpectomy and bilateral reduction / reconstruction nearly 3 weeks ago and await pathology results next week. Then I’ll know next steps. Hopefully I won’t need chemo but if I do I’ll just get through it.
It was also my first anaesthetic and I worried an awful lot about that alone! In reality, sedation prior to the actual anaesthetic made me feel very pleasantly chilled and next thing, I was waking up after the op ! The op also went better than I thought and ( thanks to Google) I was expecting severe pain but even that’s been minimal. Like my bc nurse said, it’s surgical pain due to healing and it improves day to day. It was all controlled by paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Try not to worry and I say that, knowing it’s easier said than done because for all of us, it’s often a fear of the unknown.
Sending positive and healing vibes for your op this week.

Mine is next week. It’s awful the feelings you have isn’t it xx

I had my lumpectomy 13 days ago. It still feels tender ( the sentinal node biopsy site has actually caused me the most discomfort). I’ve felt completely wiped out since my operation. Need to nap in the day, I think I’m just overwhelmed with everything. My next appt is Jan 13th to see how much radiotherapy I’ll need and when I’ll start anti hormone meds.

I’m home! Lumpectomy ✅ my fear was the GA and I couldn’t have had more fantastic, kinder and super efficient people looking after me today. I have my follow up appointment with the definitive (🙏) plan on 7/1 and until then I’m hoping to have something like normal back! Anyone who is waiting for a lumpectomy, it wasn’t scary, the GA was fine. No tears. In fact I’m going to say I had a good day. Hopefully tonight I will have a good sleep after weeks of snatched naps. I wish you all a peaceful night. You have all brought me so much hope and reassurance. X

when you are ready could you talk me through what happened, mine is Monday xx

Evening all!

I’ve spent the week in hospital due to being severely neutropenic (0.2!) and contracted an infection. Was admitted Monday and discharged today. Wasn’t a terrible experience as I was in the private ward so was like a short holiday tbf, although I missed the girls like mad.

Anyhow, I had my mid-way MRI results back halfway through my stay, Mr Twatty Bollocks Tumour has shrunk from 9cm to 28mm!!!! I’m so chuffed. And relieved.

In other news, I had my first EC last Weds and holy hell did it knock me on my arse. By Saturday I couldn’t even function, my mother had to come round and look after the kids because I couldn’t barely move. Oncologist thinks that I was starting with the infection and coupled with the EC, it was a perfect storm. She’s reducing my dose for future treatments to prevent it happening again, but she says that it won’t make a difference to the outcome as they make provisions for this anyway plus I’ve already had a great response to the Pax. So we shall see.

Hope everyone is doing well as can be and waving to all x

Hi all. I’ve been lurking for a while on this thread… I found a lump in late November, had biopsy results yesterday. I have a ductal cell carcinoma, grade 3. My lymph nodes looked clear on the ultrasound. Tumour is oestrogen +ve and HER2 -ve. I have a date for surgery towards end of Jan. When I heard about the wait, I completely broke down. It’s about two days outside of the NHS 62 days to treat target. I have no idea how I’m going to get through the weeks to come. I’ll be having a therapeutic mammoplasty with reduction on the other side. Then radiotherapy three months later. I will have a sentinel node biopsy during the surgery. They said chemo is unlikely, which is good news. I’m just terrified about the bastard thing growing while I wait.

I got biopsy results 4 th November after finding changes to left breast beginning oct while abroad

Everything moved pretty fast once I got back home and saw the GP/ mammogram / Ultrasound/ biopsy.
Initially my surgery was booked for end December and I was quite anxious about the wait until I realised that this tumour had been growing for some time and I was reassured that not much would change in that timeframe . Luckily there was a cancellation for end Nov so I got moved forward anyway and hopefully this will be the case for you too.

The 62 days target is from date of diagnosis as far as I’m aware ( I may be wrong ), so that would mean from the date initial biopsy results are received. I had same surgery that you’re going to get and all went well. I was also told probably won’t need chemo but won’t know until I get the pathology results next week.

Thank you for such a helpful reply. I’m so glad you are doing well and fingers crossed no chemo. They told me even if there is lymph node involvement at surgical biopsy 70% still do better without chemo.

Sending strength to everyone going through this. I’ve been on mumsnet a very long time with eldest now 20. Never been a frequent poster though.

Thank you so much for saying this - "I’m just terrified about the bastard thing growing while I wait."

This is where I'm at. I have become that person who rings the doctor's secretary twice a day to chase things, because the waiting and not-knowing is hell, and knowing that it is a thing in my body which is growing at an unknown speed is hugely uncomfortable. My breasts feel quite sore which I expect is mainly ovulation plus a bit of pain from the biopsy but I feel hugely paranoid.

Consultant appt this afternoon - I'm off once again to get my tits out in the Shard! - to find our if I'm HER2 positive or not.

Met a plastic surgeon and feel strongly against reconstruction and in favour of a double mastectomy rather than being left with one boob, so I'm spending a lot of free time learning about that whole world.

Sending love

Love and response much appreciated. I hope you get good news from the biopsy. I think we have to reassure ourselves that although cancer does grow, it does so slowly. And if oncology teams felt we needed urgent care, they would be prioritising. I still worry…

i am doing some mindful colouring this afternoon. Need to calm my thoughts.

Can I join please? I found a lump at the end of last month which was confirmed as cancer on 01 December. Biopsies were done on 4th December,. I was expecting the results and treatment plan at meeting with consultant next week, but BCN phoned on Tuesday with a change of plan. Because it's lobular cancer and I have very dense breasts I need an MRI so that they can be sure they've seen everything (currently reckoned as 1x15mm lump and two suspicious patches about 5mm each). MRI wont be until 18 January and tumour is apparently Grade 2 strongly ER+ and PR+ but HER2- so they want me to start Letrozol ASAP while I'm waiting for the MRI. I'm hating the waiting and the uncertainty and just hope I start to feel more positive when I have the prescription in my grubby paws. (BCN was incandescent when I phoned today to ask what was happening and she found it hadn't been processed, though did say realistically it's slow growing so is unlikely to make much difference to treatment etc, but she knew I would feel happier!)

That’s all tough. Sending strength. It’s good you can take the drugs though, to feel a sense of control. I have gone cold turkey on HRT. So at least I’m not putting more oestrogen into my body. Have you had an MRI before? I have, for another condition. They are just very noisy and a bit cramped. I don’t like confined spaces but was fine.

Much sympathy regarding HRT cold turkey,OP. This happened to me too and I felt like a new woman over past year and a half while on patches. Then had to stop suddenly .
As if things aren’t bad enough after the diagnosis, we’re plunged back into a world of insomnia, brain fog, and a whole host of other vague but unpleasant symptoms.
Love and strength to everybody waiting for results, treatment or surgery 💕