Grade 1 breast cancer

[ohdoriswheresthesalad]

I have been diagnosed with grade 1 Non specific type breast cancer today with dcis in situ. Lymph nodes clear from ultrasound.

I am massively worried. has anyone had any experience of this?

• [Title and first post edited at OP's request - originally titled Stage 1 breast cancer]

@ohdoriswheresthesalad
If you’re booked to have a WLE it’s unlikely they would change your surgery to a mastectomy at the last minute for the reasons you listed. I would imagine they would have to discuss whether you wanted a reconstruction, and if yes, what type, and immediate or later.

I agree with @LeftBoobGoneRogue

I had input into the type of surgery I had.
Have you had a discussion with them about it?

No no discussion. It was lumpectomy booked 22nd. Home same day recovery 4 weeks as I have manual job. soft crop top was suggested my bcn when I asked about surgical bras, she said no they are needed for mastectomies not lumpectomies. A soft crop top with pads out with do fine as nice and soft and comfy round incision.
Like I say it was mentioned but in a this is what could happen worse case scenario sort of thing. But no preparation or reconstruction talk, no we will wait until mri to see what’s what (I don’t think).
surely they wouldn’t have booked it if they thought 3 days before the procedure it was going to change?
and they can’t just give me 3 days notice if that’s the case saying oh ok your going to lose your boob Monday? @LeftBoobGoneRogue@FcukBreastCancer@BatshitCrazyWoman

Realistically they could on the 18th tell me the whole thing has been cancelled and because I need a mastectomy they surgery is now a different date and all the plans I’ve had to sort work everything was a complete waste of time

Plans can change but they will proceed with the best plan on the information they have.

Sorry I missed this, was sparko

no that will all be planned and going ahead as per the plans. As pp say, a mastectomy is a different op and they’d have to plan an entirely different surgery plan from your choices.

can you use the techniques you’ve been told to try for catastrophising? Use chat gtp for that. I’ve found it’s quite good.

I found my counselling note book from two years ago. She told me to catch my feelings and stay in the now. I underlined that many times.

Try to practise reining in your panic and thoughts as the brain uses a LOT of extra energy when in panic mode. Your body will need that energy to heal after the operation. And take the meds you’ve been given to help sleep!

make sure you eat well and keep hydrated. When we are anxious we can go off our food because our body is getting ready to run from the perceived threat (in cave man times, those sabre toothed tigers) which we can’t do when full of mince pies . But there’s no tiger coming to tea here. So eat the mince pies! ❤️

And if the mammogram ultrasound and biopsy wasn’t enough information and at the mdt meeting they thought for one minute I needed a mastectomy why didnt they wait for the 18th before telling me plans etc?
why was the slot booked for 22nd, why was I told to be off work for 4 weeks from 22nd, I’ve told the nurses all the things I’ve sorted out for recovery and no one has said well let’s hold up for mri before we start making plans?
surely at the mdt meeting before I was told on the 4th, they should not have booked this slot in theatre if mri info was needed before deciding what surgery I was having?

The more likely change to your op is that staff may be ill or this blooming strike they’ve planned.

my op was delayed by a couple of weeks because the surgeon was going on holiday. He was very apologetic about it. I found out later my friend worked on the same team and had had to rearrange all get shifts to avoid me, which he would have known.

Fuck this is my fear. Fuck it. So it’s a likely possibility that all this Thursday 18th could go tits up again and I’m back to square one!!

But from what I know about the strike stuff, all the senior staff will be cancelling plans to make up for it.

i have a few friends who are senior HCPs and they’re getting a bit narked at having to change their plans to fill the striker’s spots

Yes but what I’m saying is that Thursday I’m gonna go in and they could likely say right 22nd cancelled go back to work as normal and this mastectomy is booked for 4th Jan. then everything I’ve been told to do planned etc was a waste of time and a lie!!

turn your attention to what you CAN control here.

your sleep, your eating, your relaxation

Shit shit shit. Why was this not told to me as a real likely possibility that I could lose my boob at grade one!! My auntie had a mastectomy at grade 3 and spread to lymph nodes!

But it’s a very likely possibility. I’ve just started to get my head round this situation and now it’s been turned on his head again!

cross that bridge when you come to it

focus on the now, with what you know about the plans they’ve told you now

Take a beta blocker (are they 10s or bigger? )

go for a walk

breath through your nose

Do some Xmas decoration judging on the streets

I can’t relax knowing this information

40mg

So you think that is a likely possibility that that could happen?

no

I wish I’d been given 40s! 10s don’t cut it for me! You can get slow release 80s which might be worth asking the gp about if a 40 doesn’t help.

do you want to talk to someone?

breastcare now helpline is open now 0808 800 6000

So the possibility of this all going tits up is what probability? 70-80% likely?
I don’t understand why I wasn’t consulted or prepared for this situation?

chat gpt based on all the information that I have

Lumpectomy (planned surgery)

~85-90%

Current imaging and grade 1 status strongly favor lumpectomy. Most likely scenario.

Minor adjustment to lumpectomy (slightly bigger area removed)

~5-10%

MRI could show tumor is a little larger than expected or extends slightly. Still lumpectomy, same recovery approach.

Mastectomy (full breast removal)

~1-5%

Only if MRI shows tumor is much larger, multifocal, or other rare findings. Low probability given current info.

Chemo needed after surgery

<5%

Unlikely due to grade 1, ER+ status, and clear nodes. Hormone therapy almost certain.

Lymph node involvement found during surgery

Low

Ultrasound clear; unlikely, but sentinel node biopsy will confirm.