February 22, 2006
I had my first oncology appt yesterday in Framingham. Phil and I met with Dr. Krikorian. If you remember, he was just listed in Boston Magazine's 2006 Best Doctors. He was very personable and did a good job of explaining things. I did think he didn't precisely answer a couple of my questions, more because he got caught up in discussing something else related to the question. But you can rest assured that I got my answers before I left.
The upshot of the appt is that my post excision treatment will depend upon what type of surgery I choose - lumpectomy or masectomy. Of course, it also depends on what they find when they get in there. It could turn out to be invasive when currently they think that it's in situ.
Since I dislike any risk at all, I'm leaning towards masectomy. With a lumpectomy, they have to have certain margins around the tumor and let's face it, I don't have a lot of breast tissue. If they determine after surgery that the margins weren't good enough, then they'd have to re-excise. That would suck. Plus lumpectomy would most likely involve radiation which in itself has risks. [Remember - I don't like risks.] A masectomy has very little followup treatment given that there would be no breast tissue to become cancerous.
Either treatment would involve Tamoxifen since I luckily am hormone receptor positive.
Oh, and the current thinking for me is no reconstructive surgery.
Then of course there is the whole lymph node question. If it is in situ then really a sentinel node biopsy is the way to go, instead of just taking lymph nodes right and left.
So those are the things I have to discuss when I meet with the surgeon on March 9th. And I have to actually book the surgery.
Wish me luck!
And on a "we like this nurse" point - As I was having my vitals taken, I had to be weighed. Phil said "Oh, she's 105." And the nurse said sotto voce, "oh I don't think so." Phil and I both liked her immediately.
[one more thing - if you're on this list and would prefer not to be, just let me know. no harm, no foul]
The upshot of the appt is that my post excision treatment will depend upon what type of surgery I choose - lumpectomy or masectomy. Of course, it also depends on what they find when they get in there. It could turn out to be invasive when currently they think that it's in situ.
Since I dislike any risk at all, I'm leaning towards masectomy. With a lumpectomy, they have to have certain margins around the tumor and let's face it, I don't have a lot of breast tissue. If they determine after surgery that the margins weren't good enough, then they'd have to re-excise. That would suck. Plus lumpectomy would most likely involve radiation which in itself has risks. [Remember - I don't like risks.] A masectomy has very little followup treatment given that there would be no breast tissue to become cancerous.
Either treatment would involve Tamoxifen since I luckily am hormone receptor positive.
Oh, and the current thinking for me is no reconstructive surgery.
Then of course there is the whole lymph node question. If it is in situ then really a sentinel node biopsy is the way to go, instead of just taking lymph nodes right and left.
So those are the things I have to discuss when I meet with the surgeon on March 9th. And I have to actually book the surgery.
Wish me luck!
And on a "we like this nurse" point - As I was having my vitals taken, I had to be weighed. Phil said "Oh, she's 105." And the nurse said sotto voce, "oh I don't think so." Phil and I both liked her immediately.
[one more thing - if you're on this list and would prefer not to be, just let me know. no harm, no foul]
posted by Jennifer at 3:38 PM
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