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Subject:
From:
"Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 8 Jan 2005 11:29:49 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
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text/plain (41 lines)
Jessica,
What a scary time for you.
If they want to do an open biopsy, you would want to ask the doctor how 
they are going to localize the mass, and where they are going to put the 
incision, and how much they are going to remove.  Usually they localize 
small masses by placing a wire in the lesion stereotactically (under 
ultrasound or x-ray), and then cut along the wire until they reach the 
end of the wire.  Some docs remove the mass, others remove the mass and 
the entire wedge of breast containing the wire, which is of course more 
destructive. For larger masses, the surgeon is often able to find it 
without a wire.  Needle biopsies are often done stereotactically, to 
make sure that the correct area is sampled.
If the needle biopsy shows the mass is cancerous, and you choose a 
lumpectomy, they will remove a minimum one inch margin all around the 
mass, check your lymph nodes in the armpit area, and give you radiation 
to that breast to ensure that no atypical cells are left.  If the lymph 
nodes are positive for cancer cells, then chemo is done instead, because 
it targets the whole body.  Dr. Jack Newman says it is possible to 
continue breastfeeding during chemo, discontinuing for a few days after 
each treatment to allow the drugs to leave the milk so as not to expose 
the rapidly growing baby.

There are lots of possibilities that are harmless, I'll be praying that 
your lump is a lipoma (benign fatty tumor) or fibroadenoma (benign solid 
tumor).  The fact that your mass is moveable and not fixed increases the 
chance that it is benign.
Please do keep us posted.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  NYC

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