Prophylactic Mastectomy please answer

[lily1]

My phobia of my breasts has haunted me for 5 years now. I'm constantly checking them. I suffer with cysts and modular dense tissue so constantly find 'lumps' I've been to the breast clinic four times now and had tests each time.
I'm not enjoying my life and have had CBT which didn't help.
It's got to the point where I've had suicidal thoughts as a way out of this nightmare.
I am seriously considering a mastectomy as I can't go on like this and need my life back. My breast surgeon is supportive and in his 20 years has never seen someone as anxious as me he said.

I don't know what to do :(

[Beachlady]

First let me tell you that I understand the fear. Since my treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma some 27 years ago, I’m at higher risk for breast cancer due to the treatment. To have dense/cystic breasts must be a nightmare.

Having said that, I’m not aware that a prophylactic mastectomy would be permitted, unless the woman carried the BRCA1/2 gene (at least it wouldn’t be in Canada). If the surgery was permitted, I think you should only have it for medical reasons only, not for your anxiety. I would worry that your HA would migrate to another body part, and your problems would begin anew.

[Mercime]

Maybe you need a different type of therapy if CBT didn't work for you? If go back to your GP, with a supportive letter from your surgeon. You don't need a mastectomy, but you do need proper help to deal with the awful fear you have xx

[lily1]

Thank you so much for your replies and support it means a lot to me.

I've been told by my partner that he worries my HA will just migrate to another area if I had this done and I can see why it would be a concern. And yes I have had other worries but I can deal with those, this I can't shake, and I'm convinced I will get it as I've had past mammograms using X-ray too. I'm sorry to hear that your tests have out you more at risk, do you worry like me? How do you cope with that information?

I just don't see another way out, and I don't want to take meds really.

[ServerError]

It's important to remember that being convinced you'll get it has no bearing whatsoever on whether you actually will get it.

Breast cancer is one of the more common cancers, it's true. But still, most women don't get it. Statistically, the odds are in your favour.

I doubt you'd get anyone to perform a mastectomy without signs of malignancy or evidence of raised genetic risk. You'd essentially be attempting to treat the condition you do have - anxiety - by having your breasts removed.

[lily1]

It's important to remember that being convinced you'll get it has no bearing whatsoever on whether you actually will get it.

Breast cancer is one of the more common cancers, it's true. But still, most women don't get it. Statistically, the odds are in your favour.

I doubt you'd get anyone to perform a mastectomy without signs of malignancy or evidence of raised genetic risk. You'd essentially be attempting to treat the condition you do have - anxiety - by having your breasts removed.

You do have a valid point, and your right I may not be able to get it done purely for psychological reasons, although a lot of my lumps I've had tested are because of fibrocystic changes, you cannot tell if their bad or not hence frequent trips for mammograms and tests which fuel my anxiety, also my breasts are glandular therefore dense so this raises my risk too.
I wish conventional methods could help my anxiety but they haven't so I'm lost at where to turn next. Even without anxiety I frequently feel different lumps and areas of concern, hence I'm starting to hate my breasts.