Carolm121 is correct. Having a double mastectomy does not totally protect you from having a recurrence. Taking the AI pills
supposedly eliminates the estrogen in your body, thereby starving your HR+ cancer. They only work for about 1/2 of patients who take them and they have side effects. There are rogue cancer cells that can escape chemo and radiation. These cells can hide in the body for years before regenerating. I was diagnosed with IDC stage IIB. I had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation. I took the AI pills for three years, right up to the time that I was diagnosed with Metastases. You need to live each day to the fullest; no one is promised tomorrow. Do the things that make you happy and bring you joy and purpose in life. Surround yourself with people who lift you up and reject those who bring you down.
I wish you well as you continue your fight.

If you have any type of hormone positive cancer you will need to shut down the hormones to prevent reoccurence. If you don’t do that even with a bmx you could have a reoccurence. Even with anti hormone drugs you can still have reoccurences

I had a BMX and am on Tamoxifen. The surgery takes care of the tumor in the breast. The anti hormonal pill is to help prevent a recurrence, which could be distant. This is for ER/PR positive BC. With just surgery my recurrence rate was 26%, but with Tamoxifen, it goes down to 13% and I added optional chemo that bring me down to 8-10%. Your oncologist should explain this to you in detail.

I’m asking the same thing

to prevent recurrence? A double mastectomy does not totally prevent a recurrence. I read somewhere that the odds are not much different than a lumpectomy.