Breast thickening

sarsar

Hi guys, Just wondered who on here had breast thickening which wasn't cyclical?

I'm in my early 30's and been booked in for an US tomorrow after having my first consultation with the Breast clinic yesterday.

The doctor confirmed that my right breast was definitely different to my left in terms of density and there was a definite thickening / mass that he would like checked out.

ripplesdf

Hi Sar. I have/had a breast thickening that was picked up by mammo 4 yrs. ago. U/S was done, but it didn't show anything. Went to breast spec. and she said it was "normal aging". Now 4 yrs. later it has been aching now and again-noncylic and it has gotten thicker and harder. I went to a different doc (a general surgeon) in April and she said we could wait or have an excisional biopsy for peace of mind if nothing else. I had the biopsy last Friday. The doctor seems to think it's b9 fibrofatty breast tissue. I will get the results on Friday and am expecting b9. If nothing else, I will have the peace of mind to know that I at least won't have to worry about that area of thickening anymore. Am I sore? YES! Was it worth the pain? ABSOLUTELY! I will let you know my results on Friday. Good luck to you on your US.
Keepin' the faith...Dawn

conniehar

Hi Sar -

I am 39 and I felt an area of thickening in my left breast last November. I was sent for a mamm and it was clear. Then I was sent for an US and it was clear also. However, the radiologist felt what I felt and suggested a biopsy. I went to a breast surgeon who sent me for an MRI first and it did pick up the suspicious area. A biopsy confirmed that I have lobular cancer. A thickening is a classic sign of lobular cancer, but it is also a sign of fibrofatty tissue as Dawn mentions.

I know this is a scary time and I am really not trying to worry you more, but I wanted to let you know what I went through. It sounds as though you are taking the right steps. Keep us informed - this website is a great source of information and everyone here is wonderful!!!

I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that your results are B9!!!

sarsar

Thanks for your replies. Are there certain areas of the breast where fibrofatty or lobular cancer appear? Is it more common to have it in both or just one??

leaf

From not-nice experience, please know that lobular cancer *can* occur any part of your breast, INCLUDING just under the nipple. (Even though some diagrams just draw the lobules against the chest wall.)

I just found out this unpleasant fact 4 months ago, though I held the line with still just having LCIS.

I'm sure fibrofatty tissue is MUCH more common than lobular breast cancer. Its a normal part of the breast, per Susan Love website. Fibroadipose Tissue: This just means that it is part fat tissue and part fibrous tissue. This is normal for the breast. http://susanlovemd.org/breastcancer/content.asp?L2=3&L3=1&SID=158 . I'm sure its much more common to have bilateral fibrofatty tissue than to have bilateral invasive lobular carcinoma. I don't know the incidence of unilateral vs bilateral lobular, but in this 1995 study, less than 10% of lobular cancers were bilateral.
"Of the 419 women with ILC, 36 (8.6%) had bilateral cancer, with a cumulative risk of 10% at 10 years. Twenty-five (69%) of these cancers were suspected before operation. From 105 contralateral prophylactic surgical procedures, seven (64%) in-situ and four (36%) invasive cancers were detected." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...l=pubmed_docsum

Lobular breast cancer is uncommon. ILC [also called invasive lobular carcinoma]
(EYE ELL SEE)
Cancer that starts in the milk glands. It grows into the normal surrounding tissues. Between 10% and 15% of all breast cancers are of this type. http://www.breastcancer.org/dictionary/ILC_t.html

LCIS and nothing worse women have an increased risk of ILC, though still they have more IDC than ILC. They may have about 5 times more ILC than the average woman, about 40% (roughly). But LCIS with nothing worse women are uncommon, so don't expect that.

ILC is known as 'the sneaky one'. I would feel a lot more peace of mind after a biopsy, but that's just me. I have LCIS so that may make a difference.

Beesie

Dense or thickened breast tissue is very common. As you get answers to your question, please remember that this is a breast cancer website, so most of the women who hang out here have either been diagnosed with breast cancer, or at minimum have at high risk condition. We're the exceptions - the 20% (or so) whose problems turned out to be serious, so we might not be the best group at reassuring you that in most cases, thickened breast tissue does not turn out to be breast cancer, but is just normal fibrocystic tissue, a condition that about 50% of women have. Hopefully you'll be in the majority, and your condition will turn out to be prefectly normal.

That said, it is good that you and your doctor are taking this seriously and checking it out. Thickened breast tissue can be a sign of breast cancer. But from experience I can tell you that it can also just be part of the joys of having fibrocystic breasts. I have fibrocystic breasts, and over the years various areas of my breast tissue would change and become more dense.

Good luck with your testing! Hopefully everything comes out normal.

susanslp

I've had noncyclic breast thicking. Last October, my gyno felt a thickening (which I'd missed) on my lower right breast that didn't show up on either mammogram or ultrasound. I was offered the option of a biopsy and decided to go ahead with it. Turned out to be benign fibrocystic tissue. I have to go back for a follow-up ultrasound in June, which of course I'm stressing about, but so far, so good. I also have a thickened area in another location in the other breast, which seems to be noncyclic. I've had it for 17 years, so it's probably benign too! So, in answer to your question, it's possible to have unilateral, noncyclical thickening that's benign. But it's good that you and your doc are taking this seriously, and not just attributing the change to normal aging.

PS I usually just come on to these boards to check out the alternative/complementary treatments section, which sometimes has very helpful info on vitamins and other supplements. But I saw your question and wanted to let you know that it's quite possible that you're just fine.

ripplesdf

IT'S B9!!!!!! My surgeon called me about an hour ago with the good news. Don't know the details til Fri. But it is B9 so yes you can have thickening that is not BC. Think I'll open a bottle of wine and celebrate:}}}
Keepin' the faith...Dawn

Beesie

Dawn, that's great news! B9 is what we always like to hear around here!

sarsar, hopefully yours will be too!

leaf

Wonderful news for you!

ripplesdf

Thanks ladies. Dh just got home about an hour ago from mowing and I told him the news. Needless to say, there were tears-he didn't let on before how worried he was and we have finished of the bottle of wine! LOL!! I told him how much you ladies have meant to me and his eyes just welled up when I told him how much I learned about BC. And most of all how many friends I have made thru this. If not for all of you here, I would have absolutely had a nervous breakdown. Thank you again so much for your advice and caring. I wish I could embrace each one of you with a hug, but this will have to do for now....((((((((((HUGS))))))))) Love ya lots. Love, hugs and prayers to all. Keepin' the faith...Dawn

sarsar

Thats fantastic news Dawn...

I have my US this morning, fingers crossed