Lump Disappeared...what to do?

Anonymous

A friend of a friend was dx'd w/IDC a year and a half ago. She had lumpectomy, chemo and rads. Her tumor was about 1.2cm's - Triple Neg. She completed all treatment without any problems/complications. 3 months after her treatment ended, she had a routine breast MRI and no suspicious areas were noted in either breast. About a week ago, she went for her 2nd. 3 month - routine breast MRI and they noted an area of suspicion in the "good" breast and noted it was positioned along the chest wall. They scheduled an U/S guided core biopsy. (She has dense tissue.) So, yesterday she went for the scheduled U/S guided core biopsy. They could not find the area of suspicion on the U/S. They told her, based on the fact that nothing was showing up on the U/S other than dense tissue, there was nothing to biopsy and they sent her home. They have recommended another routine breast MRI in 3 months. My HUGE tumor was mistaken as DENSE breast tissue...for 5 years. Could she request that the "TISSUE" be biopsied? I think I've only ever heard of lumps/masses being biopsied. If I had known back then what I know now... I would have asked that my clump of dense breast tissue be biopsied. Had I known to ask for that... perhaps I could have spared my bc from becoming multi focal and invasive and spreading to my Sent Node and the tumor attached itself to my chest wall... which they were unable to obtain a clear margin from. Or should she trust them and simply have another MRI in 3 months? Thanks so much!

JerseyMom

There is some thing called a MRI guided biopsy...that is what she needs to get done since they can see it on MRI.

-Ren

Anonymous

Thanks... I asked her if they mentioned what you suggested (I had an U/S guided biopsy...I forget about an MRI biopsy). She said they have the breast MRI machine but they don't have the "table?" for it that would enable them to do MRI guided biopsies (I looked on line and couldn't believe that many facilities do not have that capability). She is going to try to find one in her area (her town is somewhat remote). I think it's crazy/awful that they didn't urge her or even suggest that she go to a facility that DOES have the capabilities.

PineHouse

I wouldn't be comfortable waiting for 3 months either, but I don't know what to suggest.

I don't know if she could ask for a CT scan or a PET/CT scan.  PET/CT scan can USUALLY determine malignancy without biopsy.

There is also such a thing as CT-guided core biopsy.  I had that done, although I had it done on a metastasis tumor (in the lung), not a tumor in the breast.

I'm crossing fingers that whatever it was, it's benign.

Anonymous

Thanks for your help!

Update...unfortunately, she has decided to take their advice, wait 3 months and then have another MRI... total denial (IMO)... I did tell her about the other diagnostic tests that could be done... but she's "a big girl" and as much as I disagree with her decision, I still respect her decision... time will tell...