dcis that show on mri but nothing else...

mom3band1g

sorry for all the questions...my mind is spinning.  My DCIS did not show up on mammogram or ultrasound.  I had an MRI this past Thursday and they were able to see it just fine.  My bs surgeon also said I had 'busy boobs'...don't know what that means.  Does it mean anything that my tumor showed up on mri but nothing else?

jillisucat

Did your surgeon say anything about your menstrual cycle possibly messing it up?  I had DCIS in my right breast that showed on the mammogram and he did an MRI on both and something showed up on my left, but he wanted to do a MRI-guided biopsy.  However, it was during my cycle that it had showed up and he said that could have been a false positive, and indeed, when I went back for the biopsy, the images which had previously shown up were no longer there. 

sweatyspice

Ultrasound picks up certain things better than others.

Mammography picks up certain things better than others.

MRI picks up some things better than others.

None of them pick up everything, none of them are perfect.

Yes, there are false positive on MRI just as there are false positives on mammography.  The part of your cycle in which you have the MRI may influence what enhances, there is a part of your cycle recommended for MRI.

I have two biopsy proven areas of DCIS. Nothing shows up on ultrasound.  One area shows up with mammography.  Both areas show up on MRI.

If you have an area of concern that shows up on MRI only, and you've had it biopsied, and it's  been confirmed to be DCIS, you have an area of DCIS that only shows up on MRI. 

Medicine is much less perfect than we've been led to believe.

As far as the "busy boobs" comment - I don't know.  Is what you found on MRI an additional area?  I ask because, why were you having an MRI if there weren't already an area they knew about and were concerned about?  Or is this a follow up exam after an earlier surgery and you're talking about a recurrence? 

hobie644

DCIS showed up on all three for me; mammo, us, and mri.  I recently got copies of the past several years of Doctor visits etc.,  One of the papers I recieved said that I have very busy boobs...I'm real curious about that statement, what exactly does that mean! ~Carol

mom3band1g

I only spoke to my surgeon on the phone.  She was calling to tell me it was only in the one area.  I did have DCIS confirmed by biopsy.  I haven't met with her yet to go over all my test results and I am driving mysefl crazy trying to piece the little bits of info I do have.  The more I read the more I realize I don't know.  I only know that my DCIS is a palpable lump in my right breast.  Nothing showed up on mammo or 4 different ultrasounds.  I feel so fortunate that I was referrred to a bs who decided to go ahead a biopsy.  She has been great about calling me with results as soon as she gets them.  Had the biopsy  a week 1/2 ago and she called me this past Tuesday with 'it is cancer'.  She had me in for an MRI two days later and called me the day after to tell us it was contained.  I had an mri with contrast ..don't know if that makes a difference.   Wed cannot get here soon enough!

Deirdre1

Hi Mom3band1 - my DCIS only showed up on an MRI..  I was having an MRI as a precaution as I have a strong and unique family history of bc..  I had been having normal mammo's since I was 35 but with the recent information about MRI's being valuable for individuals with high risk of bc my doc thought it would be a good idea.  So he referred me to a bs and the bs ordered an MRI.. The MRI showed an area of "concern" and the bs wasn't convinced.. so he ran a regular mammo, a digital mammo and an ultrasound all were completely clean/negative.. so he decided to order a biopsy but reassured me he was almost 100% certain that it would come back be9.. That biopsy confirmed high grade DCIS.  I insisted on a second opinion of the biopsy tissue at one of the leading breast cancer hospitals and they analysed it as DCIS grade 1.  All testing can give "false positives" but they also can give "false negatives".  As the techs and radiologists are becoming more exposed to breast MRI and as their skills are increasing the MRI is moving ahead as one of the best testing methods for finding EARLY STAGE breast cancer. 

Good luck on Wednesday!  Best, Deirdre

mom3band1g

Thanks for the replies.  I guess i am really just concerned that it is high grade.  It is hard not to jump to conclusions.  Nothing about this so far has been 'typical'.  Tomorrow I should have my answers.  When my Dr called me with the initial biopsy results she was very positive and said we would do surgery and radiation but then she mentioned a mast and that she wouldn't think I was crazy if I wanted one.  She also wanted me in for an MRI right away.  So I have been driving myself nuts with the 'what does this mean' stuff.  Logically I know it doesn't really 'mean' anything and I just need to wait until tomorrow.  I am not good at waiting.  This site has been such a great source of info.  Thank you all so much.

kathy

3monstmama

I was sent in for an MRI right away too.  I think that is fairly standard.  I will warn you that the MRI set off all sorts of bells and whistles---I had "spots" on my liver and my thyroid which meant still more tests [which were negative].  So if you get the MRI and then have to do more stuff, don't panic and start planning your funeral [which is what I did!]

Deirdre1

2monstmama:  did you have a breast MRI or a general MRI?  I ask because I've had several breast MRI's to-date and my liver or thyroid is never mentioned and so I am surprised that your's would be.  A breast MRI is designed specifically for the breast and surrounding area (muscle, skin etc)..  But your advice is good we all need to be careful not to overreact to any test results until they can be confirmed...  Best

sweatyspice

Yes, that's odd/different.  My breast MRI only scanned my breasts, when I had a brain MRI (unrelated) it only scanned my brain, etc.  It seems out of the ordinary that your liver and/or thyroid would be included.

kmccraw423

My first clue to DCIS was a bleeding left nipple - bs immediately sent me for a mammo and ultrasound - all normal.  Sent me for a MRI of breasts - one large area of DCIS on left, normal on right.  Had MRI-assisted biopsy on left - DCIS.  Had a bimx.  Pathology found DCIS on the so-called healthy breast.  I was 61 at tune if diagnosis - had I been a lot younger, I might of considered other options (or not).  From initial meeting with BS and bimx I think I was just in shock - placing one foot in front of the other and plodding through.

Raili

It's like sweatyspice says - none of the different types of imaging are perfect, and it's possible for something to show up on one type of imaging and not another.  This, for me, has been one of the most difficult aspects of having cancer - not ever having guarantees with anything.

My mammogram showed a 3 millimeter area of DCIS, that did not show up on ultrasound or MRI.  Then I had a lumpectomy + re-excision, and pathology discovered that the DCIS was actually almost 3 CENTIMETERS.  I now have to choose between going back for a 2nd re-excision and hoping we get clear margins/there are no more surprises, or just getting a mastectomy now.  My surgeon does not suspect that there's any more (pre)cancer in my breast, but I can't help worrying.  My area of DCIS was so much larger than what showed up on ANY type of imaging.  So how can I trust there isn't more of it lurking undetected?