swollen intramammary and axillary mph nodes

philbert

I am a 48 year old male. Noticed a lump below my left nipple. Was worried since lots of history of BC on my mothers side. I went for a Ultrasound and mammogram which showed the breast tissue was normal but 1 swollen intramammary lymph node at 3.7cm, and 2 axillary swollen nodes 4.2 cm and 2.5cm. I am off the charts alarmed. My doc has ordered a breast MRI next Monday. I'd prefer a biopsy to find out for sure but are there any other procedures/test I should be asking for?

For further background I had a testicle removed about 10 years ago and started taking testosterone shots about 5 years ago to compensate. I feel fine other than being worried sick.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Moderators

Hi Philbert-

First, we want to welcome you to our community here at BCO. We hope you find it to be a supportive and informative place!

An MRI is common, it'll give the doctor a better look at what you're dealing with. Chances are you're dealing with a benign condition of some sort, or an infection (which could explain the swollen nodes), so your doctor probably wants as much information as they can get before ordering a more invasive test, like a biopsy. Other than a biopsy, there really is no more definitive test that you'd be able to ask for. If, for some reason, the MRI is not conclusive, or your doctor can't get enough information from the images, then the probable next step would be a biopsy.

We know how difficult the waiting and uncertainty can be, but please remember, the odds are in your favor that this is nothing to worry about. We're lad you're being proactive about your health though, it's so important to stay on top of these things! Please keep us posted on how your MRI goes, we'll be thinking of you!

The Mods

philbert

Thanks for taking the time to reply and moderating this forum. It's a difficult thing to bring up with family and friends.

Beachbum1023

Hi philbert, Welcome to our club, sorry you have joined us. But you will find a lot of support and information here. I had the MRI, CT, PET, and US. The biopsy was done before the tests were done. It will seem that things are going way too fast to grasp everything, when it really is piece by piece. They all add up, and then you will for sure. Ask any questions you have, visit the threads, it should help you. Take care.