In the u/s report what am I looking for?

JenniferCanada

I just had my u/s.
The tech saw and took measurements of the lump I found before this all began. He also took measurements of what appeared to be a large dark mass in the thickening/large lump in my armpit that I found yesterday by accident.

My Dr./GP is away on vacation until the 22nd of April (a week). I asked about picking up a copy of the reports from the hospital and I'll stop in on Friday to get them myself and hopefully get a little bit of info from the reports before my Dr. calls so I don't have to wait any longer than necessary.

What exactly will I be looking for (or be concerned about) and how do I interpret the terminology on the u/s report?

Thanks.

Hating the waiting....

inks

I am not an expert on US but I just wanted to say that your Dr vacation will make you wait a long time and is making this situation way harder. And here is my take on the lump in your armpit. I did not even notice mine until they said I had 2 enlarged lymphnodes, and in the end I ended up only with micromets in one. I might be wrong but I think that in most cases the US just states if lymphnodes are enlarged and they can't get much more info about the nodes from US. The US on the lump will say something about the outline and vascularity, weather it's hollow or solid. If something points towards malignancy it will say that biopsy recommended. So if they do not recommend a biopsy then you should be fine. I got a biopsy right after US, 30min apart. Waiting is the hardest part. Hugs!

JenniferCanada

Thanks for the response inks. You're totally right about the waiting. It's crazy. I'd rather see than wait. I was just wondering if it would say more than just 'suspicious cells, biopsy recommended' or 'no suspicion'.
I didn't notice a/the lump (well it's actually huge, like it feels like my arm pit 'muscle' is like double the thickness of the other and its smooth and popping up higher...I wouldn't actually call it a lump. A lump is more like what I found in my breast) It doesn't hurt at all either. I only noticed it because my arm pit was itchy and I figured it best to take a feel.
My close friend who has stage 3 triple negative breast cancer - 2 nodes later found to be involved - didn't get a biopsy until after she heard from the u/s report with her dr./family practioner. I guess every circumstance and situation is different which makes this all that much more stressful!
I guess I assumed that if the lymph nodes were of any concern they'd hurry things up but I guess that's not how it goes in Canada.
Did you go to a breast clinic or to a normal hospital u/s area? I was at a hospital. Not an actual breast clinic. I wonder if that makes a difference.
Thanks for the reassurance. I really appreciate it.
How are you feeling? How did you find out about the breast cancer?

Sunflowercat

Waiting really is the pits! I'm sorry your doctor is on vacation to boot. Your u/s report should include a "findings" which describes the suspicious area and their location. Then the "impression" section will list any areas of concern and recommended course of follow up, if any.

My u/s report findings (at a hospital diagnostic center) showed scattered and clustered cysts in both breasts. No big deal as that's common. It also described a nodule with posterior shadowing. It then stated in the "Impression" section I had an indeterminate mass and biopsy was recommended. I had an mammo before my u/s which saw the mass and gave me a birads 4 score (20% chance it being cancer). Did you have a mammogram too? Look for the BIRADS score, which will give you a little idea of what to expect next depending on your rating: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types...

I don't know how the Canadian system works, but I'd see if you can get in with another doctor if the anxiety is too much for you. In the scheme of things waiting a few weeks won't make a difference if it is cancer, but can do a real number on your mental health. Best of luck! Hoping for benign results.

inks

I went to a breast diagnostic center so that explains how your testing was set up differently. I think that doing it all in separate stages just build anxiety and prolongs the waiting, I hope you get your hands on your report soon. The US report will not say anything about cells since they can't assess the cells on US. If it's a cyst, fibrous tissue or something benign then the report will say that. When they took the measurements in your armpit lymphnodes they might have done that just to show that they were normal. If they question anything or something looks unusual then they will still recommend a biopsy. My lymph nodes felt like a lump, so if yours is different you may have something all together different. Even the MRI did not notice anything unusual other than enlarged node. And even with my suspicious node things did not move as swiftly afterward as the diagnosis process - I waited 3 weeks to see the surgeon and it took a month to get genetic test results.

I found my lump after I stopped brestfeeding my daughter, I assumed it was a clogged milk duct. Doing great other than side effects from hormone treatment.

Italychick

my IDC diagnosis proved by lumpectomy said hypo echoic mass, irregular shaped borders, taller than wide, internal vascularity solid mass. It may also say something about spindles. THey have key words they use for ultrasounds. Just look up each word individually which will help you. For me, the taller than wide and vascularity were the big markers, with the irregular borders.

Fakeboobs123

my radiology report read very like Sunflowercat's with BIRADS 4, hypoechoic nodule 9mm indiscriminate margins..suspicious abnormality, biopsy shoukd be consudered. My radiologist was out with appendicitis but I get kept getting these letters saying "biopsy should be my top priority right now". Waiting was really tough mentally but the more I read the boards even the stage IV threads the more I felt prepared and positve because I got to see people living their lives and that life doesn't stop with Breast cancer, but Lord knows it's not an easy path, but I kept reading posts that chemo is not easy but it's doable, things like that. My results came back benign, at this point if your Breast surgeon is away it doesn't matter because you're dealing with the radiologist, radiologist office will follow up with you if biopsy is required, they make that call not the Breast surgeon. I didn't Google just stuck to commentary from women going through it here. Stay here

JenniferCanada

The results are in so I'm going to go and pick them up with my best friend.
Here's hoping they don't even feel i need a biopsy! *crossing all things*
I'll keep you all posted.
Thank you for all of the support.
Stay light in the dark.

Italychick

best of luck. Fingers crossed all benign!

Sunflowercat

hoping all is well!

Fakeboobs123

yes how did it go? Hoping everything was unremarkable and normal..

GoldenGirls

Hoping no news is good news!

JenniferCanada

Thank you ladies. Sorry for the late response.
No focal abnormalities detected (I'm glad but slightly confused) It didn't even mention a cyst or anything...and they recommended a screening mammogram which I am having on Monday. Why would that be if they didn't see anything on the u/s? Just precaution I suppose..

Fakeboobs123

sounds like a precaution, I would have thought it would be MRI if they wanted extra screening on top of ultrasound, mammogram is the cheapest form of screening and not as effective for younger or dense breasts

inks

They just want to get a baseline to compare any future mammos. Glad that it was nothing.

JenniferCanada

I've never had a mammogram before. I found the lump and was sent straight for an u/s. (which apparently didn't show anything....no cysts, lumps, bumps....nothing) I guess I had a false sense of relief because well the lump is still there and palpable...

I went yesterday for the mammo, the u/s recommended a screening mammo ( I was late and the last appointment but she squeezed me in) and quite honestly I hadn't thought much about the lump since the u/s results showed no focal abnomalities (which is kind of odd since they didn't scan my second breast so how do they know what to compare it to?) And the u/s scan made no mention of the underarm/armpit scan they did so I'm assuming that was nothing as well..

Any way when I went in yesterday she said they would take 4 images, 2 of each breast (right to have something to compare it to) and said that she would take 2 other images of the left breast (breast in question). She asked me to show her where the lump was and she felt it and put a band aid with a marker on it to help them look more closely in ultra sound later on if need be.

She followed by saying it's not uncommon to get called back in after the radiologist reads the images to get a second mammo done (soon was my understanding- like in a week) since they have no previous images to compare to and if there was nothing at all to worry about the results would be sent to my g/p by the end of the week.

The lump feels deep set, like its attached to my rib, and kind of oval, long and thin and very close to my nipple, immovable (9:00)....I can barely feel it when I'm standing but its solid and immovable when I'm laying...I felt like during the mammo it wouldn't show up because the mammo doesn't get close enough to my rib area...

Anyway if the mammo doesn't show anything and they don't request any other tests should I continue to pursue the issue? Everyone can feel it but the u/s thus far hasn't detected it chances are neither will the mammo... Should I request an MRI or a biopsy if they don't see or explain anything?

I find it all odd....after a week of feeling utter relief and reassurance now I'm starting to doubt.

Also I haven't mentioned the hardness in my armpit to anyone except the u/s tech. Should I let my g/p know about it? I just assumed that if the u/s tech and radiologist didn't see anything then it's probably nothing to mention...

Is there a certain kind of cancer that is more detectable by mammo rather then u/s?

Although I'm young (40) I have nursed 6 children and I have small (B cup) no longer dense breasts, this shouldn't be so complicated!