MMG and US showed nothing-lump is there

Carrie3153

I had a diagnostic MMG-the digital Tomography one and a US yesterday. Both were negative-they showed nothing except that I had dense breasts, no cysts-nothing. I have a lump in my left breast, it's small, but-my husband feels it, I feel it and the NP who ordered the tests felt it. I have super, duper small breasts and the lump is really far on the outside, and the MMG tech had to do the MMG twice cause she couldn't get my breasts in the machine well, and she even said "I'm trying to get to your lump, I don't know if I can get it in there".

The US tech literally took 2 minutes to look and that was it. Now, I'm not trying to make mountains out of molehills, but I've had cancer before. This time last year, I was diagnosed with Melanoma on my right hip and had two basal cell cancers removed the year before that. I'm 34.

My left breast hurts, a deep achy pain that feels like it's been a few rounds with Mike Tyson and sometimes a stingy pain all over. I've never had any pain or lumps before.

bellajenn

Carrie3153 - First, I'm sorry that you're uncomfortable with the treatment you've already received. It's never a fun feeling to deal with. Perhaps a second opinion would be in order in this situation? Or maybe others in here have had similar experiences, and can share with you what happened with them. Either way, I hope you find a solution that eases your worries soon!

MelissaDallas

Palpable lumps are very commonly just denser areas of glandular tissue. Perfectly normal breastscan have palpable lumps that are not masses.

dlb823

Carrie, Melissa is right. Every lump isn't bc. But your story made me remember how my DH and I had both felt a lump that my PCP could not. And when I went for my mammo, I was pretty sure it was outside of the imaging area. Long story short, my PCP hadn't ordered an u/s, I was told there wasn't a doctor at the mammo facility at the time to examine me, and I didn't press the issue. But a year later they did find something on mammo (that turned out to be bc) in that exact spot. They insisted I could not have felt it earlier -- that what they found may have been under whatever I was feeling, and that could be true. But I sitll wonder if it coulda/shoulda been dx'd sooner.

So my take on your situation is... if you are not satisfied with what you've been told, make an appointment to see a bona fide breast surgeon/specialist, and let him or her determine if you need an MRI, which can pick up things other imaging modalities do not. If that kind of specialist (someone who only deals with matters of the breast and can be found at large, university teaching hospitals) dx's the lump you feel as specifically something else, then I'd be satisfied.

Just my two cents worth... (((Hugs))), and good luck! Deanna

Carrie3153

Thanks ya'll. I'm a RN and not one that is prone to hysteria. But I know first hand that medical professionals make mistakes, some tragically and medical technology is not infallible. Nurses just know too much that can go wrong, ya know? I think I'm going to watch it for awhile and follow up with my gyno if the pain isn't better in a few weeks. That's the most worrysome part- the pain. Seriously, I've never felt anything thing like thisbefore. It throbs like a toothache.

JMo33

I have a small mass not felt found with a presurgical MRI for an area I was already getting removed. It's a difficult spot. Hard to pickup on mammo. It was to Be removed with my surgical biopsybut it's being so difficult they could not pinpoint the exact location. But my doctors are working on a solution.

I guess what I'm saying is if your advocates, the doctors, are not willing enough to do the extra step--especially if you have a Cancer history. Get second opinions.

What I had removed last week technically was not a mass--but an area of cells. So It can be a suspicious area. Is it possible your feeling lymph node pain? Swollen node?