3D Mammogram?

Laura_E

Pretty much the usual, Mel. Think I'll get some gardening done, mani/pedi. Things like that. I did call the hospital, about the biopsy. Thanks for asking, or I never would have thought of it!! The nurse told me "if they have time" they will biospy it. LOL!! Because, you know, me taking all this time off work and stuff means I have so much time in the day... The funny thing is, although I am angry, I am not a nervous wreck. Weird, huh? I have known for a year that something just wasn't "right". So, I haven't got anxiety, sick to my stomach or anything like that. At this point, let's find out what the damn thing is, and be over it!!

annika12

Can you compare a regular mammogram from the past to a 3D ?? My MO wants me to start 3D surgeon not convinced! ! The cancer I had in my breast was not picked up by mammogram but I have had so many and been told tracking changes is most important. Im confused as what to do and scheduled fir Saturday

Laura_E

I'm really not sure. My first 3D was last week. But, I do know they are both 2D and 3D,at the same time. As far as I know, they compared to to my prior films, which were all 2D.

Ddw79

Picked up for me on recent 3d but maybe menopause status makes a difference. I am long pos

muska

Annika, of course one can compare old films to 3D images. Maybe not by software that scans 3D images and points suspicous spots to the radiologist, but radiologists can still use their head and eyes and look at the old images and most recent ones and compare.

I was diagnosed by 3D about two years ago and the radiologist compared the most recent images to the ones going as far back as 2008.

rleepac

Sorry to be the naysayer here but my 2.1cm IDC with one node involved were NOT picked up on 2D mammo, 3D mammo, or ultrasound (these were done after I had already felt the lump). MRI did pick it up after I already had the excisional biopsy. Makes me wonder though if the MRI would have been interpreted differently if they didn't already have the biopsy results (since all the docs kept saying if the mammos were clear it wasn't cancer). The only reason they did the biopsy was because they had already ruled out BC (since mammos were BiRADS 2) and they thought they were looking at lymphoma.

I knew deep in my heart what it was before the first test as ever done but the docs relied very heavily on mammo.

As a healthcare provider and a patient that has been failed by mammogram...I think it is a pretty flawed test which causes a lot of false positives resulting in unecessary biopsies AND a lot of false negatives which allows cancer to progress too far before detection.

I do have dense, fibrocystic breasts but I don't have much body fat. Maybe some people 'image well' and others don't? I don't know but all I know is it failed me.

Bekah

annika12

Thank you ladies !! My insurance does cover but not free like the yearly screening. Its covered with copay and deductible! ! I Will most likely have the 3D but also dont really trust them but hey best we got

CherieBear

Hi! I am so happy to see this question posted. I am not sure how I feel about them yet. I just had mine done last week after 2 years of Birads 3 -super dense breasts and all kinds of weird so stuff going on. Ultrasounds-2D mammo's-always on the watch list. So, I found a lump-I have never felt a lump. This is up high on my left breast 6'months ago and the 3D did not pick it up. The 3D actually said everything else looked great and all this stuff is most likely cysts. I am going to a breast oncologist/surgeon next week. My doctor suggests we take a look-thank goodness. I just don't trust anything anymore-I want to get everything reviewed by a new set of eyes! It's probably nothing-am I wasting my time? Is it normal to have a lump missed?

Thanks to this board!! Such great support!!!

BrooksideVT

Yes, it is well, not normal, exactly, but certainly not unusual, that some lumps cannot be picked up by mammogram. Your surgeon may be confident that your lump is benign. Most likely, however, s/he will order a diagnostic (specific to that area) mammogram plus an ultrasound in hopes that your lump will overcome its camerashy-ness, or may offer to do a fine needle biopsy. If neither suggestion arises, please do not hesitate to ask whether additional imaging and/or a biopsy might be called for. And no, you are not wasting your time. Moreover, your surgeon will not feel his or her time is wasted either, and will take careful notes of exactly where your lump's measurement and location.

I just went through this very thing, by the way. Lumpie would not show on 3D mammo or on ultrasound. RAdiologist did not want to do a biopsy unless he could see the thing on some sort of imaging. Everyone is nearly certain that it is benign, but my surgeon offered to do a fine needle biopsy, which I'll schedule in a couple of weeks.

CherieBear

Thank you-thank you!!! You rock! I feel better already!

Looks like I go in next week to get "Lumpie" and all else checked out. It will be a huge relief to know something one way or the other.

Let me know how your biopsy goes!!!!

Cherie

CherieBear

just got back from my appointment-had a biopsy. This lump is not seen on mammo or ultra sound. Surgeon thinks it is nothing, but biopsied it anyway-probably to make me feel better. She did say that I definitely had a mass-bigger than I thought, but what it is- no one knows. Probably fibrocystic changes. I'll know more tomorrow!! Thanks everyone!

marijen

This morning I sent a request to my MO for a 3D mammogram. Have an occult primary IDC tumor - somewhere! No reply yet. Never saw this thread before thanks CherieBear for bumping.