MRI Biopsy from hell - all for naught

Chicyn74

I am new here - I have been dx'd twice with LCIS (found in my right breast during a breast reduction March 2015; another instance in my left breast February 2016). Anyway, to make a long story short, I am super dense, and the only screening that works for me are MRIs. I got my six-month MRI and they wanted to biopsy two more places (they did one in February which was LCIS). These spots only show up on an MRI btw (no ultrasound correlation). Well, yesterday, I had another MRI biopsy done in the 10 o'clock position on the left breast (opposite of where the LCIS was found; about 2 o'clock). The spot was so high and close to the skin that they could not correlate it on the MRI grid and ended up doing a fine-needle biopsy instead. They claim they got something, but this morning, I get a message from my hospital chart and it states "4 films are submitted. W written shaped clip scratch that a clip shaped like a ribbon is seen in the upper quadrant and an R quardrant but appears the clip is much more medial than the area in question. It could be that it migrated through the fat and therefore cannot be used to localize."

I assume that this MRI biopsy I got yesterday was all for nothing. Just ticks me off, as it was very painful and the anti-anxiety meds were not much help at all (even though I was snoozing right before the procedure). Is this something they are just going to let go or what? I don't see how they can get at this, if it only shows up on an MRI.

wallycat

I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. Having had cancer, any biopsy that does not tell me I have it, I would never call "all for nothing."

My cancer was never picked up by mammogram or ultrasound, only the MRI, so the fact you are doing that with a "pre-cancer" that continues to recur is a good thing. I had to have an MRI needle guided biopsy because even after first MRI, the ultrasound could not find anything, which meant they could not biopsy me that day.

Unfortunately, doctors can make mistakes. If you are concerned they missed something, perhaps getting a second opinion would reassure you. You can ask a different radiologist to read the films without going through another MRI or biopsy (unless the second doctor saw fit to have it re-done).

Mariangel43

Good advice, Wallycat.

I have had an MRI in this year and it was the most troublesome procedure; I was one and half hour lying on my stomach with arms extended frontward and a high intensity pain in my neck due to pinched nerves. I asked the technician to get me out of the machine and she ignored me completely. The contrast dye made my vein get swollen and is still swollen since May, 2016. I hope your experience is more "pleasant" though for Chyncic74 wasn't that good.

Chyncic74, I don't know if I can say this on this forum but, have you considered a lumpectomy? How many biopsies should you endure before they decide to do a lumpectomy? Can you get a second opinion (MO or BS) without difficulty? I wish you the best.

Maria

Chicyn74

Thank you for your responses! I did learn later yesterday that it was benign and that the sample was accessed using the grid but a fine needle was used instead of the typical one they use for MRI biopsies. I guess I am fine with that.

Of course they want to do a biopsy of the right breast and I'm not in the mood for that. It'll be my 3rd MRI biopsy this year! The biopsies kill my shoulders big time, especially my right one, which I tore in 2010. As for this biopsy, I am not getting infon what the spot (7 cm) was like on a previous MRI. I think it might really be scar tissue from my breast reduction.

magiclight

I opted for bilateral mastectomy rather than endure more MRI biopsies that might follow if I had lumpectomy. .

Chicyn74

I am almost considering a mastectomy but I am not ready to deal with such a surgery yet. My breast reduction was only 1.5 years ago. Plus, I would miss way too much work