Biopsy vs MRI vs removal and path

Anonymous

Biopsy vs MRI vs removal and path

exercise_guru

Hi everyone I have a small spot on my breast reconstruction that is on the surface. It looks like a 1/2 lentil pimple but is not red or inflamed. I am going to have it ultrasound this week but if they think it is likely benign then I have have a tough choice. My plastic surgeon will remove it and send it to Pathology while he does some fat grafting.

IF needed I would rather have an MRI if they think it is benign over a biopsy since there is any question before removal because I don't want them to puncture my reconstruction implant and the skin is very thin. Could anyone tell me what an MRI would show and if I should push for that over a biopsy.

If it is thought to be benign then my PS would just remove it and send it pathology but do it in his office and it would look much prettier than letting them biopsy it and then let it heal and then remove it if it is benign.

C4ndy

I havent a breast cancer. But I have had several spots removed like you described. The first was biopsied and turned out to be Basal skin cancer, which doesn't spread quickly. They said the second spot was probably the same, but they froze it off, no biopsy. If they are pretty sure it's nothing, you could ask them about that option. It is less evasive and supposedly very effective.

The issue with that of course is that there is no biopsy however

cive

Without pathology, no one can tell you for sure if it is or is not cancer.  If your doctor can remove it and send it to pathology it would become an excisional biopsy.  Imaging shows whether or not there is something there and some radiologists would be able to make a pretty good guess about it.  But the only way to tell for sure is a biopsy. 

exercise_guru

I didn't think of having it frozen off that is interesting. I think either way it is going to go to pathology my concern is whether I have a biopsy and then removal or just have it removed and send to pathology. I am sure the big concern is the margins if it does turn out to not be benign. I would prefer an MRI to a biopsy before removal because it is going to be much easier to remove a small area if it isn't already damaged by a biopsy, but I wasn't sure what an MRI would tell me and if it would even be worth considering.

lrwells50

MRIs also have a high rate of false positives.