Waiting....

sydlynne

I am 49 year old female with no history of breast cancer in my family. On my last mammogram, they found a mass in my right breast. They called me back in to do another mammogram and an ultrasound. Along with the mass, they found two lymph nodes that were "swollen" or larger in size under my arm. None of these things were palpable to the touch. I'm now waiting on an appointment for a biopsy. My question is ... isn't the fact that I have the mass AND swollen lymph nodes a good indicator that it is a malignant cancer? I was diagnosed with a Myeloproliferative Disorder four years ago so my blood-work is usually all over the place. I currently see a hematologist/oncologist twice a year for that issue.

djmammo

sydlynne

Your prior illness may itself be enough to cause enlargement of lymph nodes, especially if they are found under both arms, unless of course you have had prior imaging and they have clearly enlarged in the interval since the prior exam.

If you have the US report do they mention the thickness of the cortex of the node? This is more important than overall size in many cases.

Moderators

Hi Sydlynne-

We're sorry you find yourself playing the waiting game! We hope you get some definitive answers from your biopsy, please keep us posted.

The Mods