Fat Necrosis vs Breast Cancer

itsthelittlethings

I'm awaiting my Mammaprint test that tells me whether my chance of recurrence is high, medium or low based on 70 genes. I've been followed for a lump for two years that they thought was fat necrosis. It turned out to be infiltrating ductal cancer stage 1. The radiologist dx'd it wrong for two plus years and finally I asked for a fine needle aspiration which was positive for cancer. I knew it was cancer, so I wasn't surprised. My breast surgeon wanted to do a biopsy, but deferred to five radiologists who all agreed it was fat necrosis (five months ago). A woman always knows. A breast surgeon always defers to his radiologist friends. Why can't they go with their gut? I'm 22 years post lumpectomy with rads, 5 years of tamoxifen and bilateral oophorectomy. My new tumor is in a different part of my irradiated breast -- considered a new primary. I opted for bilateral mastectomy. From diagnosis to surgery and recovery it was 10 days (with all labs and tests complete). Just waiting on this final report (Mammaprint). I'm stage 1, ER/PR positive, negative nodes, negative vascular invasion, Her2neu negative. Both times with cancer, I felt the lump and mammogram and sonogram were all wrong. The only test I trust is an MRI mammogram with gadolinium contrast. I'm fortunate that I live in Ecuador and have access to state of the art tests that cost little to nothing. I had my bilateral mastectomy in a private hospital in a private suite. Total cost for everything -- down to the cotton ball was $4,000 (US dollars). At least this time I wasn't stuck with 140K bill like 22 years ago. It's not fun the second time around, but grateful that I didn't wait longer than five months. Don't believe any report that says fat necrosis; demand a fine needle aspiration biopsy ASAP. Your life may depend on it.