ADH-Excisional Biopsy Required-Scared!

TheresaNJ08

Had my stereotactic biopsy on Feb. 28th and got the good news today that no cancer was found in the samples.😄😃 But......says the surgeon, we did find atypical ductal hyperplasia. Ok, now what? Surgical biopsy. Ugh. She said there is a small chance that cancer cells were missed by the biopsy so they need a larger sample to rule that out.

Can anyone share their experience with this procedure? Results, pain level, down time, breast defect after swelling went down, follow up protocol? I have a few weeks before we do it since I have quite a lot of bruising and blood in my breast from the biopsy and that has to heal first. Plus I want to schedule it during Easter break since I work for a school district. Also, I have breast implants so if anyone has had a surgical biopsy with implants I would love to hear from you.

Thanks!

JoTheGreek

No implants here, my experience with the lumpectomy was a breeze, I just rested for a couple of days and avoided lifting heavy stuff for a month, I had no pain the next day after they removed the tiny plastic tube from the excision spot, they anyway prescribe ibuprofen, antibiotics and serepeptase. The only hard part was the waiting on the results which came back benign after 9 days, my breast has since become unnoticeably bit smaller than the unaffected one and I had my first follow up ultrasound 4 months later, now hopefully back to the regular annual tests. Best of luck and bundles of benign wishes, Jo

TheresaNJ08

JoTheGreek thank you for your reply. So happy for you that you got a benign result. I am hoping for the same. I also hope my procedure and post op go as smoothly as yours! This gives me hope. 😊 Aside from the implants, I don't have much breast tissue so I am crossing fingers that they only take a small amount. I have no lump so my doc said she will remove about the size of a marble from the original biopsy area.

Thank you again! Best wishes for a healthy future!

JoTheGreek

Thank you so much for your wishes, this whole experience has been very enlightening to me and urged me to adopt a healthier lifestyle as I realized that breast issues may arise from unhealthy habits and choices.  Moreover, I feel much stronger now and possess a greater joy of life and even if I have to face a similar cancer scare at some point in the future I am now "educated" and mentally equipped to cope with it in a less chaotic and distressed state of mind.  

Ingerp

I had ALH about 10 years ago. My research at the time said there was about a 20% probability of finding something nastier in the area so I decided to have the excisional biopsy. I took a few days off of work but really didn’t need that much time. I think I had more pain from the initial biopsy. There were a few follow-up appointments to check on healing but the whole process was pretty easy-peasy.

TheresaNJ08

Ingerp, thank you for sharing your experience. I have also been reading that the chance of them finding something more during surgical biopsy is fairly low. So I feel hopeful. Just kinda nervous about the wire placement.

If you don't mind me asking, I see your history and wondered if the ALH had anything to do with subsequent diagnosis?

Thank you for responding.😊

JoTheGreek

I would also like to have Ingerp's further piece of mind re hyperplasia and subsequent cancer risk factor increase as it is something that my bed side mannered doctor very religiously avoids to discuss with me... I forgot to mention that I also had couple of follow up visits post surgery to remove stitch etc. The wire placement is no biggie at all, I had mine placed via ultrasound, it didn't hurt more than a regular vaccine shot, all it needs is not to be accidentally pulled out of its place till you go in for surgery.

Ingerp

Jo--I just posted on your thread.

Theresa--yikes. Complicated question. (And first of all--wire placement is no biggie, although I don't remember having one for the excisional biopsy. Did have them for subsequent surgeries, though.) As I told Jo, I really don't remember anyone telling me the ALH increased my risk of breast cancer. I did regular mammos for several years but got a bit lax about it. I was 18 months late when I got the one that led to the DCIS dx in 2016, although that was in the other breast. I told Jo I don't think getting the mammo on time would have changed the dx, but I do think the area would have been smaller. The IDC dx last year was in the same breast as the ALH but had different tumor features from the DCIS so was considered a new primary.

And if this makes you both feel better, when I got the DCIS dx in 2016, I'd honestly forgotten about the ALH--it was such a tiny blip. My big advice is KEEP UP WITH YOUR REGULAR MAMMOS. Odds are still in your favor for nothing else popping up but it's important to stay on top of it.

TheresaNJ08

JoTheGreek, my surgeon mentioned that ADH has similar cellular characteristics of DCIS but the pathologist looks for sublte differences. That's maybe why they consider it a high risk lesion. I think I read that having ADH carries a 4x more than the average risk of BC. I'll be glad to have it removed!

Ingerp, thank you for sharing your history. Glad you got those mammos back on track. I let over 2 years go between my last one and this recent one that showed changes to the calcs. I always just assumed all my calcs were a result of the previous (2) breast implant sugeries. Lesson learned! I will be diligent from now on.

Thank you ladies for the encouragement, especially about the wire placement! That has me freaked out.

❤

MelissaDallas

TheresaNJ08, JoTheGreek does not have ATYPICAL hyperplasia, she has usual hyperplasia, which is at most a minimal risk, and if the cells do not appear abnormal, not a risk.

TheresaNJ08

MelissaDallas, Oh my goodness, I miss understood the difference. I'm new to this diagnosis and thought it was the same type of lesion.

JoTheGreek, I hope I haven't upset you, I'm sorry sorry for the confusion. I am thankful for your reply about the surgical procedure and encouragement.

JoTheGreek

lol No hun! I'm doing my research online for months now, I'm aware of the elevated risk atypia or not, and the silver lining of my summer hell of a month is exactly this, that I'm now very vigilant and alert.  I made drastic changes in my lifestyle (my bad habits and choices of the past most probably contributed to the formation of my breast mass as I used to be a heavy drinker and smoker, plus I gained excessive weight post menopause...) and now I feel so much better and wiser than I was before my surgery.  There's no way to prevent a future occurrence, benign or malignant, but at least now I do not add risk factors for bc.  Already lost 45 lb in less than a year (still 15 more to go if I am to return to my pre menopausal weight though...), quit alcohol altogether, quit smoking but still vaping and I'm more active physically.  And please take it from me, lumpectomy via hook localization is a pretty easy and painless routine procedure, don't be anxious about it, in a few weeks you'll just have it put behind you! 

TheresaNJ08

JoTheGreek, fantastic work!!😄😄 That must have been tough, making all those big changes. But I can understand how you became more aware of your health through your diagnosis. You are an inspiration to me. I have a very sedentary life and tend toward a less than healthy diet. I should definitely make some changes to eat better and move more! Keep on loving youself and I wish you continued good health! 😘

TheresaNJ08

Update---------

Had the excisional biopsy today for the ADH. Needed the guide wire. It wasn't bad at all. Wire placement was tolerable. Most discomfort was from the compression in the mammo machine due to my implant needing to be displaced. Overall feeling pretty good now. Had general anesthesia which went great, no nausea, just feeling tired still after being home a few hours. Hoping for a benign result in 3-5 days. Doc says my risk of being upstaged is only about 20%. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and for the encouragement. This site is a wealth of information and supportive people. Very greatful to have found it.❤

Theresa