Nipple discharge

Kbacka1

Hello! I am happy to have found this forum, although I am sad I had to search for it

I am 36 years old, otherwise healthy. I had a breast reduction four years ago and I have very dense breasts. No history if cysts or anything. But very dense.

Two weeks ago I had a spontaneous discharge from my right nipple. At first I thought it was clear but on closer exam it's serous.. No blood. Not milk. I am now paranoid and hyper aware of any sensations in my breasts. Likley stress.

I've been to my family doc who was unable to exam properly due to my density. I went today for a mammogram and an ultrasound. Both were negative for anything. So I felt quite relieved, but then the doctor told me he was still concerned because it was a spontaneous, serous discharge from Only one breast and feels I need an MRI for a closer look.

I thought I was in the clear and now I am panicking while I wait for a call for an MRI which could take two months.

Any reassurances? Or advice??

MelissaDallas

Sorry you find yourself here and that you are worried. It is good your doc is being prudent, but there are lots of reasons for breast discharge that aren’t cancer, including benign papillomas that may be too small to see on mammogram/ultrasound. Hopefully the MRI clears it up.

One note, breast density refers to the breast appearance on imaging based on the distribution of and percentages of glandular vs fatty tissue. Breast density is not something you can feel and should have no bearing on your doctor being able to do a proper manual breast exam on you.

Kbacka1

Thank you so much for your reply.

I think there were four stages of density on mammorgram. And I was the most dense option. They basically looked like white breasts on the screen.

I think the issue with my manual breast exam was that I am so lumpy and bumpy and ridgy (always have been), that she felt she couldn't properly examine me bacause they feel so lumpy anywyas she was finding it hard to differentiate normal glandular tissue vs what might be suspicious. I have a terrible time doing a breast exam. I have tried to just memorize my Lumps ans bumps but there are so many it's very difficult. I've been told I am very 'Fibrous'. Thank you for clearing that up about using the wrong term to describe how it feels

And thank you for mentioning that nipple discharge could d be from something benign. My mind goes straight to worse case scenerio.

Can a serous discharge be from a papilloma? I know nothing about papillomas.

Ultimately I am really hopeful to get my mri sooner than later. I'm a worrier.

Thank you again,

Kara

MelissaDallas

Yeah, trying to do self exams on what feels like a bag of marbles and rocks is difficult.

I would think papilloma could cause serous discharge. They often cause bloody discharge. They are just little “warty” type growths. Thyroid and hormonal issues can cause nipple discharge, as can many common drugs, including things like Zantac.

LivinLife

Just want to welcome you Kara! I agree with you about you preferring not to have needed such a forum though thankful it is here.... Hopefully you don't have to wait too long for the MRI though possible I suppose... Please let us know once you get a date or certainly once you receive results.... Meanwhile post any other questions or concerns you have....

Kbacka1

Thank you!

I guess I am. Curious to know if it's often than an MRI finds cancer that a mammo and ultrasound cannot find? Do you know?

MelissaDallas

MRIs can find things that other imaging does not, but they are also very sensitive, but also not specific, so they tend to lead to lots of benign biopsies. The radiologist who has posted here in the past said that a mammogram plus ultrasound together pick up about 95% of cancers, so at this point I think your doctors are working on ruling out cancer, not ruling it in

Kbacka1

Thank you! It's awful where the mind ( and google) takes you when you're worried.

I hope you're doing well and appreciate your reaching out

MelissaDallas

I’m good! Try not to catastrophize and only think of worst case. Usually it is not, and even if it should turn out to be cancer, you’ll cope and get by

Kbacka1

❤️

LivinLife

I had a 3 cm area of DCIS diagnosed by biopsy. MRI show about a 5 cm area. The area of DCIS ended up much smaller on final path after surgery. The remainder of the 3+ cm the MRI showed turned out to be benign and precancerous issues. The MRI recommended another biopsy b/c of what it saw (pre-surgery) though I already knew I was having a BMX so another biopsy wasn't necessary. I hope you end up with benign results ideally otherwise a pre- kind of issue.....

Kbacka1

Thank you for your response, I hope you are doing well!

Out of curiosity, was your tumor missed on mammo and not found until. Mri?

Kbacka1

Just got a call from mri.

They will be booking me asap based on the first day of my next cycle which is due next week. So I'm to call them when it starts and she will do the mri within the week

LivinLife

No my tumor was not missed on mammo - it just showed about 1/2 the size on diagnostic mammo vs. MRI which is not that unusual. So glad you will be able to get the MRi soon! Please let us know how that goes/results when you get them!

Kbacka1

I will, and thank you 🙏

Kbacka1

Mri booked for Friday this week. Getting nervous. Did you ladies find anything out during your scan? Or only at your family doct after the fact?

MelissaDallas

I have never gotten results at the time of an MRI. Only at follow up with ordering doc

AliceBastable

I get results on my online portal, sometimes the same day as whatever scan I've had, sometimes the next morning.

Kbacka1

I've never heard of an online portal. I'm in Canada. Are you?

LivinLife

I'm not sure I would've ever gotten results - they were not downloaded into the portal until weeks later. My 1st opinion (general) surgeon was the one who ordered the MRI and I never saw him after the 1st appointment b/c I stayed with my 2nd opinion breast surgeon. I actually asked one of my specialists about a week later if results were in - he is in no way related to breast care, oncology, etc. He was kind enough to pull those up go over the little he understood and give me a copy. I also requested a copy through medical records who sends these through secure email vs. downloading into the portal.... Not the first time this has happened. My actual breast surgeon is in another state and system so had I not forwarded this report to her she would have never seen it unless she put in that request.....

Kbacka1

Sounds like you were proactive in getting your results and looks like you've been through a lot but caught things early. I decided to be proactive aswell. My mri is Friday. I have made an apt with my family physician for the following Tuesday to get my results and referrals if needed. I have no access to any type of online portal

LivinLife

Great self-care Kbacka! I've learned the hard way many a times unfortunately.... Never understood why people got and kept so many copies of their medical documents. I certainly understand why now...

AliceBastable

I have three different online portals - one used by my PCP, one by a nephrologist I see once a year, and one used by my breast surgeon, my oncologist, my urological surgeon, and my cardio-thoracic guy. All my scans and most of my blood work is available on the last one. They used to wait until the doctor cleared the information to release it, but now it's posted as soon as the results are available. There's a warning on the first page to not look if you don't want the results yet. Common sense, but some people complain anyway.

Kbacka 1, I'm in the U.S.

Kbacka1

Breast MRI complete. It took about 45 minutes. They did the first 20 min without dye and then gave me dye for the rest of the scan.

The techs were stone faced after, like I am sure they are trained to be and gave me no sense of whether the scan was good or bad.

Now I wait

LivinLife

I'm glad it went well... Yes on the stone faced and likely trained... I usu. check out expressions too though you just never know... I've even had, for other reasons, tech's with me the best thinking it's just pleasantries to then realize results had issues and wonder about their words - you really just never know tho... I'm smiling as I type this b/c it's just human nature we really want to know now and so try to read into or try not to.... Hopefully you will have some news soon.... depending on the "where" these typically come back quicker than biopsies... depends though.... Please let us know....

Kbacka1

Lol I couldn't see their expressions because of all the masks because of covid!! I analyze everything though, its awful. I didn't find one of them very chatty after, almost like she wasn't looking at me. Which made me nervous. But at the same time she was covid - cleaning the room immediately for the next pt to be scanned. So I may have just looked too much into it.

I have an apt Tuesday for my results. Will keep you posted

LivinLife

You made me laugh with the masks!!! I hadn't even considered that from what you initially wrote... and likely yes, to the COVID cleaning focus after your MRI. Great on appointment so you at least know when you'll hear.

Kbacka1

The mind is a Terrible Thing. So is Dr Google. And Fear of the unknown is terrible.

There are only so many ways to research how often breast discharge in one breast is diagnosed as cancer if there are no other symptoms. (and I think I've googled them all)

Scan-xiety is a real Thing. I am so sorry all you laldies are going through these stressful times.

I am Anxiety awaiting results Tuesday morning. And going crazy while I wait

Thank you all for your support while I wait.

LivinLife

Yes, the anxiety is real Kbacka. check out some mindfulness and/or guided imagery on YouTube if you have to research things on the net. YouTube also has some great - funny- cat and dog videos... consider exercise to help wear off some of that physical and mental worry... even a brisk walk if it's not too cold where you are - otherwise there's a lot of different kinds of exercise you can do in your home - YouTube is good for that too. there's an exercise forum or thread on this site, as well as threads on dogs and cats, humor and games, etc. Better use of your time and energy and definitely more helpful....

Kbacka1

I've just called my fmaily doctor. I'm going crazy. She was very very kind and understanding on the phone. She does not have any results for me. She said they typically don't get breast mri results for at least a week. She has cancelled my apt and said she will just call me as soon as they come in. She is hopeful she will have them by Friday. She wanted to reassure me that I had a mammogram and an ultrasound as well as tonosynthasis. (which is an extra step they can take with mammogram that they don't typically do). So basically it's been ruled negative by three seperate modalities so far. She said a few years ago they would have stopped there and not even done an MRI. She said the mri is an extra step to make sure nothing miniscule was missed. But so far three tests have ruled out malignancy so that is a positive sign. She said, if the mri finds something, obviously we will deal with it, but if it comes back negative, she is still going to be sending me to a breast surgeon named Dr Chu to see if there is anything else she would like done.

LivinLife

Ohhhh none of that helps with your "waiting anxiety." At the same time try to ground in all that good news with negatives on the previous scans for sure.... Hopefully you get the results Friday - you'd have such difficulty waiting through another weekend - though you could if you need to. I hope you don't have to....