Biopsy on Right 7 months after diagnosis on left.

Hrv17

I'm really freaking out and trying to pull myself back together. I had IDC diagnosis in 10/20. 2 months after I found a lump in my right breast. I had an ultrasound and the found 4 cysts. I was to come back in 6 months. I went Monday for my recheck and they said 3 were the same but one grew from 7mm to 9mm. They said if I didn't have a previous diagnosis they wouldn't have biopsies and would have just watched and waited another 6 months. But instead they wanted to biopsy. It is not fluid filled so not a cyst but does have smooth oval shape.

I'm glad the doctors are checking but I'm so scared. I was just beginning to feel okay after lumpectomy, radiation, and hormonal therapy. Now I'm afraid the carpet is being ripped out from under me again.

Jetcat

Sending all best wishes to you, I’m in a very similar situation - biopsy on right breast is this Fri. It’s great that your lesion has a smooth oval shape—that’s very promising! I bet you get benign results and it seems like likelihood is well over 90% favorable!

I got a glimpse of my ultrasound images and mine didn’t look smooth or oval but I’m remaining hopeful. I had a left breast mastectomy just a year ago after 2 high grade DCIS occurrences since 2017.

I do think this process of BC screening, testing and waiting for results is barbaric and I’m angry that we are subjected to it. I have spent too much time chasing down test results and analyzing comments made by my providers to try to read the tea leaves. There is a better way.

Please be good to yourself as this testing process plays out (I know, easier said than done). Take care

ctmbsikia

oh my. Not everyone has a breast mri upon diagnosis- sounds like you did not? I did possibly because it was my first set of tests, nothing to compare to with a left breast proven. Even though my mammogram/us and even the mri wasn’t too concerning, I was sort of blind sided by 2 spots in my right breast. Even at a birads 2 on my right the surgeon ordered a biopsy of the right. The radiologist reading my reports that morning saw another area and I ended up having 2 different biopsies in one day. It was hell. One was a fibroadenoma and the other was lcis. At my lumpectomy I also had another excisional biopsy on the right also lcis. It has been very uneventful since, the hormone therapy I feel is helping but there’s definitely a rock in there. I trust they are just being diligent with you. Best wishes on the biopsy. It very well can be benign!

AliceBastable

jetcat, I'm curious what you mean by this

I do think this process of BC screening, testing and waiting for results is barbaric and I'm angry that we are subjected to it. I have spent too much time chasing down test results and analyzing comments made by my providers to try to read the tea leaves. There is a better way.

What's the better way? I've had other cancers and the screening/testing for breast cancer is MUCH better. My results (starting with my mammogram and diagnosis in 2018) have always been reasonably fast and straightforward - and now they're pretty much instantaneous on Mychart. If yours weren't, maybe it's a problem with the facility where you were treated. Many cancers have no symptoms and no screening and are found incidental to something else, so unfortunately, they can be pretty advanced by the time they're found. Breast cancer patients are lucky to have screenings.

Jetcat

Hi there- I’m all for screening and always remind myself of how fortunate I’ve been so far to have cancer identified at an early stage. In my 3 rounds with this disease I have felt unprepared for discussions and not ready to ask good questions because results (radiology, pathology) lag behind consultations with providers and you are right—I am not getting them automatically or electronically and have to make multiple phone calls and even then don’t get what I need. Root cause is mostly that my PCP, radiology clinic and surgeon are all in different organizations so there is no central portal and no coordination. I also truly believe that the time between testing and actually getting results is excruciatingly painful and timeframes really could/should be compressed but we are expected to go with the flow. The fear and anxiety I personally feel plu read on these boards while we wait in limbo is heartbreaking.