Birads 4, only seen on MRI, super anxious

Anxietymama

hello,

I am waiting for results and I'm losing my mind with worry. I had a mammogram 6 months ago and an MRI 6 months before that. All normal. I had my lates MRI on 1/20 and it found:

* Oval enhancing mass in the retroareolar region at middle depth, 3 cm from the nipple measuring 8 x 4 x 7 mm with fast persistent kinetics. BIRADS 4. SUSPICIOUS

* No suspicious lymph nodes are present.

it wasn't seen on Untrasound afterwards and I ended up getting an MRI guided biopsy on Friday, and nearly a week later I'm still waiting for the results.

I'm 37 and have 2 kids. I was also 9 weeks pregnant two weeks before the MRI but lost the pregnancy, and I'm wondering if the hormone changes could have impacted the MRI in some way.

Anyway, hoping I get the results soon

ParakeetsRule

Waiting is so stressful. I hope you get your results soon!

Jo-Jo2018

Anxietymama, absolutely, waiting in awful. Hoping for fast results and a good outcome!

Salamandra

Hopefully your doctor has discussed with you how sensitive MRIs are. They are known to lead to a much higher rate of biopsies on ultimately benign findings than mammograms - which themselves have quite a high rate of benign findings. That is why MRIs are generally NOT used as a screening tool except for particular high risk situations.

The emotional roller coaster that comes along with this is the cost paid for the benefits of extra sensitivity - the possibility of finding truly malignant masses earlier and/or more reliably.

I know it's hard (I went through it), but really a birads 4 on an MRI screening is very likely benign.

Do you have a breast cancer history or a genetic risk factor? If not, then (after your hopefully benign biopsy) you may want to discuss with your doctor whether this extra level of screening is worth the emotional impact on you.

Moderators

Anxietymama, we know the waiting is truly one of the hardest parts! Please let us know the results when you have them. We hope that this turns out to be nothing, and you can get past this.

Best of luck,

The Mods

Anxietymama

hi, thanks for your reply! I am considered high risk because my sister had breast cancer at age 36 and my grandmother had it twice in her 30’s. So the doctor said I should have mri and mammogram alternating every 6 months. This is my third mri. I started having them in 2019, and this is a new mass.

It’s now been a week since I had my biopsy and the thought of going another weekend not knowing is overwhelming!

Moderators

((((((Anxietymama)))))). We're all here for you.