...6 mos MRI...scared... MRI sensitivity/accuracy??

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shabby6485
shabby6485 Member Posts: 679
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer
...6 mos MRI...scared... MRI sensitivity/accuracy??
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  • shabby6485
    shabby6485 Member Posts: 679
    edited July 2009

    Hi to all,

    A quick history....  I am 43.  Mom had BC in her her 30's.  I have very dense breasts.  After calcs had two lumpectomies and was diagnosed with focal ALH.  Due to these factors, I am on a rotating  6 mos MRI and Mammo schedule.  

    My last MRI which was in January, found a linear spot. After a MRI-biopsy and alot of anxiety, it turned out B9.   Now my surgeon, wants me to have another MRI this month. UUGGGHHHH!

    I am already so anxiety ridden I can't sleep or eat.   I am going on a long- awaited vacation the end of this month and this MRI thing is ruining it for me. I am conflicted as to doing this MRI now or right after my vacation.  I know the correct answer is just get it over with but just the thought of waiting for those results makes me so upset.  

    I heard that MRI's are so sensitive that can pick up cancer years ahead of a mammo, anyone hear that?  I am just trying to calm myself with the thought that if my MRI was clean 6 months ago, I should be ok.  

    Thanks for letting me vent.  :) 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2009

    shabby--- I know exactly how you feel.  I do high risk surveillance of alternating MRIs and mammos as I have LCIS and family history of bc (mom had ILC). I've been at this almost 6 years. In the beginning, I had a hard time making future plans due to the "what-ifs", but I decided I can't live like that--missing out on things due to fear or worry.  Go on your vacation  and have the MRI when you get back. There is no rush with ALH; a few weeks won't make any difference. PM me if  you'd like to talk.

    anne

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  • shabby6485
    shabby6485 Member Posts: 679
    edited July 2009

    Thanks for your reply Anne.

    I guess you're an expert now on the high risk screenings...sigh!

    I have bad generalized anxiety and this really tops my list my fears.  Boy does 6 months fly by! This same thing happened with my last MRI---- I was scheduled to go on a cruise and I was so conflicted as to whether to do it before or after.  I opted for after and I regretted it because it ruined my trip.

    In the six years, have you had alot of scares?  Not sure why he wouldn't want me to a mammo now instead of the MRI since my last was in Jan.  

    Thanks for listening! 

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  • zap
    zap Member Posts: 2,017
    edited July 2009

    I have annual MRI's as my breasts ar dense and the mammos never caught a thing.  I just had my annual MRI and yippee---all clean.  My thought is that the MRI picks up ANY cancer and most cancers take years to get bigger, so you have lots of time to wait for results.  I would rather have a great vacation and no worries on a teeny, tiny cancer than to have a teeny, tiny cancer show up to wreck my vacation.  It is what it is and even if you get it a month later, it cannot be so bad that it can hurt you.  Then again, I am not a doctor...I am just a woman with BC with what you have.....generalized anxiety and a strategy for living life in spite of the anxiety and the cancer.

    Have fun on that trip!

    Susan

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  • mawhinney
    mawhinney Member Posts: 1,377
    edited July 2009

    It sounds as though if you do not do the MRI before your vacation, you will just worry about it while you are on vacation.  I would do it now and get it over with asap. Be sure and let the radiologist know how anxious and nervous you are and that you are leaving on vacation and would appreciate the results as soon as possible. My MRI center gives me a quick review before I leave and then follows up within a day with a more detailed report.

    MRIs are very good at finding small questionable areas but they also give many false positives.  I just had a false positive which turned out to be a suture from a tissue graft used in my reconstruction.  An ultrasound is used to clarify and help identify questionable areas found by MRIs. Tests are always worrisome but  I'm  thankful I live in an age when all these "machines" are available.

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