Should I do an MRI before the lumpectomy?

Options
2»

Comments

  • Pennythoughts
    Pennythoughts Member Posts: 81
    edited November 2010

    Beesie:  I thought that maybe b/c of our socialized health care in Canada that an MRI might not be as freely offered due to cost and lack of availability.  There are 2 MRI machines in our city of 250,000.  It takes months for people to get an MRI around here.  Maybe it would be different in this case, I'm not sure.  But if my margins aren't clear this time around, I will absolutely insist on an MRI before any other treatment.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gutsy
    gutsy Member Posts: 391
    edited November 2010

    I am also in Canada. My breast surgeon recommended a MRI because there were some calcifications seen on the mammogram and they could not find my earlier mammogram of 1 year earlier to compare to the latest mammogram to (seems like it was lost). It took a couple of weeks to get the MRI it was done at the cancer agency. It showed quite a bit more than originally thought, but from it they could not tell if it was cancer or not. So went ahead with lumpectomy, but did not have clear margins and a mastectomy is recommended. It should be the standard of care, but it may not be for a long time because of the cost associated with it and the lack of machines. I would certainly ask again to have a MRI done. Yes, the wait is long, but in the case of cancer it is different.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 2ndttimearound
    2ndttimearound Member Posts: 10
    edited November 2010

    I also agree with MRI, if I didn't have an MRI, they would have never seen the 2nd area. As it turned out, the 2nd area was negative, but no one saw it prior to the MRI. My BS stated that she recommends it in all cases due to it makes a better picture of what is trully in there.  Now, to schedule for the lumpectomy....

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • naward57
    naward57 Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2016

    may I ask which breast center you went to? I'm looking for a second opinion. My surgeon doesn't recommend an MRI

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • etnasgrl
    etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
    edited March 2016

    My surgical oncologist made sure that I had an MRI before my lumpectomy. I am 41, with IDC 1 cm, Stage 1.
    She told me that, according to her, it's not a question. It's something that must be done prior to the lumpectomy so they know just what they are dealing with.

    I had my MRI done roughly one week before my lumpectomy and it showed nothing other than my original cancer. It also showed no cancer in the lymph nodes. While my surgical oncologist said that they wouldn't know for sure until the surgery, it was a good sign that the MRI showed nothing in the lymph nodes.
    In my case, the MRI turned out to be correct. I had clean margins and zero cancer in the lymph nodes!

    Anyway, I say all of that to say, I would absolutely get an MRI prior to your lumpectomy.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • brandford37
    brandford37 Member Posts: 71
    edited April 2016

    I'm doing Lumpectomy surgery next Tuesday April 12 and my doctor didn't recommend a MRI I'm wondering now if it too late to ask my doctor about it. I did a momogram, sonogram and biopsy hey guy is this good enough to identify clear margin? I didn't even recommend to a medical oncologist yet I asked the sergeon and he said I have to wait till after the Lumpectomy then I have all the results

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gerrib
    gerrib Member Posts: 163
    edited April 2016

    Yes it is very controversial. I had had a biposy which showed 2.4 cm ILC. It was my second occurence of a primary BC.After reading posts on ILC forum I decided to insist on having MRI before surgery. My BS is against them because of too many false positives. They are not routinely done in Australia. i had to pay for mine - $350. It showed another area - BIRADS 5. I was impatient and on the basis of BIRADS 5 decided not to have another biopsy and go ahead with UMX. Guess what. Post surgery pathology showed the second area that showed on the MRI was a false positive.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • brandford37
    brandford37 Member Posts: 71
    edited April 2016

    Gerrib thank you so much but I think it too late for me now to do the MRI cause I'm doing my Lumpectomy tuesday too bad I wasn't reading this forum before now

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hsant
    hsant Member Posts: 790
    edited April 2016

    Yes to the MRI! In retrospect, I should've been given an MRI, even though I opted for a BMX. Anyway, I was initially diagnosed with DCIS, with a possible borderline microinvasion. But pathology found IDC, 1.5 Cm after my BMX.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Ausbear
    Ausbear Member Posts: 35
    edited April 2016

    I'm booked in to have an MRI tomorrow on the advice of my breast surgeon, who wants to make sure he knows the full extent of the cancer. We will be meeting again on the 15th April to discuss the results and decide on lumpectomy or mastectomy.

    For me, I am happy that he suggested it as I wanted it done as well. As gerrib said, there is a risk of false positives but I am hoping the results of the MRI will be conclusive enough to eliminate the need for a second surgery.

    I would say yes, do it.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jerseygirl927
    Jerseygirl927 Member Posts: 438
    edited April 2016

    when I had my MRI they found another to our not picked up on mammo, with that said, went with full Dx mammo, no regrets. Guess your age is a big factor, but I did not want to worry ay more.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jelson
    Jelson Member Posts: 1,535
    edited April 2016

    I went into this ass-backwards - did my research AFTER my lumpectomy and therefore then asked for and had the MRI - which did reassure me that I should go forward with radiation and not a bmx since it showed I had no concerns in my other breast, but wasn't as helpful as it could have been in the breast with the lumpectomy due to the surgical wound.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • brandford37
    brandford37 Member Posts: 71
    edited April 2016

    I told my sergeon I need to do a MRI he said it's not necessary right now after the surgery then I can have it done, he told me he knows where the cancer at the morning before the surgery they gonna injection some ink in my breast to detect the cancer I'm fustrated don't no what to do at this point my Lumpectomy is Tuesday April 12 I just koping the surgeon to do a good job clear margin

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories