Those with Large Lumps-What did they feel like?

What did your surgeon say?

Hi NJ

I had a 2cm lump towards the surface of the breast.  My first doctor told me we could needle biopsy then take it out anyways OR do an incisional biopsy right away and get it out.  Well to me it seemed like a no brainer, so I got the lumpectomy.  I thought it was the right choice until I found out it was cancer. I had a double mastectomy on March 23 and it all went well, but my surgeon (who I adore) was worried that the radioactive dye needed to determine the main lymph nodes would not travel well due to the first lumpectomy.  So ask your doctor if a lumpectomy would interfere with lymph node testing if you should need it.  I hope that makes sense.

Mine was unmoveable and felt like a nut (very hard).

I had a large lump, had invasive grade 3 triple negative cancer, but I was not stage 3.  At my request, I had a biopsy immediately followed by a mastectomy.  I basically said, if there is cancer there, I want a mastectomy.  So everything was done in one procedure.  I think you should make sure they can check your lymph nodes in the event that you have cancer.  Maybe they could do a biopsy before moving forward with the lumpectomy so that they can check the sentinal nodes if they need to.  I am not sure what this is called, but I know that biopsies can be done right there (when you are in surgery).  Good luck.

For me, they didn't have details of my diagnosis for a week (triple negative, etc) but they are able to do enough of a biopsy as part of my surgery to know that I had breast cancer.  I knew that I wanted a mastectomy if I had bc, and I didn't want a biopsy then another surgery.  I don't know why they couldn't do this in your case so they would know about checking the sentinel nodes.  What did your breast surgeon say about whether or not your mass is attached to the chest wall?  My surgeon told me he could tell my mass was not attached to the chest wall.  I had fibrocystic change and schlerosesing adenosis in my mass a long with lots of dcis, comedo necrosis, and then some high grade triple negative bc.  I had lumpiness way far back towards my armpit, though I had no cancer in my lymph nodes,  in front of the lumpiness pointing towards the nipple was a more cylindrical shaped mass.  My lump appeared quickly, though I was on 6 month mammos at the time.  If I was wearing a bra, the mass got pushed towards my nipple and made it stick out on the side.  Oddly enough, I didn't actually have any cancer down by my nipple.  The dcis ran all the way from the upper outer quadrant about 3/4 of the way down towards the nipple.  I tried not to feel it.  I know it is scary.  I had a 3 year old at diagnosis.  Terrifying.

NJDEVCHICK...

Most, if not all, hospitals have the ability to send the mass up to pathology for a preliminary evaluation of the mass. If your hospital doesn't have this then I would consider going somewhere they do... Maybe your doctor wants to send you to a radiologist's office for a core needle biopsy and that does take a few days and they don't do SNB there... So I would start with asking what procedure you are getting.

And your mass may be surrounded by other things, like fibroids, adenosis etc... because they take margins, so a path report might have multiple things listed if you have an excisional biopsy.

I don't know your case enough to give an opinion accurately, but it sounds like you would benefit from an excisional biopsy with the option of having a SNB while on the table and a path report comes back... Did you say if you've had an MRI yet? That is very helpful for teh surgeon because if they know about one thing, there may be other things in there that could give them the full picture... in essence, if they see two or three areas of concern, then they could biopsy all and make a decision about lumpectomy/mastectomy etc...

So, my suggestion is:

*Get an MRI

*Based on that result (if there is only one area of concern), have an excisional biopsy at a hospital where they can evaluate the tumor

*Request SNB if they find cancer

IF THE MRI shows other findings, have those areas biopsied using MRI imaging before any surgeries... that way if you have multiple issues, you have information to make an educated decision on treatment

Just my opinion

I suggest an MRI.  *IF* it turns out to be suspicious, then you will want to move forward with the biopsy.  This is  A BIG IF right now...please remember that!    However, most stage 3 ladies get neoadjuvent chemo these days (chemo before any surgery).  An MRI will help them determine whether that should be a plan or not.   Mel is right...over 80% of lumps are NOT cancer!!  

That's a hard one to describe ....I can only tell you what mine felt like.  My BS told me it wasn't attached to my chest wall b/c she could move it, she said it would not move around as much if it was attached.  When I leaned over breast hanging I could push the tumor left & right, the tissue around moved with it, but with mine at the 12 o'clock position I could almost pick it up like a golf ball underneath the skin...if that makes senses.  The pains were unusual for me and started after I found the lump, that breast just had a heaviness about it.  Hugs and prayers going your way for Wed., we're here for you.

Hi Again,

In answer to your question, yes my tumor was a lot larger once they did surgery than originally thought.  After biopsy they were saying around 3cm, which at the time I thought sounded large.  Ended up being 6.5cm after mastectomy pathology.  Definitely NOT happy about that, but it is what it is, right? I had zero symptoms, and clear yearly mammograms before.  The classic large, dense breast thing they say is like finding a polar bear in a snowstorm.

But PLEASE remember that each individual body is different and will present differently.  Try not to think too far ahead of yourself at this point.  We are all hoping that your surgery will come back benign.  Any idea of when that might take place yet?  

Take care,

Sharon

I could see my "lump" sticking out top of breast, but it wasn't my tumor as explained by the BS, he said it was more like the princess and the pea, it was tissue elevated around the tumor that I was feeling, hence the gyn thought it was a cyst....he was not feeling the tumor, it was sitting on my chest wall, I had chemo to shrink it and had time to think about my options.  The chemo shrunk my tumor to nothing, so a lumpectomy was possible.  But I agree with what has been said I think the radiologist knew exactly what he was looking at after my mammo and ultra sound.

Awww hon,

I am so with you.  I STILL am hypersensitive to every new ache and pain.  I think it's natural.  How do we know how to trust our bodies anymore? 

I am still hoping and praying that yours will all be just fine, and you can leave this group once and for all (not that we mind having you here of course)

(((Sharon)))

We all have been aboard the worry train and I just knew my cancer was going to be through out my body before I started chemo so I know how you feel.  I hope you get some clear answers today and feel better.