Paternal breast cancer history

Trabby - paternal history is absolutely relevant. Frankly though, even without a family history a lump deserves to be investigated (mammograms miss ~10% of breast cancers).  

In my case, all my family history is all on my dad's side - his sister (locally advanced BC at age 28), and 3 of his great aunts (breast for 3 and ovarian CA for one in addition to breast).  Interestingly his mother died in her 90s of a totally unrelated ailment. I was 34 when my mammogram came back very mildly abnormal.  The ultrasound picked up 2 small microcysts 3mm and 7mm. I self referred to a breast surgeon and insisted on a biopsy which everyone assured me would be benign (the radiologist actually told me it would "make my anxiety better" while they were doing it!) and, oops, lo and behold I did have early stage BC.  In both spots.  A subsequent MRI revealed an additional 9x8x5 cm area of more multifocal DCIS!  

I am BRCA 1 and 2 negative FYI - my personal opinion is that there are other breast cancer genes out there that just have not been identified.  My GAIL model score for developing breast cancer in 2010 was 0.04%.  Long and the short of it - after reviewing my family history my onc also thought that I probably had some sort of hereditary BC issue.

If your doctor won't work with you, find another one who will - preferably at an NCI affiliated center. It is your body and your life, and no one else can or will advocate for you in the same way as you can. 

Now, I don't want to freak you out overly much with my story, but I remembered feeling much the way you are describing - when I came home from my diagnostic mammogram I was crying - I knew something was wrong and I couldn't believe they were going to try to make me wait 6 months to see. I'm glad I didn't wait.  You shouldn't have to either. 

(((hugs))) 

Consider asking for a referral to a breast specialist - even a normal/negative mammogram is not an "all clear" especially when you have dense breast tissue. You are not being unreasonable, you just want to know what it is...

Good luck! 

I had a 3mm cyst that they did ultrasound guided biopsy on... perhaps that is an option?

Hi. I too was told I was not at any higher risk due to paternal history.....I'm 39 years old and just found I have breast cancer.  I found a lump in March 2011 beside my aerola on my right breast, sort of a thickening, hard and not painful.  That was my only sign.  I saw my GYN and due to my paternal history--grandmother, aunt, great aunt and cousin, he offered the BRAC gene testing to me.  I was negative (thankfully!).  Referred me to a breast surgeon, mammogram, ultrasound.  The mammogram showed nothing, except extremely dense breast tissue, even though they marked the lump and you barely had to touch me to feel it.  The ultrasound showed nothing!  The surgeon only agreed to remove the lump because he knew how anxious I was about it (and it probably helped that I am a RN and used to work with him at the hospital!).  But I was determined to have it out.....just to be sure, I wasn't leaving till he agreed.  He told me it was nothing, he said 99% positive it would be benign.  I had it removed on April 8, 2011, and it looked like nothing he ever saw.  Like a yellow green bean shaped thing!  Not like typical cancer, but it was hard.  He still said 90% sure it was benign.  April 12, 2011 he gave me the news.  Cancer, but they thought it was non-invasive.  Second pathology report showed DCIS.  After looking at the mammogram himself, he magnified it greatly and saw 2 areas of concern (micro-calcifications), one on my Right and another on my Left breast.  I had a MRI on April 22, 2011 and am awaiting that official report, and had a stereotactic biopsy on second area of right breast, found out 2 hours ago, that was benign.  Didn't get to do the left due to complications on the right.  But, after everything, I want and the doctor recommends bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with expanders.  He says that my breast are so dense that the only way we can tell if it happens on the left is if I get another lump and many times it's invasive by then. 

I guess my point is, please see someone else no matter where you are and how far you have to travel if you are not getting the treatment or answers for your peace of mind. I would have never known if I wouldn't have been my own patient advocate.  I am praying that after the mastectomies (which by the way I'm scared to death of) they don't find anything invasive.  I will pray for you and the others.

I hope you can find another doctor that can order appropriate tests. I actually felt my lump, my doctor felt my lump, had mammo and ultrasound, then biopsy.  (which revealed breast cancer) and then an MRI. when I got to the breast surgeon, she said "now tell me again how you found this lump?" and I said "i felt it" she said " yeah, it didn't really show up on the mammogram" I was like WOW and you KNEW where to look!! Her point was I will have to MRI instead of mammo now, but I also have dense breast tissue. It scared me because if I had gotten my mammo in the fall as I SHOULD have, they may have missed it and i may not have thought much of the lump and let it go for a while!!

I also have NO maternal family history, but alot of cancer on the paternal side. I would definitely try to get another doctor...good luck to you!!! let us know if you have any luck with another doctor! HUGS!!

I was diagnosed with bc on June 30th after it not showing on the mammo or ultrasound. When I went for my yearly mammo they were seeing something in the left breastthat turned out to be cysts, but I had been complaining to the breast specialist and my gyn that I had been having breast pain in my right breast since Dec 2010. Because they saw something in my right breast in 2009 and the family history, I have to do a breast mri the following week after the mammo. Through the breast mri they found the cancer and precancerous cells across from the area where the cancer is. I have a family history of bc in two of my sisters who are both doing chemo, in one sister the cancer came back, my mom's sister and her daughter both had it, now to find out that my dads sisters and some of their daughters all had bc too. The worst part is the waiting and not having all the answers. My doctor pushed the surgery back to give my brca results a chance to come back. I'm scheduled for surgery Aug 1st. His recommendation so far is lumpectomy, radiation and the oral meds for five years, but he says that if the brca test come back that I have the gene his recommendation may change. Not sure if it's her2, estrogen/progesterone or TN. Still have peace just need patience...

Your doctor is seriously uninformed. Father's side is just as relevant. All of our family's breast cancer history comes from my grandfather's side. And FYI, very often ILC does not show up on either mammo or u/s. Need MRI & biopsy to know for sure. Don't let anyone brush you off especially a doctor who doesn't deserve the title of doctor