They will not biopsy because I have implants

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BlueSky5
BlueSky5 Member Posts: 46
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

I have a mass that only shows up on MRI.  They say they do not think they can biopsy it without risking rupturing my implant.  I want to know for sure if the mass is cancer or not so I said I will sign a waiver.  Technicaly, I am due for new implants any way as these are old.  They said No, they will not risk rupturing my implant.  They said surgical biopsy is not an option because they cannot find the mass without MRI. I had ultrasound biopsy today but they do not know if what they biopsied is the same mass that shows up on MRI.  If MRI indicates they did not biopsy the mass today, they said they will try to move my implant out of the way to do the MRI-guided biopsy but if they cannot move implant enough -- they will not biopsy and I have to walk around with this mass in me without a biopsy to confirm it is benign or cancer. I want a biopsy to know for sure if it is cancer or not. It is my life and my body and they flat out refuse.  It is a large, teaching hospital so I do not know if going somewhere else will help.  They get very short with me and interrupt me if I say that I want a biopsy on my mass.  It is my life on the line -- not theirs.

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  • Mooleen
    Mooleen Member Posts: 185
    edited May 2012

    My mass was the size of a pencil eraser very close to my implant. I had a surgical wire guided biopsy and it wasn't an issue.

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  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 6,201
    edited May 2012

    I would go to a different radiiologist.

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  • BlueSky5
    BlueSky5 Member Posts: 46
    edited May 2012

    I will need to switch hospitals to go to a different radiologist as my radiologist said she spoke with the other radiologists in the department and they all agreed it was too risky that the implant might rupture. I am thinking of trying a teaching hospital in a different large city. I hope I do not encounter the "we do not want to contradict your past radiologist or step on her toes so we will not biopsy either". 

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  • sherry67
    sherry67 Member Posts: 556
    edited May 2012

    Unfortunately I had to have three biopsys and I also had breast implants at the time and they still did them...

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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited May 2012

    BlueSky, I would definitely go to another facility. Do they expect you to leave a mass that might be cancer with no biopsy, no treatment, nothing?

    Your radiologist said she "spoke to the other radiologists" but you don't know the political climate there that might have pressured them to agree with her. You also don't know what she said when she spoke to them.

    I will be blunt - it sounds to me as if this doc is "punishing" you for having augmentation!

    Best of luck.

    Leah

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  • Letlet
    Letlet Member Posts: 1,053
    edited May 2012

    BlueSky, I would now recommend seeing a breast surgeon. The radiologists may be hesitant to do it but a breast surgeon may have more experience with this. I am sure that you are not only woman to  have a mass with an implant.

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  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 6,201
    edited May 2012

    I too would be insistant... you should not be expected to do nothing.... I agree that it sounds like they are punishing you for the implants.. kind of like, "well that's what you get."  And you should not have to go to your PS and pay him to take the implants out just so they can do their job?

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  • Wendyspet
    Wendyspet Member Posts: 246
    edited May 2012

    BlueSky - since you are in Chicago, I would check the Illinois thread here on the forums and maybe get a recommendation. 

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  • Wabbit
    Wabbit Member Posts: 1,592
    edited May 2012

    You say they have already tried an ultrasound biopsy and are going to try to move the implant out of the way to do an MRI guided biopsy next if they didn't get the right place. 

    Maybe I'm confused but if the placement of the mass is such that they cannot get to it without rupturing the implant it makes sense to me that you may well have to see about getting the implant removed before they can do anything else.  I would imagine that rupturing it during a biopsy attempt would result in bad things and they don't want to risk that.

    But a second opinion never hurts if you can find somebody else to take a look and see if they can do it safely.

    Good luck to you!  I'm sure you will all figure out something.

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  • oregongal
    oregongal Member Posts: 44
    edited May 2012

    I have implants and my breast surgeon who retired, would always removed the lump instead of a biopsy, he never wanted to take the risk of rupturing the implant.  Currently I have probably 6 papillomas, they have biopsied one, but neither the radiologist or the breast surgeon will  biopsy the largest one, since it is sitting literally on top of the implant.  I don't want them to biopsy the large one either, if they miss and hit the implant, I could deal with that.  I am more nervous that they would barely hit the implant, just enough to cause a slow leak or a leak down the road.  I agree with the other poster, see a breast surgeon, They may have a totally different opinion.  . 

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  • BlueSky5
    BlueSky5 Member Posts: 46
    edited May 2012

    Thank you, everyone, for your support! It really helps me to hear your thoughts.  I was so disappointed yesterday when the radiologist said they will not biopsy it if they feel there is too much risk of implant rupture -- even though I'm willing to sign a waiver. I was able to fight back tears but it was hard as I do not want to have a mass in my breast and not know for sure whether it is cancer or not.  I guess even with me signing a waiver they must feel there is too much liability if they rupture it. Hopefully, the ultrasound biopsy was successful.  It could come down to me having to chose to remove my implants if I want the biopsy. This has made me think perhaps I should do a PBMX but my very conservative breast surgeon seems anti-PBMX so I would need to switch surgeons.

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  • BlueSky5
    BlueSky5 Member Posts: 46
    edited May 2012

    Wendyspet -- how do I find the Illinois thread? I searched all forums for "Chicago" but it didn't really turn up postings about Chicago doctors etc.  Thanks

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  • bdavis
    bdavis Member Posts: 6,201
    edited May 2012

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/6/topic/504025?page=770#post_2994332

    Illinois thread

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  • doxie
    doxie Member Posts: 1,455
    edited May 2012

    BlueSky5,

    "Illinois Ladies" are in "Tests, Treatment, and SEs" in the "Help Me Get Through Treatment".  They are sleepy this am.  Most posting are around the Chicagoland area and all can fill you in on their doctors.  

    My breast center radiologist didn't want to biopsy me for a different reason.  But he sent me directly to the BS for a surgical excision.  I cannot imagine my BS shying away from anything.

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  • JMW
    JMW Member Posts: 99
    edited June 2012

    I just found this thread. I also had implants when I found the lump. Dr. did not want to do biopsy because he didn't want to damange the implant. Went back 4 months later and he did a lumpectomy. Was positive for cancer so had to go back in and clean margins plus I had 12 lymph nodes removed. Implants are still fine.

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