Dense and fibroycystic breasts

Kelley - I had always had dense breasts and was followed with mammograms starting at 30 due to being adopted, with no access to family history.  I often had multiple cysts and they were never seen on mammograms, but were very visible on US.  Almost every year I had mammograms followed by US, sometimes bi-annually.  The radiologist's reasoning was that I had palpable lumps, not showing up on mammo, so we should US to see what they are.  I also had US guided needle aspiration to drain some of them.  It was explained to me that collapsing the cyst walls (much like when you take the water out of a water balloon and the balloon sticks together) so that the cysts did not refill with fluid.  It is important to be very aware of changes in your breast(s) and have very regular exams, and go in if you find something new or troubling. 

kelley - I was 54 at diagnosis and my mass was found on my regularly scheduled mammo/US.  The mass was not seen on the mammo, which was normal for me.  The fibrocystic masses were not seen either, which was the reason for always following with US because I had so many palpable lumps.  The mass was quite different visibly on US exam.  The fibrocystic masses were spherical and looked like black round voids.  The cancerous mass was shaped irregularly, and was slightly elongated and looked much like a black raincloud.  After I was diagnosed I went back to that radiologist to thank him for referring me quickly instead of doing a "wait and watch" approach.  He looked at my films again and absolutely nothing showed on the mammo, and this was a 2cm mass.  As I said above - I was followed for at least 20 years and always made sure I had all my films with me (we moved a lot due to military reassignments) so there could be a comparison.  I had an US two years prior and this mass was not seen.  I did opt for BMX even though I was a lumpectomy candidate because of the difficulties with imaging.  My "prophy" breast had ADH and ALH, and I had two positive nodes, none which was detected on my pre-BMX MRI. 

Hi Kelley,

 I have "off the scale" dense breasts to a degree that my surgeon who removed my breast cancer on 1/20 had never seen written on a report that way. I am 47 and just started getting mammograms at 45 b/c there is zero history of ANY kind of cancer in my family on either side so I was considered low risk. But my breast tissue density is on the scale of 0-4 a "4 plus" (4 being the most dense). I learned this info is not reported on most mammograms and you have to ask for it - and if you have dense breasts you should always at the least have an ultrasound which is what they did for me which showed the 1.5cm tumor and then a biopsy was done to confirm both DCIS and IDC. I had the tumor removed with clean margins in a lumpectomy on 1/20 then had brachytherapy internal breast radation from Feb 3-9. I am recovering from that now.

I found a great website for those of us with this tissue to read about and also PASS ON to any woman you know:  www.areyoudense.org  This was started by a woman who ended up with Stage 4 cancer due to it never being caught on mammograms. So now I send this link to every woman I know and just say "please tell them when you have a mammogram to ask for your breast density number." My insurance covered the ultrasound b/c of it. I also had an MRI after the biopsy just to get a baseline reading of the non cancerous breast as well so that they could have a guideline for future referermce due to the density.

 Good luck to you - breast cancer is not a situation I ever thought in one billion years I would be dealing with, but so far 2 procedures down and I'm doing really well. I hope you will be too :-) 

I also have dense breast - just really starting to understand this now.  I was recently diagnosed with DCIS left breast after calcifications spotted on an annual Mammo study.

I had my first MRI of both breast last week before consultation with surgeon about treatment options for DCIS and both surgeon and radiologist refered to my MRI screen results as 'complex' due I think to density and fibrocystic adenoma and cysts (these all might be same thing - really not sure).

At any rate I endured 3 MRI guided biopsies on Monday - was stressful and a bit painful but happy to report that all 3 results have come back as fibro adenoma or not cancerous.

Thanks for the input above.  i will be sure to ask my DR what my breast density means for overall treatment and follow up for DCIS condition.

Curious - I too have smaller breasts always an A cup.  Funny - I always assumed because my breast were smaller I would not have as much worry about problematic breast tissue - since I had less breast tissue than most.  Is density more prevelent in smaller breasted women? 

Kelley33,  I am 47yrs of age and I did not think I had a family history of BC however my Mom had a cousin who has survived BC at about my age.  I do have a strong family history for cancer with my dad and his brother having colon cancer and my younger sister had non hodgkins lymphoma about 5 years ago.

Hi

I also have fibrocyctic breasts. I was just diagnosed with invasive tumor as well as LCIS. I do not no if there is any connection, but I will tell you that my 5mm tumor was not visible on mammo, only on ultrasound. And lcis only after MRI

And biopsy



My doctor has insisted I have a sonogram following mammo.

Thanks kelley,



Sorry, I am not very good at terminology! I believe ultrasound is used to make a sonogram, so really the same thing?...my mother had BC in her seventies. But I am not BRcA +





I would push for sonogram or ultrasound???? I would not have any clue that I had a tumor.no pain and did feel it.

Special K, how are you doing now? I to am HER+ & ER+  I was told many years i had the dense fibrocystic Breasts so lumpy was nothing new to me but end of Jan i got a sharp pain in my breast that made me grab at it, the lump i felt i knew was different than others. I got that instant sick feeling somthing was wrong, I made an apt next day with primary doc, she felt because it moved i had nothing to worry about but set me up with a mamo next day, that was inconclusive so i had a ultrasound, then a biopsy. Cancer Doc & Surgeon both felt i caught it early & that it didnt spread yet.Even thou it was right side i choose to have them both removed, After surgery i was told i was stage 3, into several lymphnodes in armpit & area around nipple.I am The 1st to have breast cancer in my family! We just lost our Mom at 64 to lung cancer month &half before my diagnosis so we r having a hard time dealing with it all.I had my first round of chemo & will be having my 2nd round next week, i do this for 6 months, then a pill & injections for 4 weeks then another treatment for 3 weeks then radiation to top it off 14-15 months total treatment. Any suggestions? I hope you are doing well!!!!

I had my MRI this morning.  How long does it usually take to get results back? 

I totally forgot I had posted in this thread 2 months ago, so I put it as one of my favorites so I check more often!

Moneymoo any update since your MRI? What did they find?

Kelley - hi again! Where are you in your treatment? What all is planned for you and when? Hoping you are doing well!

Cheri 

Kelley, I'm sorry about what's going on - hopefully the pain abates and that will help. I am through my lumoectomy and interal radiation and started temoxifen. Knock on wood and by the grace of God I have had no side effects since starting almost 2 months ago. Not one hot flash. I'm sorry for your hot flashes....I was fully expecting them and haven't had them, and I know I'm very very lucky.

Well I hope the pain goes away so you can have pain free time while you are waiting for your 3 month follow up. Best of luck :-)

Cheri 

I really need advice.  I recently relocated to Charleston, SC & just saw a new oncologist from MUSC (Medical University of SC).  When I lived in CT, my breast surgeon would do an annual digital mammo & breast ultrasound since I have dense breasts.  I'm pretty sure that my former surgeon had said that there are new guidelines that state that if breasts are dense, a breast ultrasound should be done also.  My new oncologist in SC is only planning on doing an annual digital mammo. Has anyone heard of these new guidelines stating that a breast ultrasound should be done in addition to a mammogram if breasts are dense?  I also have very cystic breasts with a density of 50-75%.

Any any advice would be helpful.

I had a bmx on 2/13/12. I had dense breast tissue and had normal results from the mammogram.  I do want to note that the US did not detect the tumor either.  It only detected two round black areas that were biopsied and results were normal. However, the Radiologist at the diagnostic center recommended a test called "BSGI" "Breast Specific Gamma Imaging".  This is different from the MRI. For this test you are injected with "radioactive" material which attaches itself to abnormal or cancer cells, then your breasts are held in place not compressed as the machine images your breast.  This radioactive material will be seen as white and lit up like a light bulb on your image.  My tumor looked like a main large light with strings of lights coming off of it. This test was done because of the DENSE tissue found in my breast and was the only test that showed the cancer.  

I have been telling my friends to ask about this tissue when they have their mammograms. I am alarmed at what they are being told. Just as I was told several years ago, they are being told it is nothing and then given normal results.  One technichian even told me my dense tissue was MUSCLE.  Any of you that have had TE put in know that your muscle is not within your breast tissue.  

Here is what I have learned over the last three months.  Dense tissue is not normal unless you are young, it is abnormal and should not be reported as normal. As women age, their breasts get softer and softer. They should never feel hardened areas in their breast and if that happens additional testing should be done, mostly because this tissue hides tumors and a mammogram and ultra-sound cannot see into it.  How do we get this information to be told by the professionals responsible for the testing? Oh one other note.  I asked my Surgeon what my previous mammogram report showed and he told me it said I had DENSE breast tissue.  I only got a card in the mail saying my mammogram was normal.  This has to stop!!!!!