Anyone have a negative mammogram followed by a positive MRI?

Just a quick update:  met with oncologist, he definitely recommended an MRI and will write a letter to my doc so my doc can ask for it and it will be covered by insurance.  He also said I had two lumps that he did not think were cysts, one was the one I had felt and was concerned about and he said it felt like an inflamed milk duct (it hurt when he palpated it and from what I've read, cancerous breast lumps do not usually hurt?) and the other lump, much bigger, he said felt like a fibroadenoma.  At any rate, I am going to schedule the MRI once he gets the letter to my doc which he said would be probably two weeks.  I'm going to try to schedule it during the time in my cycle y'all recommended.  Thank you again.

 Melanie  

My experience is that although the MRI will give you lots of scares picking up things that are nothing because it's almost oversensitive.... it is very much a life saver.  In June 2007, a regular mammogram picked up calcifications which led to a DCIS diagnosis for me (lumpectomy/radiation after).  Fifteen months later, this November, I got a clean mammogram but the MRI picked up a 1 cm cancerous tumor and 3 others that were undetectable obviously on the mammogram.  Thank God for the MRI.  The two tools should BOTH be used together for screenings... I'm sitting here 2 weeks out of surgery (bi-lateral mastectomy) and grateful that the MRI was done last month.  Had it not been and we went by the mammogram alone.... I would have been skipping along thinking all was fine when it was not.  Have the MRI if it's offered up or push for it.... it's painless... but try not to freak out if it picks something up.... lots of times MRI's are so sensitive they pick up stuff that you need not worry about..... so try not to until they check out the findings further....I know... easy to say... hard to do....

Had excisional bx after atypia ductal hyperplasia in Nov.  Had same dx with core bx prior to that.  I am high risk.  Just had MRi last Friday. I didn't think I was claustrophobic. They offered ativan prior but I declined.  I go to a breast clinic so all they do is MRI of the breast. They said I go in feet first so it wouldn't be bad.  They then said the table was like a massage table. Haha.

Face down and couldn't see out due to some kind of plastic thing under the face area.  I made it through but will definitely ask for something to relax me. After they injected the contrast it really scared me. Weird tingling in back and breast. I felt like I was short of breath but I think it was from being scared.  I will always say I am claustrophic from now on.

How long does it usually take to get results back?

I too worry way to much after watching my Mom loose her battle in her late 30s.  The tech really seemed to think that the MRI "would" find something that the mammogram didn't show. Neither I or the doctor could feel my first 4 cyst and one was 4cm. I also have dense breast.  Started Tamoxifen.

Any suggestions out there on what to do if they find something different with the MRI? I really thought the worrying was over.  

Did your MRI show that you had cancer in your lymph nodes and if so, what was your prognosis?  Thanks!

Hi all,

I went to the oncologist to see about the MRI -- he did an examination and took my history and prepared a letter -- which I just now received.  (I have all sorts of stuff going on in there, apparently:  "extensive fibroglandular changes in both breasts with some fibroadenomas, some cystic changes, and even a dilated milk duct...")  (the dilated milk duct is the lump I was concerned about -- I don't know how he can tell that by feel, but hey, I'm going with that for now, makes me feel better)  and between that and my doc's order, the insurance company has approved the MRI.  Per ya'lls helpful advice, I am trying to get the MRI scheduled for the right time during my cycle.

 Thank you all for your kind responses and I will keep you abreast of things.  Haha.   

Evjaq, this is a very old thread. My suggestion is to start a new one so that it draws attention and you can get that feedback.

As for what happened to you, sadly it appears to be fairly common. When something does not look like it could be a malignancy on a mammo, they basically often just let it go as "nothing to worry about" and don't tell the patient.

I understand fully why you are upset! I would at least "ask" why they did not mention the mass that they saw to you so that you could have evaluated whether or not to get it checked further by a breast surgeon or other breast specialist. That would toast my cookies too! But, alas hindsight is always 20-20 and they likely really believed it was just a fibroid or other lumpy condition that is usually benign.

You can't change what happened now, but at least you should have been kept in the loop. Did you look at the report when you got it originally or did you not get the report until later? That is what happened with me. I finally asked for all of my reports from the beginning when I was recently diagnosed. Mine were unremarkable but yours may have prompted you to do something differently! We just never knew to ask for this stuff before I guess. Now, whatever they do to me, I want to see it all in writing!

Hugs and hoping you find some peace of mind about this!

my name is jackie. I love your bible verse can I ask you a few questions?

hi all

Just found this post since I got “the letter” dense breasts, family history ~ MRI.

I hope things went well for shabby. Thanks for all the posts, ironically, 2008: original posts date were when my bc was dx