MRI Finding....

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Nan54
Nan54 Member Posts: 93
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Just throwing this out there to see if anyone has had a similar experience and has any words of wisdom...

Diagnosed a year ago with a relatively small tumor on the left side. Decided on a mastectomy, clear margins, clear lymph nodes, no LVI, low oncotype dx score so no chemo recommended. Doing tamoxifen and ovarian suppression with zoladex.

Had a failed reconstruction on left side that resulted in removal of the implant. Decided to have right prophylactic mastectomy, no reconstruction for now. Nothing found on the right side in tissue except fibrocystic changes. Left side fairly scarred from multiple surgeries so convinced my MO to do another MRI (had one right after diagnosis before surgery) to use as a baseline should we ever feel any lumps, etc, later. 

Had MRI this week and it shows "a non-specific enhancing focus within the right medial chest wall which may represent a lymph node." It is small - .4 x .4 x .5mm. They are having me follow up next week with an ultrasound and "if there is no sonographic correlate then a short-term MRI followup in 6-12 months is recommended." This is the non-cancer side where there was nothing found in the mastectomy tissue!

I should also mention that I had a CT scan 6 months ago to follow up on a different spot that they saw on the original MRI. That spot remained unchanged and 3 different radiologists agreed that it was likely a benign finding - not even mentioned in this MRI. So this new spot has grown in less than 6 months on the non-cancer side.

Obviously I am thinking the worst. But trying to tell myself that this is more likely something from the prophylactic surgery I had in February. Scar tissue? An inflamed or scarred node from the surgery? What else could it be?? Anyone experience something similar?

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited June 2014

    Nan, I don't have any similar experience, but I thought I'd at least stop and bump your thread for you.   How long ago did you have the R side surgery?  Of course it's hard not to worry, but that "non-specific enhancing focus" sounds more to me like something to do with your surgery, rather than anything concerning, especially since there was absolutely nothing found in your R side pathology.  Hopefully the u/s will be clear.  Please keep us posted.  (((Hugs))) Deanna

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  • Nan54
    Nan54 Member Posts: 93
    edited June 2014

    Hi Deanna,

    Thanks so much for responding! My right side surgery was 4 months ago. Seems odd that something sinister would form in 6 months from the last CT scan with nothing being found in the tissue just 4 months ago, right?! But I guess we all know that this thing doesn't follow any rules or logic, so I am terrified...

    It's hard to be in this place again, the not knowing and playing the waiting game. Brings back awful memories that are still very fresh. Ugh.

    Thanks again for your response!

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  • NinaW
    NinaW Member Posts: 110
    edited June 2014

    Ugh, the whole imaging thing can lead to such a mess - FWIW to you, when I was first diagnosed my surgeon sent me for an MRI prior to my lumpectomy. The MRI yielded an additional enhanced mass in my left breast, along with a highly-enhanced spot on my sternum. Cue the hysteria as I was rapidly sent through two PET/CTs and a bone scan, after which it was decided that the spot on my sternum was a harmless bone island (there was no uptake there). My surgeon still wanted to biopsy the second spot in the breast, so back I went for another MRI. That second MRI showed...nothing whatsoever beyond the lump we already knew about, so the biopsy was cancelled.

    No imaging test is perfect; they all show different things, and the MRI in particular is famous for its false positives. If there's any doubt whatsoever, I think it's worth it to have contrast imaging done to see what's going on. I hope you get answers soon, and perfectly understand your panic - just wanted to offer my experience as an example of how imperfect this whole "diagnose from the outside" process can be!

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  • Nan54
    Nan54 Member Posts: 93
    edited June 2014

    Thanks, Nina! I appreciate you sharing your experience, it definitely helps. I have heard that MRI's can do the false positive thing. My MO explained that this actually why they don't recommend regular imaging as followup for early stages. I get it and I know the odds are not high that it's something bad. But the odds were so low that I would have to worry about this in the first place! I am constantly feeling there to see if I can feel any sort of a lump or thickening. I might actually wear a hole in my skin before Friday!  Ugh, the waiting is awful.

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  • Nan54
    Nan54 Member Posts: 93
    edited June 2014

    Posting an update for anyone who might find themselves in the same situation and see this thread...

    Ultrasound today was completely clear! They saw nothing to correlate with the MRI finding and can't biopsy what they can't see. Their recommendation is a followup MRI in 6-12 months but they stressed that this is nothing to be concerned about. Radiologist said MRI's are notorious for finding small nothings and it looked barely suspicious on the MRI in the first place. Made me feel a ton better!

    Thanks to all who were waiting with me...

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  • Tomboy
    Tomboy Member Posts: 3,945
    edited June 2014

    I am so glad that they told you it is nothing to stress about, nan! i know for me, just cause they say so, doesnt mean I MYSELF wont! but we can sure try, okay! glad you are good to go. kathe

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  • NinaW
    NinaW Member Posts: 110
    edited June 2014

    Yay, nan!!!  I came back here specifically to hear you tell us all it was nothing. 

    These imaging tests are remarkable examples of technology, but boy, when you're walking a mile in cancer moccasins, their unpredictable degree of accuracy can be a real hair-raiser.

    So happy you can put this behind you and move on with the rest of your (long, long, LONG) life!

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  • coffeelatte
    coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
    edited June 2014

    Nan, I am glad you started this thread. I am going through a bit of a similar situation at the moment. I had a double mastectomy 10 months ago with the left side being the cancer side. I did not choose to have reconstruction. Back in 2009 a mammogram showed I had a growth in my right breast which lead to a lumpectomy because it was against the chest wall.  The result was benign findings. Back to the present, about a month ago I felt a little lump right below/on the mastectomy scar on the right side (non-cancer side). It feels like a small piece of rice under my skin. I called the breast surgeon's office to see if I could move up my July 14 appointment, but they have absolutely no openings because he is gone for two weeks the end of June. I can't blame him, this surgeon works so hard. Anyway, I was nervous over this lump so I scheduled an appointment with my dermatologist. I thought this is the best I can do while I wait for July 14. I saw the dermatologist on June 17 and she took a thorough look and said it is a little cyst. She said she sees these from time to time after a mastectomy because she said the sutures that are under the skin dissolve months after the surgery and often times a little cyst will form where a suture had dissolved. She said this is even more common if staples were used, which they were in my case.

    I felt better after seeing her but I do not feel out of the woods until I see the breast surgeon; however, it helped me to know there can be other reasons for this lump other than a new cancer growth. I still feel it about 100 times a day but I am doing better. I am so pleased to hear of your good news. Again it is nice to know there are other diagnosis besides cancer!

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  • Nan54
    Nan54 Member Posts: 93
    edited June 2014

    Coffee, I will be praying that the time until you get confirmation that all is ok goes very quickly! Please keep us posted...

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  • Morwenna
    Morwenna Member Posts: 1,063
    edited June 2014

    Coffee,

    I had a little lump on my mastectomy scar line, that I noticed about 14 months post surgery, in February this year. It was a little larger than a grain of rice, more like a small lemon pip! 

    I showed it to a physician, and she said it didn't feel like cancer but I should have an ultrasound to be sure. The radiologist said it didn't LOOK like cancer, but I should have it biopsied, to be sure. 

    It was about a month of hell for me between discovering it and getting the biopsy result, which came back as scar tissue! Big sigh of relief.

    Now I'm ramping up the anxiety again, or "scanxiety" to be precise, as my check up mammogram is on Monday. 

    Hopefully I'll look back on this time in years to come, and wonder why I was so anxious! Meanwhile, it sucks.

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  • coffeelatte
    coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
    edited June 2014

    Nan54, thanks for the kind words. I will be sure to enter a follow up post as soon as I see the breast surgeon.

    Morwenna, thanks for your post. Just hearing it may be something other than cancer is very comforting. I too get very anxious now that I have been through breast cancer. Last year at this time I had been called in for a follow-up mammogram after my annual showed some clustered micro-calcifications that were new. The radiologist came in to the room to talk with me regarding her findings.  She said it did not look like cancer to her and to just have a follow-up mammogram in six months. I did not feel right about her diagnosis since I could feel a tightness in the area in question. I asked her if I could see my mammogram and when she showed it to me I knew it was cancer right away. I just knew it. I requested the biopsy and sure enough ER-/PR- breast cancer. So now I am not as confident with a doctor's "feeling" as I was before all of this cancer stuff. I will need some confirmation like you had to feel at ease. I am not sure I can wait until July 14; it seems so far away. And as you know being hormone negative just makes it a nervous thing because we don't have a treatment medication to take for a little extra protection (yet).

    You have every right to be nervous about Monday's mammogram. I think this cancer stuff leaves most of us with a bit of post traumatic stress that is now part of our new normal. We need some time to get some repeat good news under our belts before we can calm the anxiety I think. I will be praying for you that Monday will be another good news day for you.

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  • coffeelatte
    coffeelatte Member Posts: 209
    edited June 2014

    Update - I called the breast surgeon's office yesterday to see if I could get in earlier.  They had a nurse call me back this morning saying I am probably fine so just keep the July 14 appointment. I hate that. How can they say a patient is "probably fine" if they don't even see us? I am not too happy with their office at the moment. If I had not seen the dermatologist, I would be a mess. So I wait until July 14 feeling cautiously anxious. I know you guys can relate.

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