mammogram after mastectomy?!!

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Morwenna
Morwenna Member Posts: 1,063
edited August 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Is this as crazy as it sounds?

I went to the imaging centre as I have some lumps on my mastectomy scar. They told me I had to have a mammogram first, then ultrasound. 

I wondered if they meant mammo to my remaining breast, but no, they meant the Mx side.

I said, "is that even possible?". The tech put on her lecturer voice, and said: the mammogram looks at TISSUE. It doesn't have to be breast! I wanted to ask how the devil she expected to get my "tissue", basically my chest wall, in between the plates, but decided not to waste my breath.

It was very awkward, but she insisted on trying! 

Has anyone else had a mammogram after a mastectomy, or is my imaging centre losing the plot??????

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  • YoungTurkNYC
    YoungTurkNYC Member Posts: 334
    edited August 2014

    I have heard of having an MRI after mastectomy but not a mammogram. I did have an MRI several months after my double mastectomy and reconstruction.

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  • TB90
    TB90 Member Posts: 992
    edited August 2014

    Morwenna:  Well, isn't this a coincidence as I was wondering about this just today myself.  As I had a mx for DCIS and no reconstruction, I hate having to wait to find a recurrence (should it occur) by feeling a lump.  By then, it is likely invasive.  I was wondering whether or not they could try to get the left over tissue (not much there) tested via mammography.  To be honest, my other breast does not have much more tissue and they manage to give a mammogram to that side.  There is a bit more tissue closer to the armpit area and that is also where there was a small positive margin.  I plan to ask my RO when I meet with him next month.  Please let us know how the results turn out.  Was it quite painful? Here is hoping that those lumps turn out to be scar tissue or anything benign.  And that you get the results soon.

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  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited August 2014

    Sounds pretty crazy to me.  I have mammos on the other breast, but when there was a question about the MX side, we went straight to ultrasound.

    They may have ultilization "rules" preventing the doctor from ordering an ultrasound without a mammogram.  And forgot to specify that the rules don't apply if there is no breast.   Happy

    I hope the results turn out to be nothing at all.

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited August 2014

    I have had mammograms on reconstructed Diep and other non-effected side.

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  • Ariom
    Ariom Member Posts: 6,197
    edited August 2014

    I haven't heard of Mammo for the Mx side. They'd never be able to gather enough tissue on my Mx side, to get into those plates.

    I just went through a scare, from finding a lump just under my Mx incision line. My surgeon ordered an ultrasound and FNA, while I was still in his office, which turned out to be and ultrasound and stereotactic biopsy. A mammo was never suggested.

    Fortunately for me, the lump vaporized as soon as the gun hit it, so it was likely a cyst and the path came back clear.

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