Breast Trauma?

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waiting-to-exhale
waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
edited January 2015 in Waiting for Test Results

When I went in for my ultrasound and mammogram the technicians were concerned by what they saw: a markedly hypoechoic 1.6cm mass, edema, intrinsic calcifications, irregular margins.  My BIRAD is 4c.

I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before. But I had a blunt trauma injury to my right breast in the exact location of my mass (10 o'clock, upper outer region) a couple of months ago.  I had forgotten all about it and didn't make the connection.  My daughter jumped on me while I was sleeping and landed with her knees on the side of my breast.  Outside of childbirth, this is up there with the most painful moments in my life.  My breast bruised but didn't think much about it.

This seems to be a stretch, but what a coincident that a few months later I have a lump in the exact same place.  My googling indicates a fat necrosis is a thing and sometimes they mimic cancer on mammograms and ultrasounds.

Has anybody ever heard of this or had experiences with fat necrosis.  I can't tell if I am just grasping at straws or if this is a viable option for me instead of malignancy.

My biopsy is scheduled for January 7th.  I will mention this to them and see what they say.  Waiting sucks, I hope everyone else waiting here is coping better than I am.

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  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited December 2014

    WTE I would think that yes, the two could be related, the trauma and the suspicious area. This doesnt mean it is cancer, could be alot of different things. Please try not to worry, worrying wont help one bit and it will make you sick. Sp just put it out of your mind as much as you can and keep playing with that daughter. Let us know what you find out. Hugs to you

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  • waiting-to-exhale
    waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
    edited December 2014

    Thanks Meadow.  I feel like I am having difficulty being objective when looking at all the different possibilities for what is wrong with me.  Thanks for the feedback.  And yes, I am going to go play with my daughter tonight after work :)  2 year olds are great distractions! I will keep you posted.

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited December 2014

    Dear waiting-to-exhale, welcome to BCO and we're glad you found this safe forum with well informed people.

    Physical trauma may be the cause of tissue change the scans are showing. Only the biopsy can give a definitive diagnosis, but yes please mention the incident to the technicians and doctor.

    We wish you the best benign result for the 7th but try to put it aside as much as possible, until then as there is nothing to achieve by worrying. The waiting is an unpleasant time.

    The Mods

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  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited December 2014

    Since we don't usually know what causes most cases of breast cancer, we don't really know.

    Fat necrosis is common. I think I had fat necrosis on one of my biopsies, and most oncologists do not consider my LCIS as cancer.

    But I did hear from one breast expert (Dr. Susan Love??) to remember that breasts evolved to be traumatized to some degree, such as infant feeding. IIRC, she said that most of the time when imaging/biopsies show trauma, the patient can't remember any specific trauma. I certainly agree with the moderators that changes seen in imaging can be due to trauma. (Imaging can change after you have breast trauma like breast excisions.) That does NOT necessarily mean trauma causes breast cancer : "Correlation is not causation."

    This article states it is plausible that breast trauma may be associated with cancer, but I find it hard to find other studies that also explore this area. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12131664 I would imagine if physical trauma was a major risk factor, there would have been more people who explored that area.

    As the moderators said, only a biopsy can give you a definitive diagnosis. Best wishes to you.


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  • waiting-to-exhale
    waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
    edited January 2015

    thanks for all the feedback on this.

    My newest worry is that my lump has gotten noticably bigger since my mammo 2 weeks ago? My husband just felt as well and agreed that the lump is bigger. My biopsy is next week.

    Does cancer grow this fast? This is freaking me out. Not sure if i should call my dr or just wait until the biopsy.

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  • ballet12
    ballet12 Member Posts: 981
    edited January 2015

    Cancer doesn't usually grow that fast, with the exception of some rare very aggressive cancers like inflammatory breast cancer.  Your symptoms don't fit that kind of cancer, as it usually involves inflammatory changes to the skin of the breast.  Is it possible for you to get the biopsy date moved up?  Maybe call to see if they have any cancellations, as it does happen. It seems like waiting another week will be torture for you.  I hope and pray that the imaging showed the trauma rather than something worse. 

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  • waiting-to-exhale
    waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
    edited January 2015

    i booked a dr appt for Monday morning. I had been doing better this last week of waiting. But now that the lump is getting bigger I am losing it. I feel like I am having a complete breakdown, imagining an aggressive cancer out of control in my body.

    Going to find a distraction. Good night to everyone.Thanks for all of your help through this. There are so many awesome women here.

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  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited January 2015

    Of course you are very, very anxious. Waiting is awful. I think all of us who went through the diagnosis scenario was very anxious. I certainly went to the worst case scenario.

    We all want to be ready for whatever is ahead for us, which means going to the worst case scenario. But usually the worst case scenario does NOT happen. That's why its called the worst case scenario: there are certainly better case scenarios.

    I know you are scared, and breast cancer is a distinct possibility with a BIRADS score of 4c. http://www.radiologyassistant.nl/en/p53b4082c92130... But I've certainly seen posts of several women here who said they had a BIRADS score of 5 (95% + chance of breast cancer) and whose biopsies were benign.

    But even if you do get breast cancer, most women with breast cancer do NOT die of breast cancer, but die of something else. We will be here for you no matter what the outcome. Most people who post here who do have breast cancer feel much, much better after they have a diagnosis and a treatment plan in place.

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  • waiting-to-exhale
    waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
    edited January 2015

    Saw my doctor yesterday.  She confirmed that my lump has grown "a little bit" over the last three weeks.  She was unable to speak more to what it could be.  I read the mammo report and there was barely any detail except Birad 4C. Most of the detail came from the ultrasound report.  I wondered aloud if it is cancer, does it mean it is an aggressive one given noticeable growth over only a couple of weeks.  She vaguely agreed that yes this is possible.  I asked if this would prioritize me for seeing a surgeon and she said not necessarily, I still might need to wait a couple of weeks. Holy crap Canada, seriously?

    My biopsy is tomorrow. Thank god.  I can't keep up on the waiting like this.  I've called Quebec and I can fly from Vancouver to Quebec and pay a dr $12,000 to get a lumpectomy if the Vancouver wait time is too long. We'll see what happens.

    I haven't even started thinking about the biopsy and whether or not it hurts.  Can I drive home afterwards?

    Thanks for any feedback.

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  • waiting-to-exhale
    waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
    edited January 2015

    well i had my biopsy this morning. The radiologist did not think a fat necrosis was a possibility. She said that it looks like I have invasive ductal carcinoma. They should hopefully have biopsy results within a week. She said i will need surgery very soon after.

    I think i just need to come to terms that I have cancer. Im so overwhelmed by thoughts of who do i start telling and when. Do I go on vacation tomorrow to Hawaii? Am i going to have a masectomy? So much to think about.

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  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2015

    WTE so sorry you are going through this. The news of cancer certainly can rock your world. If you have plans to travel, I can share my experience with you. I was diagnosed with Inflammatory BC on a Thursday had plans to leave the country (to Canada) in 5 days. As IBC is very aggressive, I thought maybe I should cancel plans and stay home to coordinate treatment. My Oncologist said to carry on with our plans, I took my laptop and was able to coordinate absolutely everything I needed to while gone. I came back on a Sunday, started treament appointments the next day, Monday. I am telling you this to let you know it can be done. I felt very charged after returning, it was the absolute best medicine ever to be gone from the stress of everyday, knowing my world was rocked and I had a fight on my hands when I got back. I am happy to say I am disease free today, You can do this! Gear up for a big fight, say positive. You are strong and can do this.

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  • waiting-to-exhale
    waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
    edited January 2015

    thanks Meadow, we have made the decision to go on our vacation tomorrow. The alternative is staying home and waiting by the phone. It is only a week and I doubt much will happen other than the final biopsy results. I am trying to gear up and put my best foot forward on this.

    The unnerving part of the biopsy was that none of the earlier ultrasound measurements were matching up with what the radiologist was seeing. They all seemed a little flustered. Im not sure if this was technician error or that my masses are changing quickly. Of course i think the worst. The main tumor does appear to have grown from 1.58cm to 1.7cm in 3 weeks. Is this high grade?

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  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2015

    WTE I am not as knowledgeable about the specifics of tumors as others are here on BCO, and hopefully others will chime in. I can share with you that my own cancer, Inflammatory Breast Cancer, presented rapidly, grew rapidly (like in a few days) which is typical of this rare and aggressive form of BC. I was a stage 4 on diagnosis, as the staging for IBC includes lymph vessels at the collarbone. If you have this form or another aggressive type, yes the changes you describe are possible. But lets wait and see what your biopsy results are....this will determine the directon of your treatment. And you may get some terrific news that itis something else not cancer!. You are right that not a lot can happen in a week and you can certainly restore and recharge you and your husband?(is that right?) will return ready to jump feet first in treatment. Even with my very aggressive IBC diagnosis I did not experience a delay in treatment from being out of the country for that week, I did cooridinate appointments for tests and treatment while I was also googling restaurant options! This is a new path for you if you are indeed set on this particular journey, how you take these first steps can set a tone for the next nine months or so. You will look back on it and say...DId I do that? I DID THAT!

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  • waiting-to-exhale
    waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
    edited January 2015

    Thank you so much Meadow. Your words have really helped. Ive spent all day packing with my husbandand keeping busy. What a difference one day makes already. I was a complete wreck yesterday and now I think I am much more composed. I am determined to keep positive. Thanks for sharing. Hugs to everyone who needs it today.

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  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2015

    You are so welcome. Have a safe trip, I look forward to hearing about it, and the results of your biopsy. I am so glad you are feeling brighter. Have a great time.

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  • waiting-to-exhale
    waiting-to-exhale Member Posts: 61
    edited January 2015

    well I have joined the club, my dr just called and let me know i have stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma. :(

    Estrogen positive, Progesterone positive, Her2 negative

    I just wish I was home now. Still on vacation, hiding in my hotel room. I fly home tomorrow. My surgery consult is on Monday afternoon.

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  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited January 2015

    So very sorry to hear your news. I am sure you are in a whirlwind, getting a treatment plan in place. Just know this is not a death sentence. And there will be a day when you wake up and Breast Cancer is not the first thing that pops in your mind. I am sending you my support, and hugs.

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