Does FCC normally light up on MRI?
I am 37, a mom of 4 kids 10 and under, with extensive BC on my father's side and my little sister died from cancer (not breast) at 29. I started seeing a high risk Dr. at the breast care center last January after I felt what I described as a thickening in the upper exterior of both breasts but mainly the left. The did a baseline mammo then immediate u/s on the left breast and told me I had dense breasts and likely what I was feeling was just normal tissue, bi-rads 3. I was told I'd need to alternate mammo and MRI every 6 months due to being high risk from the family history and I should consider genetic testing even though my grandmother tested negative for BRCA. This summer I tried to schedule the MRI but since the mammo showed a finding it flagged my chart and I couldn't get it scheduled without a follow up mammo. In Sept I had the follow up on the left breast and I immediately scheduled the MRI for Dec (even though the Dr. said I could wait until March.) I received the same report in the mail from the mammo, probably benign, bi-rads 3 (at this point I'm guessing they can't really tell due to the dense tissue). I had the MRI and the area in the left breast enhanced (type 2, non mass) and there was a fibroadenoma on the right. The radiologist called me to tell me it was probably fine, but warranted a biopsy, bi-rads 4. They scheduled me for diagnostic and biopsy yesterday. They did a full mammo (said I was due for my yearly screening) then took me to u/s for the left breast. It is a teaching hospital so the first radiologist said they'd look for the area on u/s and if they could find it they'd do the biopsy that way if not I may have to have a MRI guided biopsy. He also stated the area had changed or grown since the Sept mammo. He went to get the attending who came in and did the u/s again then said she thought it was likely just normal hormonal changes (I assume Fibrocystic Changes) and that I should wait a cycle or two and come back for another follow up mammo then we could see about a biopsy if needed. I'm not much of a wait and see person, so I asked her to just do the biopsy. My question is would fibrocystic tissue normally enhance on MRI only on the one side? I know that MRI is very sensitive, but the mammos never show anything, so why would I monitor it that way? I think I was just annoyed she was wanting me to take her personal opinion instead of a biopsy, the only way to really know.
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Also, there was no mention of the fibroadenoma at all. It seems that some women find themselves here based on that finding alone. I just don't want to be overlooked or dismissed purely on age, since I have seen first hand the devastating effect that can have. Any advice or opinions are welcome, thanks!!
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Hi, and welcome to Breastcancer.org.
We recommend you to read the article What Mammograms Show: Calcifications, Cysts, Fibroadenomas, from our main site. It reinforces that there are many other benign masses, including some that are especially common among young women.
Waiting is not easy but beware of general searches on the internet as there is a lot of poor and inaccurate info out there.
We hope this eases your mind while you wait for the results.
Best wishes,
The Mods -
Fibroadenomas do appear on MRI's. Actually a lot of things in the breast show up or enhance. You said they found a non-mass which means it's not necessarily a lump or 3 dimensional and probably can not be felt. It could be like a thin paper covering an area inside your breast or a hard spot in your breast. Upon finding the non-mass they look at many things and the first is it's shape. Is it symmetrical or asymmetrical? Less symmetry could indicate trouble but not necessarily. The shape could be lobulated which means scalloped (of moderate concern)or irregular which is indication of something more serious. Most benign masses, cysts and fibroids have oval or round shapes with smooth margins.Then they look at it's margins (edges) is it smooth or spiculated? Spiculated edges are strong indicators of cancer like 80%. Then they look at it's kinetic curve or how long it takes the enhancement to light up. The longer it takes the more likely it is benign. The faster it lights up could indicate malignancy. They look at the enchancement pattern. Is the mass or non-mass uniformed (density) throughout or homogenous. Is it heterogenous? Which means it varies through out the mass. Some parts are lighter and darker. Or does it have run enhancement, internal separations...I could go on.
So, if you are concerned. Ask for a copy of the MRI report. It will also have a BIRAD score which is the radiologists opinion if how serious it is or not. Then look up the findings. My report actually told me more than my doctor as they don't want to scare you. I, just want to know what they know. So I asked for a copy and learned from sites like this. http://www.radiologyassistant.nl/en/p47a585a7401a9...
God bless! I hope it's nothing!
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By the way most dr.s will biopsy if they find anything just to be cautious. So if they found a non-mass they will likely want to biopsy that and not the fibroadenoma. Push for the MRI guided biopsy as the US biopsy didn't see anything in me either. Be armed with information as your doctor will likely be reasoned with if you're worried.
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My breasts light up like a Christmas tree on MRI's. Fibroadenomas will light up among other benign conditions.
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I had both a mammogram and diagnostic US done this August because I noticed a whitening skin colour change in the areola of my right breast but neither test showed anything. I was always told I had very dense breasts so I guess they just couldn't see the DCIS??? One month later I felt the tumor grow (I have never had anyone say it is possible but I felt that the squishing done during the mammogram pushed it out of the duct so that I could finally feel the lump) so I returned for a core biopsy in early October. That tests confirmed IDC 2.2 cm which was ultimately measured at 2.8 after my UMX. I hate to admit that I had faith in those tests before but not anymore. I would want to be sure too.
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Thanks for your responses. I do receive copies of my reports, that is how I know the birads went to 4 with the MRI. The left breast had the non-mass enhancement, 27 mm, homogeneous, type 2 kenetics. There was no other descriptor of shape or edges in the report. They did end up doing the U/S guided biopsy as they were able to locate the area on U/S (on the left). They took 5 or 6 samples, so hopefully they got the whole area. The fibroadenoma is in the right breast, MRI report states it is benign. I just would think that if it is just normal or fibrocystic tissue lighting up on the MRI it would be in both breasts. I'm hoping I'm wrong and it's not ILC. My husband thinks I'm a total hypochondriac
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I hope you have good news too!
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