Can someone help me make sense of my ultrasound report?

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited February 2015 in Waiting for Test Results

Background: I am finishing treatment for triple positive IDC. My treatment consisted of a mastectomy, removal of 17 lymph nodes and radiation (as well as chemo but that's not relevant to this issue). My original tumor was in the inner part of the breast.

I found a lump in my armpit, right on the scar line that everyone thought was scar tissue but sent me for an ultrasound to be safe. After the ultrasound I was told I needed a biopsy. This is what the report said:

"There is an oval complex mass with poorly defined margins measuring 15x8x11mm. Finding is hypervascular. The complex mass may represent fat necrosis."

It was given a BIRADS rating of 4A.

I have a few questions about this.

1) "Oval" and "BIRADS 4A" is good, right? And "hypervascular" and "poorly defined margins" is bad, right?

2) What does "poorly defined margins" mean anyway?

3) How could it be hypervascular and still possibly be a fat necrosis? Don't those two contradict each other?

4) If it is hypervascular, how come I got such a low BIRADS rating?

5) They scheduled my biopsy five days out. Is that a good sign if they weren't worried enough to do it right away?

6) They also scheduled me for a mammogram of the good breast the same day, even though I have no lumps and I had my last one only three months ago. Do you think that's significant?

Thanks. I am not quite in panic mode, as people seemed to be acting pretty laid-back about it (very different from my original biopsy of cancer lump. But obviously I don't want to have to go back and fight this before I've even finished my primary treatment so I'm worried.

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  • Ariom
    Ariom Member Posts: 6,197
    edited February 2015

    I don't have any answers for you, but wanted to say Hi, I know how this feels. I found a lump on my scar line, about 18 months after my Umx, which had to be biopsied too. Fortunately, as soon as the stereotactic gun hit the lump, it pretty much exploded on the U/S screen and disappeared, so it was a cyst. I hope this is what you're dealing with too, my Surgeon told me it was common and that it may even happen again, oh joy!

    I don't think it is unusual for them to do another image on the other breast, my Surgeon told me to wait till I got the path on this lump, before we re imaged the other side, which had been done not too long before, this incident.

    I wish you all the very best, for a benign result, let us know how you get on.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2015

    That would be incredible if that happened to me. No agonizing wait for results! I thought cysts were easily distinguishable on imaging though?

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  • roadrash
    roadrash Member Posts: 145
    edited February 2015

    Hi, You must be so happy to have completed your treatment and now this. I have had a benign (fibroadenosis)tumor attached to a fat mass which caused it to beread "poorly defined," which of course poorly defined in my breast clinic requires a biopsy. In regards to the repeat mammo, they are going to use due diligence with you. It is frustrating, but your medical team are really on top of everythng with you. I hope your biopsy is a breeze and you get good news. I'll be thinking of you. Please let us know how it goes.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2015

    Thanks for the encouragement ladies. I'm a nervous wreck right now. It also doesn't help that my hip has been achy...plus I have some rib tenderness. I know the stats on chest wall recurrence and mets and I'm fearing the worst.

    One thing that I find confusing yet hopeful: the current lump is nowhere near the original tumor. Would this lump, if malignant, possibly be a new primary?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2015

    BENIGN! Just lymph node fragments that managed to consolidate and solidify.

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  • ben50
    ben50 Member Posts: 46
    edited February 2015
    Oohh mann! That is excellent news!! I would say that is worth of some kind of celebration or at least a treat! It's also reassuring to know that the targeted therapy we get do their job. Again, Super Congrats!
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  • Mommato3
    Mommato3 Member Posts: 633
    edited February 2015

    Congrats on the good news! Now you can relax. I would definitely celebrate or at the very least get some sort of chocolate treat!

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  • WinningSoFar
    WinningSoFar Member Posts: 951
    edited February 2015

    That is Soooooooooooooo great!

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