Anyone have a good mammogram/ ultrasound but bad MRI??

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nbeck
nbeck Member Posts: 39
edited March 2015 in Waiting for Test Results

I am 29 with an extremely strong family history of very young breast cancer. I have noticed breast changes for months (indentation, bloody discharge, lump) all in the left breast but was breastfeeding at the time so just kinda blew it off until the beginning of this year when I started getting a lot of pain through that breast and my left armpit. Was sent to a breast surgeon and got a VERY thorough, mammogram/ultrasound. Was thinking I would be given the all clear and sent on my way... WRONG. I have been referred to the high risk breast clinic in the oncology department, after seeing the high risk clinic I will be sent for am MRI, (apparently it is easier to get insurance approval if you're being seen as high risk) and they kept telling me over and over that even with a "good" mammogram and ultrasound that at least 20% of cancers can't be seen on mammo and ultrasound, and due to extremely dense breasts that it was just too hard for them to see anything. It sounds like in my near future I can expect being a high risk patient, an MRI, a good possibility of a biopsy of the mass I have now (2cmx2.5cm) and if that all turns out good I will have yearly screening here on out with alternating screening MRI's. SO now that I have rambled on and on... 1. with the fact that even 80% of biopsies are benign, and 2. only 20% of cancers can't be seen on mammo/ultrasound... is there really many people out there that had a perfectly normal mammo/ultrasound and ended up diagnosed with breast cancer??? I mean.... my family history always HAS worried me.... but the way they were talking it was like they were preparing me for finding the worst on the MRI when I was thinking "no big deal, everything looks good." Would just love to hear if anyone had good screening to go on and find they had breast cancer. Thanks in advance!!

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  • nbeck
    nbeck Member Posts: 39
    edited March 2015

    Oh I forgot to throw in that they did see some dilated ducts and slightly swollen lymph nodes on ultrasound... but that all could still be from breastfeeding...

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  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited March 2015

    Being in a high risk family will get you the good screening, and at your age I would guess that your breasts are extremely dense. My family is high risk too. My onc has agreed to follow my DD who turns 25 this month. She recommends yearly MRIs for DD also. MRIs see lots of things that aren't cancer, so you are being very wise to not jump to conclusions. I am sending you good cyber wishes for nothing but benign results. Please let us know how everything goes. Take care!

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  • nbeck
    nbeck Member Posts: 39
    edited March 2015

    Thanks for your response! The breast surgeon really emphasized catching something early if/when it would happen. The cancer in my family tends to happen young and has had a habit of being caught too late unfortunately... Probably part of the slight panic that seemed to be going on at first... they were making me appointments left and right, high risk clinic, MRI, genetic counselor.... All I could think was "if my mom had screening half this good she would probably still be alive"... she was told by a small town hospital that her cancer was "just a cyst" for over a year.... by the time she decided to go to the big city breast center that I got sent to they took one look at her, said "you have inflammatory breast cancer" and come to find out she had 2 different cancers and was a stage 3b at that point. My next appointment is not until March 12 but I will update after that.

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  • marie5890
    marie5890 Member Posts: 3,594
    edited March 2015

    Agree with FarmerLucy.

    MRI's pick up EVERYTHING, and most of those everythings are not cancer. Considering your family history and your age, an MRI is a good thing. A good base line.

    They are making sure you do not fall thru the cracks. That is a good thing!


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  • rleepac
    rleepac Member Posts: 755
    edited March 2015

    I had a palpable lump in my armpit - felt like the size of a lymph node (I'm a PA so I know what I'm feeling for). I watched it for a few weeks to see if it went away - thinking maybe a little infection somewhere. It didn't go away. It was very firm, like a kernel of corn. Went in and they sent me straight for diagnostic mammo and ultrasound. The mammo came back benign (BiRads 2) and the U/S came back showing a normal size lymph node but it didn't have the normal morphology (the stuff inside a normal lymph node) so it was BiRads 4. An excisional biopsy (not what SHOULD have been done and that's a long story) found a 2.1 cm malignant mass with a met to the lymph node right next to it.

    So, long story short. Both mammo and U/S missed the 2.1 cm malignant tumor and the U/S called the lymph node 'slightly suspicious'.

    After the biopsy they did bilat MRI and found some residual cancer in the original site - which matched the path report showing dirty margins and another highly suspicious mass in a different quadrant of the same breast (which was also NOT seen on the mammo).

    I know it's not very reassuring to hear it but, yes...mammo and U/S can and do miss some. MRI will likely pick up everything and then they have to decide if it's something they should biopsy. Given your family history and breast changes you're describing, I'd want a biopsy of anything that showed up as suspicious!

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  • nbeck
    nbeck Member Posts: 39
    edited March 2015

    Those are the kind of things that I need to hear to at least get me to take the time to take care of myself for once... I work at a dialysis unit, have 4 kids, and with mom gone I kinda overtook the roll of "head lady" of the whole family. I tend to worry about everyone else and hate to waste time on myself, so when they started scheduling all these appointments it just kinda shocked me. I expected to get the same kinda dismissal that I got from the small town hospital here and got totally opposite. At the same time I do feel a kind of deep relaxation now, I feel like they are going to be very vigilant for me and I wont have to worry about the "what if" it happens, and "will I catch it early enough". They said when I go in for the MRI if I WANT a biopsy they would go ahead and do one.... after hearing your story I think I will be cautious and request one!! Thank you!

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  • annika12
    annika12 Member Posts: 433
    edited March 2015

    I also had a clear mammogram and ultra sound but since I had a huge lump in my lymphnodes I had a biopsy , even the mri didn't show the primary in the breast. Its important to have good screenings to compare to in the future. I should also say I have plenty of friends going through the same kind of stuff with no cancer !! Good luck and prayers for clear scans for you ...now and in the future :)

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