Waiting for comparison report

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071655
071655 Member Posts: 25
edited August 2015 in Waiting for Test Results

I am wondering if anyone else experienced this. I am 60 and way past post menopause, due to hysterectomy when I was in my early 30's. I moved to a different state about a year ago and recently started having symptoms of IBC. I have not seen my breast surgeon yet, but he ordered a mammogram and ultrasound. While having the mammogram the tech had me sign a document so they could get the file of my previous mammogram, so the radiologist can provide the surgeon a comparison report. This delayed my appt with the surgeon another 9 days because it has to be sent to my new state. I understand he would want to see my previous report but why couldn't he of still see me and go over what they saw on my most recent test? I know a lot of my anxiety is due to stress and the constant waiting waiting waiting.


Thanks for you insight to this testing process.

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited August 2015

    Hi 071655:

    Probably as an older person you have some ordinary calcifications in there. What is of more importance are changes in the imaging since the previous mammogram. Rather than meet with you twice and possibly provide incomplete/inaccurate information in the first round, the surgeon is waiting for full information [from the radiologist]. This seems reasonable to me, but the waiting is very hard on you.

    Perhaps someone with an IBC diagnosis will comment.

    BarredOwl

    Edited to add text in brackets (clarify per below reply)

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  • tgtg
    tgtg Member Posts: 266
    edited August 2015

    The radiologist uses the old images to identify changes/differences that have occurred in your breasts to identify suspicious places more accurately and to determine the Birads level in his/her report. In all the print copies of my mammogram reports, the interpreting radiologist's report compares the current images to about to 8 years of old ones (on file at the hospital breast center that I have used for years) and also makes note of the date of the earliest one of the 8. This thorough analysis by the radiologist identified a suspicious area just once in my lifetime, in Nov. 2012, when it led to the successful detection of my tumor and then to a meeting with a breast surgeon to discuss and implement its timely removal! Be thankful that the radiology department at your new hospital is asking for the old images--they are a valuable detection tool for the radiologist, and ultimately the waiting time benefits you.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited August 2015

    What are your 'IBC symptom'? There are no 'rules set in stone' as to how IBC presents in all of us who are IBC.

    IBC is very aggressive and rapid - often literally overnight. It forms as a 'nest' or 'bands' which have no margins. My annual mammo had shown nothing 'different' a month before. I was 63 then and 18 yrs post natural menopause - now 69 and NED (No Evidence of Diseas).


    In today's world, it does not take days for 'old' files/reports to be sent - they can be sent and there wiithin the day via the internet - don't have to be sent via 'smail mail'.

    Remember IBC is rare - only between 1% - 5% of ALL DXd types of BC. There are many possibilities for breast issues with that have nothing to do with any BC. Of course, anything is possible and for a VERY few of us, we are IBC, so it is important to find out whatever might be going on.


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  • 071655
    071655 Member Posts: 25
    edited August 2015

    I have an enlarged/swollen breast, a red rash area that is dimpled, breast is hot to the touch, skin thickening and some retraction. I know not everyone has the same symptoms. Some have less and other have more. I just want the surgeon to check and do everything he can do and find nothing wrong and pat me on the head and send me home.

    I know it shouldn't take but a day or two to get the old mammy results. It was the craziest thing when the nurse called me to cancel tomorrow's appt and move it to the 25th. I was not to thrilled that they even did the mammy and US, because they are not very successful at seeing the problem if it is IBC. Not sure why my appt was pushed out to next week and am very frustrated at the whole process at this point. There was a huge mix up with the test schedule early on from my family doctors office. And that started the delays in everything that has happened since. It's all a long story and not worth telling at this point. But I am believing my Lord is in control.

    The odds that it is IBC are very slim for which I am holding on to that fact. ButAn infection has been ruled out.

    Thank you all for your input. I really appreciate the communication. I can't talk to my sisters to much about it because they all panic, and my kids live in another state and I don't want to worry them needlessly until we find out what's going on.

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited August 2015

    Hi 071655:

    I don't think this recent delay is necessarily undue, because sadly, some facilities are still a little retro. I had some older films (non-digital from 2008) in my records that were not in the electronic system, and had to be retrieved from storage. All imaging was put on CD, and I hand carried the CD to my second opinion. That was late 2013. That major metro Boston hospital has now only recently set up internet accessible medical records, but they are currently prospective, so at this time, old information is not captured. Some places probably still need to send at least some materials overnight. Then, they go into the queue for the radiologist to analyze and compare them, and issue a written report, which must then be reviewed by the surgeon, and they have to find an opening in the surgeon's appointment schedule which accounts for these steps.

    I didn't have any visible symptoms of DCIS/IDC, so I can only imagine how worried you must be until you can get some answers.

    Keep us posted.

    BarredOwl



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  • 071655
    071655 Member Posts: 25
    edited August 2015

    I called and checked this morning to see if my last Mammo info from AZ had been sent yet and they said it arrived yesterday morning and they were going to ask the radiologist to do the comparison report as soon as she can. And it would definitely be done and sent to my breast surgeon before my appt with him on the 25th.

    So one more week and I can put all this behind me.

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  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited August 2015

    Super! Smart of you to check in to make sure the cascade is proceeding properly.

    BarredOwl

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  • 071655
    071655 Member Posts: 25
    edited August 2015

    Holy Cow! Now I know what "they" mean when they say your breast may feel warm or hot to the touch. I was sitting out side yesterday late afternoon, temp out side was low to mid 70's. I did not have a bra on, as it's more comfortable. All of a sudden my right breast, below the nipple and the underside got blazing hot! It burned the skin below my breast that it was touching. It only lasted a minute or less but sheez! Not sure if that is the hot feeling they are talking about when discussing inflammatory breast cancer, or if the hot feeling comes and goes, but it actually hurt...not just uncomfortable. Does anyone know if that is how it acts


    Thanks!

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