Screening Ultrasound today.

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suki1724
suki1724 Member Posts: 60
edited October 2015 in Waiting for Test Results

I hope I'm putting this in the right place. Just a few weeks ago I had a callback from a mammogram and an ultrasound on my right breast, which was fine, but they said my breasts are very dense, so I should have a screening ultrasound on both, which they couldn't do when I was there because of insurance. I have a family history, my grandma was pre-menopausal,not sure what kind of BC she had, my maternal aunt was post-menopausal with her BC, and my mom had DCIS at age 55 and is now fighting a stage 3 recurrence.

I am so anxious about this ultrasound. I have myself convinced that they are going to find something today and I will have to go though what my mom has gone through. Since the abnormal mammogram I feel like it's a matter of "when" not "if".

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  • dtad
    dtad Member Posts: 2,323
    edited October 2015

    Hi IMO anyone with dense breasts who are a high risk for bc should have a breast MRI as well as screening ultrasounds. They don't like to do them because of false positives and cost. However my pre op MRI picked up a second malignancy on my dense breasts that the 3D mammo and ultrasound missed. My doc does pre op breast MRIs routinely on all of his patients regardless of breast density. Good luck......

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    Do all breasts MRI's have to be with contrast? I have a severe allergy to CT-scan dye, and the MRI's I've had in the past (for neck/arthritis issues) have all been done without contrast for that reason.

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    I had my screening ultrasound, and lost count of all the cysts that were seen and measured. The tech spent some time in my right armpit too, but not on the left, so not sure about that. She did say "I don't see anything that looks terrible, but if they tell you they want you to follow up in 6 months, you do have the option to ask for FNA of some of these cysts as opposed to waiting, due to your strong family history, just FYI". Of course, no doctor was there, so she said they'd get back to me within 48 hours if there where any issues that needed to be addressed right away. I'm also calling my gyne today and asking what she thinks about adding an MRI as a yearly screening tool.

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    Just got a call from the breast center that radiologist would like to see me in the morning, more ultrasound pics needed, a "complicated cyst" in the right breast is what they told me. :(

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  • Bunnyhuggr
    Bunnyhuggr Member Posts: 57
    edited October 2015

    I hope it turns out to be just a benign cyst, suki1724! Please let us know how it goes

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    Just got home. They had the radiologist come in (who looked to be about 15 years old!) and he said I have a cyst that may have some solid components. He said we could either watch it and rescan or biopsy, left it up to me. I think I'd like second opinion and a biopsy. I was not impressed with the techs or doctor, and today the ultrasound machine stopped working after they started scanning me. My internal med guy is out of Central Dupage which is now affiliated with Northwestern, so I want to see what he thinks. I see no reason to "watch and wait" with my family history.

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    Any thoughts from anyone?

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  • Bunnyhuggr
    Bunnyhuggr Member Posts: 57
    edited October 2015

    Suki, can they do a needle biopsy? Or do they have to surgically remove the cyst to biopsy it?

    If they can do it with a needle I'd rather have the biopsy, especially with your family history. But that's just me. I'd rather know what I'm dealing with - whether good or bad. Otherwise I'd worry myself sick.

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  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited October 2015

    They usually do needle/core biopsies of complex/complicated cysts. It's really rare for them to turn out to be anything bad. I had one (they were ruling out complex cyst v. inframammary lymph node). When they stuck it with the needle it started collapsing, so that solved that. If they gave it the "watch and wait" they don't think it looks very concerning.

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    Hi Bunnyhugger,

    The radiologist today said it would probably be a core needle biopsy. While I understand that it's probably not very "concerning", I am very anxious because I just watched my mother go through surgery, multiple courses of very strong chemo and radiation, and she is still struggling. I'd like to get it biopsied as soon as possible so I can put my mind at ease. Thanks so much for your response and your understanding. :)

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  • Bunnyhuggr
    Bunnyhuggr Member Posts: 57
    edited October 2015

    Oh wow, after watching your mom go through all that I can totally understand why you'd be anxious! :( i would definitely get it biopsied. Hopefully you will get good news, just like MelissaDallas did. But much better to be safe than sorry.

    I'll be keeping both you & your mom in my prayers. Please keep us posted how both of you are doing!

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    My internal med doc called a breast surgeon that he thinks is great. She is seeing me a week from today and I need to bring all my films and reports with me. They said she probably wouldn't do anything but talk to me and if she wants a biopsy, I'll have to make an appointment and come back.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited October 2015

    Suki, CDP/Northwestern is just about the best place you can be in the Chicago suburbs. You probably have the option of going to Lynn Sage at Northwestern Memorial downtown (I have a friend who used Dr. Bethke there for her lumpectomy after a diagnosis of ADH), but any breast surgeon good enough to be part of the Northwestern system is going to be outstanding. (For me it was a coin toss between Lynn Sage/NWM and North Shore Evanston/Kellogg--which at one time was part of the NWM system but is now U. of C/Mayo Clinic-affiliated, since I live smack dab between them; but it came down to Evanston Hosp.’s Center for Breast Health being where I’ve been getting my mammos for years and already having my films). You needn’t rush into a decision--that cyst isn’t going to grow overnight. (I took 2 wks between my ultrasound & biopsy). And don’t be afraid of a core-needle biopsy--you’ll barely feel even the local anesthetic to numb your breast and it’s over in about 5-10 minutes. You can be back at work the next day as long as you ice for a couple of hours. You won’t even need a prescription for painkillers. I didn’t take anything other than the Arthritis Formula Tylenol I take anyway.

    You do know CDP/Northwestern is affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic, right? You are in VERY good hands!

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    Wow, great info, thank you so much. The surgeon I'm seeing is Dr. Sigelove, not sure if I have the spelling exactly right. Her first name is Naomi. I'm probably equidistant between CDH and Northwestern in the city, but my internal med doc is out of CDH so for now I think I'm going to be at CDH.

    Also, I have a job interview tomorrow morning, just to add to the stress, LOL!!!!

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  • suki1724
    suki1724 Member Posts: 60
    edited October 2015

    Hi Again Everyone,

    I saw the breast surgeon today and I really liked her. She did an ultrasound herself and felt comfortable waiting 6 months for another diagnostic mammo, ultrasound and possibly MRI or biopsy on the right breast. She told me I need to get off HRT and I'm really upset because I have gotten so sick every time I've tried to lower or go off of it. She said the key is to do it gradually, so I have to call my gyne and get her thoughts. I'll be 50 in April, my mom didn't go through her change until about 55, so at least I'm somewhat close to that. I had a complete hysterectomy at age 40 and I've been on low-dose HRT since that time.

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