Upcoming Core Biopsy

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etnasgrl
etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
edited October 2015 in Waiting for Test Results

Hello everyone!
I'm a brand new member, so let me give y'all some background info.....
My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 42.
I am 41. I have had mammograms/ultrasounds since age 30. Everything that I needed to do, I did. (I also have been told that I have very dense breasts and several fibroadenomas.)

On October 16, 2015 I had a screening mammogram. Three days later, my doctor's office called to say that an ultrasound was needed. On October 23, 2015, I had an ultrasound done. Prior to going in for the ultrasound, I just had a gut feeling that something was wrong and I would need a biopsy. (I put off my screening mammogram for a few months due to this "feeling". Not smart, I know.)

Scared


Anyway, after the ultrasound, the Radiologist came to discuss the results with me. She showed me several fibroadenomas that I had, that she was not at all worried about. She showed me how they were smooth, with clean edges/lines, like perfect little marbles. Then, she showed me a mass that she said she was "concerned" about. She showed me how the margins were not clean. She stated it looked "suspicious" and wanted a core biopsy done.

My core biopsy is scheduled for Monday, November 2nd, which was the soonest they could work me in. I guess my question is....what to expect from here. How quickly do they tend to get you the results? (Because the waiting is THE WORST!) How about the biopsy itself? I'm having this done at an MD Anderson Breast Center. I've been reading through some posts and have read absolute horror stories about the biopsy....I wasn't really scared before, but I sure am now!
Any advice?
And thank you for reading this!

Happy


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Comments

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

    My biopsy wasn't painful, and the majority of women come back here and say it wasn't painful. Lying still on the uncomfortable table is the worst part of it to me. Little pinch when they start injecting the numbing agent & that's about it.

    How long it takes to get results is entirely dependent on the facility & how busy they are. Hope yours is just a new funky looking fibroadenoma. The vast majority of biopsies do come back benign


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  • Suetois
    Suetois Member Posts: 20
    edited October 2015

    Where I had my core biopsy done, the pathology results are typically available in 5-7 business days. There are some steps in preparing the slides for examination that just take time to complete. Some places do frozen sections which can be examined much more quickly, but from what I read that's not as accurate.

    The biopsy itself wasn't bad at all. I got as comfortable as I could on the MRI table (really important) and didn't have any problems with staying still. The staff apologized profusely in advance for having to use paddles to compress my breast, so I was expecting that to be horrible because I thought it would be like having an hour-long mammogram, but it wasn't as tight as a regular mammogram, and truly didn't bother me. There was a sort of pinch when they injected the numbing medication, but it wasn't severe enough to make me flinch. The actual biopsy wasn't a problem either. They injected more numbing medication before each portion of the biopsy, which I didn't feel at all. I did get a hematoma (sort of a blood blister into the breast tissue--it feels like a lump about the size of a pingpong ball now) which the radiologist informed me of before I even got off the table, but that's uncommon and not particularly painful. In fact, the only thing that actually hurt--and that wasn't much--was when they accidentally pinched me as they were releasing the paddles that compress your breast. So I don't think the biopsy itself was awful.

    IMO, the waiting is really the worst part. This has been a multi-part experience for me. First the original MRI on September 10th. The call-back the next day. Waiting for over a week to get in for the core biopsy. Waiting for the pathology on those results. Now waiting for an appointment with a surgeon to talk about the excisional biopsy, and then, I'm sure, more waiting for the biopsy itself and then another 5-7 business day wait for pathology again. The only plus to the whole process is that it's given me time to do research so I feel that I know what to expect, which makes me less anxious. I just hope this is all going to turn out to be benign.

    Good luck to you!

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  • lisa137
    lisa137 Member Posts: 569
    edited October 2015

    The waiting is the worst, yes. If you are anxious about having the biopsy done, let them know that, and really stress how anxious you are, and they can probably arrange to have you arrive a little early and can give you something for anxiety ahead of time, and give it time to kick in--make sure you have someone to drive you there and back though, if you do this.

    Straight up, both my biopsies DID hurt -- I had an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy on one breast, and mri guided needle biopsy on the other. And yeah, ouch. However, it didn't hurt for long--they are quick and then they are over. I've done things like stumping my toe really badly or whacking my head on the corner of an open cabinet door that hurt worse.

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  • etnasgrl
    etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
    edited October 2015

    Thank you guys, for replying to my post and for providing me with some much needed info! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

    SillyHeart

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  • Sierra
    Sierra Member Posts: 1,638
    edited October 2015

    Hello< I saw your post sorry a bit late just came on, and wanted to send you light and love, for the best possible outcome, this forum has so much and the help here is great! Ive been a member l4 yrs now. Hugs to you on this l day at a time

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  • 45Deb45
    45Deb45 Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2015

    hi I had breast cancer last year finished my radiation in October last year stage 1 .. Don't worry about biopsy it doesn't hurt its just scary thinking about it . And it took a week to get back results .. Good luck

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  • cjafarm
    cjafarm Member Posts: 44
    edited October 2015

    What could be the scariest part of a core biopsy is the sound of the core biopsy needle. It is spring loaded and can make a startling noise. Ask your radiologist to demonstrate it for you so you know what the sound is.

    I have had numerous biopsies and don't recall any of them being painful. But I do bruise easily and always have an ugly bruise for about a week.

    My last biopsy was on a Friday and I received my call on Tuesday that it was cancerous. She didn't have the details but when I met with the breast surgeon the next day he had the full pathology report for me. Having your procedure on a Monday may help get your results that week.


    Good luck.


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  • Beetlebum
    Beetlebum Member Posts: 73
    edited October 2015

    My core biopsy wasn't fun by any means but it wasn't all that painful. You just have to be really still. Plus you have to be strong. We are women, we can do it. Hugs to you.

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  • gypsyjo
    gypsyjo Member Posts: 304
    edited October 2015

    I did not have a pleasant experience, enough so that it freaked me out for quite a while for everything that was to follow. I had found a recommendation to ask for EMLA cream. It's a prescription. It has lidocaine. The thing about it is that it takes an hour for it to take effect so you can liberally apply with a gloved hand an hour before your appt. You then cover with saran wrap so it stays on your skin vs into your clothes. I did this for wire insertion and dye injections and it worked! If I ever have another core biopsy, I would again ask for this RX. Depending on the skill of the person doing the biopsy as well as the time alloted from their injections your experience could very greatly. This is just added insurance to make the experience as easy as possible. My BS prescribed after initially telling me I wouldn't need it when I explained what I had read on the discussion boards. I wish you an easy time.

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  • igay1ord
    igay1ord Member Posts: 193
    edited October 2015

    Hi etnasgrl! I had my core biopsy done on Thursday July 16th and the pathologist called me with the results of invasive ductal carcinoma on Monday July 20th. My biopsy was pretty painless where the breast was concerned. What hurt me the most was the way the radiologist had me laying on the table with my arm over my head. My shoulder bothered me for a day or so, but that was the extent of my pain.

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  • etnasgrl
    etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
    edited October 2015

    Your replies are so appreciated!

    As I get closer to Monday, my nerves become more and more raw. I can feel the stress in my shoulders, my neck, back, etc. UGH!

    Today, I got a phone call from the center that will do the biopsy. We have yet to meet our deductible on our health insurance, so we have to pay $500.00 for that, plus 20% of the biopsy, (insurance will pay 80%, after the deductible), which is an additional $420.00! Good grief....$920.00 for one biopsy! As if I wasn't stressed already.
    My husband has been absolutely excellent through all of this and I seriously don't know what I would do without his love and support. He keeps telling me to stop worrying about the money, to not stress about it. I'm trying...but goodness! That's a lot of money!

    Anyway, please know that your replies mean so much to me. I feel so overwhelmed and scared. It's nice to have a place to come to, where others understand the emotions and offer support.

    Smile

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  • Bunnyhuggr
    Bunnyhuggr Member Posts: 57
    edited October 2015

    Etnasgrl, I was so terrified I cancelled it twice! But had it done today & it was not at all bad! A few little twinges of pain. I've had flu shots that hurt worse :). Even lying still on the table wasn't really difficult or uncomfortable for me. And believe me, I'm the world's biggest baby when it comes to any discomfort :)

    You might ask your dr. for some Valium. That can help you relax. I think it really helped me. I also took 2 extra strength Tylenol an hour before.

    Best of luck to you & let us know how it goes



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  • etnasgrl
    etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
    edited October 2015

    Thank you Bunnyhuggr! I'll be praying for you, that you get GOOD news!

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  • Bunnyhuggr
    Bunnyhuggr Member Posts: 57
    edited October 2015

    Thank you Etnasgrl! I will keep you in my prayers also

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  • cjafarm
    cjafarm Member Posts: 44
    edited October 2015

    Check directly with your insurance company. Ask how the radiologist is billing. Mine was billed as an office visit and I paid $80 of the $1700

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