Mammogram, US, now MRI needed

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Alakai
Alakai Member Posts: 13
edited March 2016 in Waiting for Test Results

Had mammogram, saw something, another mammo today with Ultra sound. Saw suspicious mass, told can rule out cyst, has rough edges but small, size of fingernail on little finger. Given 4 options...do another mammo 6 months, needle biopsy, MRI, or do nothing for year. I chose MRI, was told that way we would know if benign or cancer. BC does not run in family. Now have to wait on apt for MRI. There is tenderness and pain but has been there for a long time, was not worried was told no pain with cancer for many years.

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  • catfan
    catfan Member Posts: 2
    edited March 2016
    1. B
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  • catfan
    catfan Member Posts: 2
    edited March 2016

    Sounds like a good decision, it's better to know than not, because otherwise you just keep wondering. I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cance, it doesn't usually show on mammograms so did have a needle biopsy. That was just over a year ago now. Have had chemo, mastectomy and radiotherapy. MRI after chemo was unable to detect any cancer cells, tissue analysis of removed breast showed a few remaining cancer cells that MRI was unable to detect but none in removed lymph nodes. Hope you have a good outcom

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  • Janeway69
    Janeway69 Member Posts: 57
    edited March 2016

    I had something that came up on a mammogram, checked with MRI. It's true that MRIs are not quite 100% effective, but they have a rating of being anywhere from 97% to 99% accurate, depending on what study you read or which doctor you speak to. A lot of doctors are relying on them now if they aren't considerably suspicious of something found on a mammogram or sonogram. It helps avoid unnecessary biopsies or surgeries which can cause scarring, which in turn, can obscure future mammograms and sonograms, leading to more unnecessary biopsies possibly, etc.


    I have a friend who has been on the scanning and surgery merry-go-round for years and years. They were practically cutting her every 3-6 months, finding nothing malignant ever.
    To be honest, I don't like what you describe. I don't think it's fair that you were given ALL these options and it was just left to you. A good radiologist or breast specialist should be giving a professional assessment. In fact if you should be able to get a second opinion. YOU are not the person educated in medicine all these years. Leaving the choice on you is unfair, stressful and not very intelligent of your doctor.

    Unless the doctor at least gave the pros and cons of each and you didn't share that here, which you certainly do not have to.

    If you were left on a cliff like that, I would get a second opinion. MRIs are pretty good but any decent doctor should know when to say "No MRI, we need a biopsy."
    Find someone who can come to a rational, educated decision. That's always your best bet. And do something fun in the meanwhile!

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  • Alakai
    Alakai Member Posts: 13
    edited March 2016

    Got the report and images from mammo and sonogram. Radiologist has rated it Birad 0. He is concerned but does not want to rate differently yet wants and recommends an MRI versus biopsy. It does not collapse when pressed, shows no liquid only solid, rough edges, longer than wider. My last mammo shows nothing. I had to get the report since my primary said don't worry get biopsy nothing to concern yourself with mri since BC does not run in family. Now if I decide to keep MRI then have to go to another hospital and go thru more of same. I cannot do another mammo, it hurts for days after. I also now have another lump closer to skin on same breast near the deeper one.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited March 2016

    Your primary is uninformed: at least 85% of breast cancer patients had NO family history of the disease. I'm no radiologist, but what you describe from the sonogram sounds exactly like mine (except mine was wider than longer)--and mine was rated BIRADS 4b. IMHO, you should take a copy of your reports and films (mammo and ultrasound) to another breast radiologist for a second opinion. Maybe they want to do the MRI first because the ultrasound showed something the mammo didn't (do you have dense breasts?), or perhaps rule out other lesions in the breast. I can tell you a core-needle biopsy is not that bad--it’s quicker than MRI, should be painless if you’re numbed properly and cause little to no scarring. But you should be taking advice now from a breast-health specialist (radiologist &/or surgeon), not a primary care doc.

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