Biopsy Machine Breaks Night Before Biopsy For DCIS Recurrence

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GoofyFoot
GoofyFoot Member Posts: 25
edited June 2016 in DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)

So, that just happened.

I was supposed to have a stereotactic core needle biopsy at 8am tomorrow, and they called a bit ago to say the biopsy machine broke and it won't be fixed until later in the day tomorrow, and the next available appointment for me isn't for another week.

I just finished radiation 8 months ago, had an end-of-treatment diagnostic mammogram in January which was fine, and then my June "first routine" mammogram showed one new cluster of new growth of pleomorphic microcalcifications in the radiated breast. The diagnostic mammogram confirmed it, the first available biopsy date wasn't for 10 days (tomorrow), and now it will be another 7 days.

I know there will be plenty of other delays should this prove to be malignant, but it just feels so unnerving to think that I have an aggressive, fast-growing "something" in my chest that grew entirely in 5 months, having barely paused for the radiation, and is now doing its best to grow and spread with a vengeance.

Or it could be nothing.

And I watch and wait another six months.

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  • april485
    april485 Member Posts: 3,257
    edited June 2016

    Hugs goofyfoot. Waiting is always the worst part about this disease. I hope that maybe they can move you up. Keep bugging them!

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  • ml143333
    ml143333 Member Posts: 658
    edited June 2016

    Can you go to another center to have the biopsy done?


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  • Annette47
    Annette47 Member Posts: 957
    edited June 2016

    How frustrating!

    My biopsy was scheduled for the day after Hurricane Sandy hit NJ. The center lost power for 3 weeks so I couldn’t get it done until then. That was my initial diagnosis, so I was able to remain in denial that anything was really happening to me. It would be much harder if something like that was to happen now.

    Sending good thoughts your way.

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  • GoofyFoot
    GoofyFoot Member Posts: 25
    edited June 2016

    Mandy - I wish it was that easy to get it done somewhere new faster than 7 days from now. My center has a seated mammogram/robotic machine, not the type which one lies down on a table and has their boob dangle through the hole and then between the two plates, which is more common, and less comfortable for my joint pain issues. I am comfortable with the chief of radiology that performs the biopsy. They only do this procedure on Wednesdays and Fridays. He did the last one, he spotted the microcalcs on both last year's and this year's screening mammograms with my extremely dense breast tissue, and he successfully extracted the malignant biopsy tissue the last time.

    If I was getting a fine needle aspiration, I would try to find someone else to do it but because this is more involved, I am not comfortable making calls to get referrals to go into a bigger city that might have more machines on more days with more radiologists, and get my images forwarded to them, etc.


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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited June 2016

    GoofyFoot,

    Well, that sucks! How irritating! Another day, another wait. Hope that someone cancels and you can get in earlier. ((Hugs))

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  • HereInTX
    HereInTX Member Posts: 3
    edited June 2016

    I don't know if this will help calm your nerves: I am at the tail end of treatment for Stage 1 IDC (chemo, radiation, Herceptin, Tamoxifen). At my first routine mammo 3 weeks ago, they saw a micro calcification cluster and I had to get a biopsy. Cue my freakout since that was the first indicator I had cancer in the first place--a micro calcification cluster. And scary to think something could come back so soon after just finishing/being in the midst of treatment. Well, had the biopsy on it and...benign.

    Those tiny little clusters are scary because they CAN mean cancer, but they don't ALWAYS mean cancer. Good luck and please keep us updated!

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