After 5 years MRI highlights new area help.

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Meow13
Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
edited September 2016 in Waiting for Test Results

I just had my annual MRI at a brand new facility and they found 1cm masses. It is suspect it could be fat necrosis but my surgery was years ago. Help it sure sounds like cancer to me on my mastectomy reconstructed side. Making biopsy appointment.

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Comments

  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited July 2016

    I'm so sorry you're going through this, Meow. Crossing my fingers that you'll get your biopsy soon and that all will be clear.

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    thanks hopeful, I'm so afraid I can't imagine get new fat necrosis when surgery was years ago.

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    I'm driving myself crazy. Can anyone tell me how fat necrosis can develop years after surgery? Didn't show on November's mammograms.

  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited July 2016
    Meow, when is your biopsy? Has it been scheduled?

    I can't help with any insights on fat necrosis or any other possibilities but I understand how scared you are and how incredibly awful the waiting is.

    Try to remember to breathe. do you have friends or a support group that can see you through the weekend?
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    my biopsy is tomorrow I just don't think I can go through this again. Nothing I've seen on the Web explains my having fat necrosis it must be left over cancer some how. It definitely wasn't there the last MRI.

  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited July 2016
    I'll be thinking of you, Meow.

    I HATE this disease.
  • dragonsnake
    dragonsnake Member Posts: 159
    edited July 2016

    Meow, I was always told by my surgeon that MRIs give a lot of false positives. I do not know if this is true in my case, still waiting for the actual pathology after my BMX. Since you have done your MRI on a new apparatus, it's quite possible that there is some difference between your old and new MRIs, and the new finding is just a discrepancy between the images. The resolution and sensitivity of the equipment may be quite different, and this may cause the  artifacts. I  hope that this is the case for you, and you will be able to treat this new scan as a new base scan. .

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    thanks dragon. It has been a rough night.

  • rozem
    rozem Member Posts: 1,375
    edited July 2016

    meow. My gf had fat necrosis at least a year after surgery. And I agree. MRIs pick up everything This machine is picking up something different but it just may be more" sensitive". I remember my MO insisting I have all my imaging done at the cancer center bc their machines were "better"

  • PNWBCHgirl
    PNWBCHgirl Member Posts: 115
    edited July 2016

    meow sending prayers and positive thoughts your way . Sorry you have to go through all this and have to wait for results. Very stressful! I am trying to remember when and who told me that when we have tissue transfers that their is a possibility of necrosis even years later. Just like scar tissue can grow. Most cases scar tissue can break down.


  • luvmygoats
    luvmygoats Member Posts: 2,942
    edited July 2016

    PNWBCH - I think I read yesterday that fat grafting can be a source of fat necrosis - makes sense for sure. Think it was that blood supply never invades the graft so it dies. Was doing some reading yesterday in hopes of reassuring Meow some. Prayers are with her today and the staff doing the biopsy. Know it's gong to be a long weekend for her.

  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited July 2016
    I did wonder, too, about the change of equipment and whether that might have picked up something different that's been there all along... I hope that's it. Meow, I know the waiting is horrible but jope the bx went ok and that you don't feel too wrung out, at least physically.
  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    I just did the MRI guided biopsy. No pain in reconstructed breast. They think it is fat necrosis I hope so. But if it cancer at least it is small. Thanks for being here for me.

  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    Glad to hear they think it's fat... I'll say a prayer for you if that's ok? Keep your chin up, at least you are having nightmares like I am. :)

  • dtad
    dtad Member Posts: 2,323
    edited July 2016

    Hi there.Try to keep in mind that there are a lot of false positives on MRIs. Mine showed 5 very suspicious areas and only 1 turned out to be malignant. Here's hoping benign, benign, benign!

  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited July 2016

    Thinking positive thoughts for you, Meow.

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    Thanks everyone, the sun is finally out but I can't seem to enjoy it just want my results to get out of the limbo.

    Isn't it funny but I'm afraid to think the best then hear the worst. I wish I could switch my brain off.

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

    Meow,

    I always expect the worst. That way, when it's not the worst, I can be pleasantly surprised. I know what you mean about turning your brain off, though. My mind is always busy, thinking ahead, trying to plan, trying to figure out new ways to get things done, etc.. Hope you find some time to re-lax.

  • Lisey
    Lisey Member Posts: 1,053
    edited July 2016

    meow, I hear you... I just keep churning until I know what I'm facing and have my game plan in hand. I should stay off these boards until I get my test results back, but it's like catnip. Thinking of u.

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    thanks lisey. I almost wish I could see my specimen under micro scope.

  • atanea
    atanea Member Posts: 58
    edited July 2016

    Meow13 something somewhat similar is happening to me. I had my surgery (lumpectomy) and radiation 3 years ago, 4 months ago fat necrosis did show up at my US and mammo, but I couldn't feel anything different and BI-RADs was 2, so I just forgot about that. Some days ago I felt a very very hard small lump, that doesn't seem to move much, at my scar site, it's a superficial lump, I didn't had that some months before, in fact, I'm pretty sure I didn't had that last month, at least I couldn't fell it. I'm freaking out. I want to believe it's the fat necrosis thing, but showing only 3 years after?? And that hard? I couldn't feel anything before. I'm having a US and MRI in the next weeks, but I'm about to have a fight for a biopsy. I mean, how can they even be sure it's fat necrosis without a biopsy? I'm glad you will have your answers pretty soon. Waiting is just terrible. Hopping that everything goes well.

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    atanea, I just got all clear on mine. Apparently years after reconstruction surgery these fat necrosis can develop. Most of the time they are found rock hard pea sized. Mine was seen on MRI. So scary.

  • starwoman
    starwoman Member Posts: 73
    edited July 2016

    Great news, Meow

  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited July 2016

    Great news, Meow!! YAY for all clear!!

  • BarredOwl
    BarredOwl Member Posts: 2,433
    edited July 2016

    Meow13:

    Great news!

    BarredOwl

  • HappyHammer
    HappyHammer Member Posts: 1,247
    edited July 2016

    Meow- Now you can breathe and sleep!  Yay for the good news!

  • Deb_B
    Deb_B Member Posts: 27
    edited July 2016

    Meow - So glad you got good news!

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited July 2016

    thanks everyone.

  • luvmygoats
    luvmygoats Member Posts: 2,942
    edited July 2016

    Oh Yay Meow. So glad it was that. Now you can breathe again and enjoy the rest of summer.

    Atanea Hoping that your's turns out to be nothing also. Keep us up to date.

  • dragonsnake
    dragonsnake Member Posts: 159
    edited July 2016

    Terrific news , Meow! I'm so happy for you! Now you can definitely use the latest scan as a new base  scan.

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