Not sure where to start
Hello everyone,
I started having mammograms in 2010 at 33 due to dr feeling thickening. Biopsy that year was negative, but continued having mammos (although I'm dense and you can't really see anything). By 2013, a new doctor felt "masses" and wanted me to have an MRI. Insurance required genetic counseling first and that is where I was told for the first time that my dad's side of my family matters. Every doctor up until then said that the father's family history does not count (Grandmother, breast cancer right side then a few years later left side; aunt breast cancer in her 30s and renal cancer later; two uncles both died of unknown cancer; aunt that had cancer had 2 sons both died from unknown cancer; father prostate cancer in 50s and recurrence in 60s and now has stage 4 esophageal cancer and primary thyroid cancer and primary lung cancer...) I was found to have over the 20% risk and so I had my MRI, which was clear. I was advised to have mammo/mri 6 month rotation, which I have done. My doctor in 2013 advised that I 'map' my breasts with manual exams, which I try, but I am so lumpy it is difficult. Because of this and the fact that I was once a radiology transcriptionist, I decided to visually 'map' my radiology images so that I knew what they looked like. (by the way, I do not recommend anyone doing this as it is not good on
anxiety, unless you have some knowledge about what you are looking at) As I was reviewing my 3rd mri in 2015 I noticed a small bright area in the outer right breast that I didn't remember before so I compared it to the first two mri images and they had the enhance area, but the shape and size were definitely smaller on the first 2 mris. I spoke with the reading radiologist by phone and she assured me that my mri was for lack of better words, boring, nothing there at all. When I told her the specific area she seemed irritated and reiterated that there was nothing on my mri. I accepted I was just being paranoid and went on about my year, another mammo and a new MRI. The 2016 again showed that area to 'grow' in length but it didn't enhance any more that the previous year. I said nothing and just assumed I am looking to hard into it. Fast forward to this year and time for my mri again. I looked back over my old scans and that spot kept nagging at me, so I opened each year's mri on that location and printed them showing the change over the past 4 years and circled the spots and wrote, what is this in my right breast? and gave it to the technician to give to the radiologist.
My mri was last thursday, I picked up the radiology report yesterday and it reads: within the upper outer quadrant is a focal area of clumped nonmass enhancement approximately 1.6 cm AP dimension with slow uptake. It has demonstrated slow progressive enlargement since 2015. impression: concerning focal area of clumped nonmass enhancement. Given a BIRADs 4 and recommendation to be recalled for biopsy either by ultrasound or mri guidance.
I'm waiting for the call to schedule. I'm trying not to worry. I know most biopsies are negative, but at the same time I know 'clumped enhancement' on mri has a 60% chance of being DCIS. Boy that was a lot of crazy stuff to type... sorry that was so long winded, I just really needed to get it out.
Comments
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Starbucksmom, first of all let me say that I'm sorry you find yourself here with concerns about your breast health and bravo for tracking your mri results and advocating for yourself! You are right that most biopsies are negative, but it is completely understandable with your history (and your family history) that you are concerned. Try not to go too far down the "what if" road. I'm hoping for a biopsy appointment soon, so that you can get your questions answered with certainty. Sending you positive thoughts for B9 results. ((hugs))
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Star, you will be scheduled for a biopsy of some sort which while inconvenient isn't a big deal. So then you will know if/or if not you have something to worry about. for birads 4 with no abc, you have a 70% chance of a b9 result. So just take it a step at a time and don't get ahead of things unless you want to work out options on options that won't ever happen. I can see that you are probably a googler or binger, so I won't say don't but try to stay with information of credible sources.
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I second cive. Research is important, but from credible sources. There are some CRAZY websites out there. Do your best to ignore them until you know more!
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thanks everyone. I am a googler 😉 But because of the research with my previous job I'm pretty good at only using reliable websites and not Dr. google crazy pages 😁.
Since my radiology report said they were going to recall me (transcribed Friday) and I hadn't heard anything yet i gave them a call this afternoon to see when I could schedule the biopsy. After being passed around for 20 minutes they told me I had to contact my pcp to get a referral to have it done
so I emailed my pcp and pray she answers it soon, she isn't known for being fast in responding. Hoping I can at least be able to schedule it by the end of the week.
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In other words, hurry up and wait!
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Good for you for NOT just giving up. Its so disconcerting that we women are still ignored at times when we voice educated concern!!!
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exactly Cive
thank you doglover.
So, impatient me knowing my pcp's return email track record, went ahead and called and left a message. The nurse returned the call and wanted to know why I was calling them 😑 I explained my conversation with radiology and they said I could only schedule my biopsy through my pcp... the nurse replied they have nothing to do with radiology scheduling and the report even states radiology would call me. I told her that is what I said to radiology when they told me to call the pcp 😠 so the nurse is calling radiology to try to figure this out 😅
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I spoke with the radiology dept. They scheduled me for an ultrasound only appt next Thursday. They will try to find the area and if so they will schedule another appt to do the biopsy by us, if not it will be scheduled with radiology. I asked if it could be done same day, but they wouldn't
must come up with things to busy myself for the next week or longer.
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radiologist couldn't find the area by us. So now I wait to schedule the mri biopsy either next tue or the tue after. Then the biopsy results will be back approximately 10 days later. *Sigh* on a funny note, She walked in and said you should be a radiologist lol
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So sorry you're still in the wondering and waiting stage! that is the absolute worst. ((hugs))
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thank you MTwoman ((hugs)). Question, has anyone had an mri nonmass enhancement (mine specifically was clumped ) not seen by mammo and us but biopsy comes back BC
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mri guided biopsy scheduled may 9th then 10 days wait for results
the place only does mri biopsies on Tues mornings
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Oh drats. I'm sorry you're having to wait so long (again). How is the distracting and relaxation going?
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It's okay
I'll get there. Well, this afternoon I factory reset my phone but the backup failed to reinstall so I'm having to manually reset everything which is taking all evening. That's one day down
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That's looking on the bright side!
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biopsy done. Wasn't too bad. Now I wait. Hope to hear from the radiologis by in a week. Prayers for all others who are waiting.
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Glad you got your biopsy done, no more waiting for that! Hope they get your (B9) results back to you quickly.
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