How many masses is too many?

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Firefly8
Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
edited March 2019 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

Hello Everyone,

I am so glad to find a support group for this. My thoughts and prayers go out to each and every one of you that are dealing with health concerns and cancer. I pray for healing for the mind, body and soul.

I will start out by saying the I am 43 years old (just turned the day after my test). I had my first mammography and they called me back immediately for a repeat mammography and an US of the right breast. I have a previous history of thyroid cancer on the right side. I will mention that I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and I had plenty of FNA's on my thyroid and it never came back as cancer. Going into thyroid surgery, I was told that I had a 1-3% chance that it was cancer, so I was not worried. However, I received a call about a week after my surgery and a 1cm tumor of Papillary Thyroid Cancer was found. That's when I now worry that odds are not in my favor.

I was rated a Birads of 3 after the Ultrasound, which was a relief. However, there is still a concern on my part as I have so many masses. I have to repeat the US in 6 months. I was wondering if anyone else has this amount of masses? Also, I am dealing with some possibly Rheumatology illnesses, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease? I will ask my Rheum doctor in 2 weeks if my breast could be effected, because most of my inflammation in my body is felt on the right side.

ULTRASOUND FINDINGS:
Real-Pme ultrasound scanning was performed in the area of interest.

Finding 1: Ultrasound demonstrates an oval solid mass with circumscribed margins measuring 21 x 11 x 19 mm in the right breast at 11 o'clock located 5 cm from the nipple. Internal echotexture is hypoechoic.

Finding 2: Ultrasound demonstrates a gently lobulated horizontal solid mass with circumscribed margins measuring 25 x 10 x 24 mm in the right breast at 2 o'clock located 5 cm from the nipple. Internal echotexture is hypoechoic.

Finding 3: Ultrasound demonstrates several oval solid masses with circumscribed margins seen in the right breast in the subareolar region and in the superior region. Internal echotexture is hypoechoic. They are as follows:

At 9:00, 4 cm from the nipple 0.5 x 0.2 x 0.5 cm in size.
At 10:00, 7 cm from the nipple, 1.0 x 0.3 x 0.8 cm in size.
At 11:00, 5 cm from the nipple, 0.5 x 0.3 x 0.6 cm in size.
At 11:00, 4 cm from the nipple, 0.9 x 0.3 x 1.0 cm in size.
At 9:00, 1 cm from the nipple, 0.4 x 0.3 x 0.4 cm in size.
At 9:00, subareolar, 1.6 x 0.4 x 1.1 cm in size.
At 1:00, 4 cm from the nipple, 0.7 x 0.4 x 0.6 cm in size.
At 11:00, 8 cm from the nipple, 1.0 x 0.4 x 0.7 cm in size.
A simple lobulated cyst at 3:00, 1 cm from the nipple measuring 1.3 x 0.6 x 1.5 cm in size.

IMPRESSION:
MulPple similar appearing hypoechoic circumscribed solid masses in the right breast are probably benign, most likely fibroadenomas. A follow up unilateral ultrasound of the right breast in 6 months is recommended.

BI-RADS Category 3: Probably Benign Finding(s)

Comments

  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited June 2017
  • Annette47
    Annette47 Member Posts: 957
    edited June 2017

    I don’t know much about what you are dealing with (which is why I didn’t respond when I first saw this). All I can say is that this would be a very unusual presentation for cancer ... lumpy breasts are not uncommon, and most of the time are pretty harmless, although yours do seem to be unusually lumpy. More masses don’t usually mean more of chance of cancer - it just means in the unlikely event that you do get cancer it has more places to hide.

    You can be relieved that the radiologist felt they had enough evidence to be confident that these were benign, even though there were a lot of them.


  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited June 2017

    Thank you so much, Annette - that helps greatly. I am relieved by the Birads 3 and am curious to see if there is any change in 6 months. I am wondering if my lumpy breast is possibly from a tissue disease, in the right side of my body. On self exam, I cannot feel much of anything - so happy that I finally went for my Mammogram. Even without a known breast cancer history in my family, it's so important. My father had cancer in about 5 places and I have ovarian cancer history on both sides. Mammograms are so important.

    Thanks again.

  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited June 2017

    Firefly - Has your doctor ever mentioned getting some genetic counseling? Ovarian cancer is most common with those who have a Brca mutation. A family history of ovarian cancer, especially on both side is worthy of mentioning.

    I generally had around a dozen lumps/cysts each time I had an ultrasound which was at least yearly for almost twenty years.

    Take care.

  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited June 2017

    Hi Lucy, thank you for your reply. I haven't spoken to my PCP yet because I was given the results by the radiology physician on Friday at the hospital. I will inquire about the genetic testing, though - that is a really good point. I will also speak with my insurance company to see if they cover it, as well. This is really something that I want to stay proactive with. I have a lot of symptoms of inflammation on the right side of my body (including eye inflammation) and have not been working for 2 years because of it. My Sed Rate and ANA always come back a high positive, yet Rheumatology does not have a definitive answer. I thought that it was interesting that my left breast has zero concern - nothing - but the right side had 10 masses (the side of my body that I feel all of my inflammation).

  • djmammo
    djmammo Member Posts: 2,939
    edited June 2017

    Firefly

    See this article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25827711

    excerpt:

    "The results of our study support the association between benign breast diseases and thyroid diseases. An important implication of this finding may be demonstration of the necessity of scanning for potential breast pathology in women with nodular or autoimmune thyroid disease in clinical practice."

  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited June 2017

    djmammo, thank you of the article. I just started following another board on this site regarding the correlation between the two. I feel that Endocrinologists, OB/GYN's and PCP's should share that info with their thyroid patients. In my mind, I was only concerned with family history for getting my mammogram done.

    My bottom line worry is if any of my current symptoms have any possibly way of correlating with this Ultrasound, as doctors look at me quizzically when I say that my inflammation problems are primarily on the right side of my body.

    That article has been helpful, thank you.

  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited June 2017

    Just an update, my PCP called this morning and advised that I see a breast surgeon that he is referring to me. I am actually relieved that we share the same concern, which I didn't even get a chance to talk to him after my tests. It's better to be safe and be under the care of a specialist.

  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited June 2017

    Another update, I saw my OB/GYN yesterday and he looked at the results and his opinion is that it may be Phyllodes Tumors, as I have too many for it to be fibroadenomas as the US suggested. He asked if I was already seeing a surgeon and I said yes, and he said that it's most likely benign but I do have an involved process with this. I guess I will find out more at my appointment with the surgeon.

  • MTwoman
    MTwoman Member Posts: 2,704
    edited June 2017

    That is encouraging, Firefly! Please keep us updated. Continuing to hope for B9 results for you!

  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited June 2017

    Thank you, MTwoman!

  • dcdrogers
    dcdrogers Member Posts: 115
    edited June 2017

    @Firefly,

    Last July through September I started having muscle weakness (inflammation) effecting both sides of my body. It started slowly and then progressive rather quickly. When it became difficult to even pull my shirt over my head I went in to see my PCP. She suspected "Mixed Connective Tissue Disease" and ran test to check my CK levels, ANA, Aldonase, Sed Rateetc...etc... Test came back with elevated CK levels over 7,500, elevated Aldonase & Sed Rate, normal ANA. I was sent to see a Rheumatologist for further testing. They both suspected Polymyositis. Doctor tested me again for ANA and also ran Polymyositis panels to looks for antibodies. All came back negative so I was sent or a muscle biopsy and EMG testing. Both came back inconclusive. Doctor then sent me to have a CT scan as Polymyositis is very rare.

    "While myositis doesn't cause cancer, physicians have found that a higher than normal percentage of dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) patients also have cancer."

    The CT Scan shows a mass in my left breast and enlarged lymph nodes. By this time my CK levels were over 10K. I lso had a diagnostic mammogram and Ultrasound and was given a Birads 4. I saw a breast surgeon approximately 2 weeks after the CT Scan and she sent me to have biopsies done of the breast and the lymph. Both came back positive for cancer.

    Please don't be scared by anything I'm writing. I just wanted to share my story as my muscle weakness and suspected "Mixed Connective Tissue Disease" has led me here.

    http://www.myositis.org/learn-about-myositis/compl...

    If you haven't already done so, see if one of your doctor's can send you in for a Scan.

    p.s. I have hashimotos and suffer from fibrocycstic breast.

    ~Dee

  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited June 2017

    dcdrogers

    Thank you for sharing your story with me. I am so sorry that you had to go through so much with your health. I'm to the point where I know something is going wrong in my body and just need a definitive answer. Types of cancers have crossed my mind since so many of my specific Rheumatology tests are negative. Muscle weakness, inflammation, joint pain and severe fatigue can mimic SO many things. I, too, had a long episode of muscle weakness in my hands and had to go through Occupational Therapy for 2 months.

    I am not scared about what you had written, since I am also having symptoms, I just want to get the bottom of this. I told my husband that it's quite ironic that my right breast shows all of these masses, since that's the side where all of my symptoms are. I need an answer and then a treatment plan. I am anxious to see what the breast surgeon has to say when I see her next week, as I want to inform her of all of my symptoms.

    I saw that you mentioned that you have Hashimoto's, too. From my experience I feel like that started everything for me and it's been constant struggles to just get back to optimal health. I think that a tissue/mass biopsy from my breast and a scan may show what's going on. It took years for them to find my Hashimoto's because all of my blood work was "fine". Not until I had a biopsy did it reflect Hashimoto's. Again, thank you for sharing, I know it's not easy. Thoughts to you for good health and healing.

  • Firefly8
    Firefly8 Member Posts: 17
    edited March 2019

    Hello All,

    I'm back again to check-in. I'm doing much worse these days. I'm suffering from neurological issues, which have been labeled by the neurologist as "ataxia". She feels that it's due to underlying cause of my thyroid/autoimmune or an underlying cancer. Per my Endocrinologist, my neck is clear and stable, per my recent ultrasound... no return of cancer. I am overdue for my Mammogram & US... as it's been a year. I've been having sharp pains in my right breast again (nipple) and above my breast. I am going to switch breast surgeons for a second opinion and closer to home as I am now not able to walk well, have a walker/hold on to my husband, can't drive or be out alone due to the ataxia. I pray these tests for my breast are accurate and most likely benign, as they were not for my thyroid as I found out after surgery.


    My paraneoplastic serum panel bloodwork was negative. (Cancer marker, also checks for breast, I believe).

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