Mri report creates more questions?

Carlydrama
Carlydrama Member Posts: 3
edited September 2017 in Just Diagnosed

Last month I went for a routine mammogram which turned into many many mammograms, two ultrasounds and finally the worst contraption built by man at chair biopsy core vacuum thingamajigger. NEVER AGAIN

Now I'm going to start off by telling you I don't do doctors or needles very well. . Which is to say they, that it gives me the shakes and makes me vomit just the thought of them. I didn't used to be this way, but I had a bad experience a few years ago and I can't get around it

So here's the thing I haven't been feeling well for a while I've had issues with lymph nodes for a long time they swell up but then they eventually go back down.

With a the strong family of benign cancers I've been prepared for my turn after age 60.

So they tell me I have IDC from the biopsy samples.. according to the results from the biopsy its idc. by the way during the biopsy they put a marker as to where they were.

The MRI report I just got says the mass is located 3 cm away from the marker in one Direction and about 2 cm in the other direction. From the biopsy marker. Its recommending additional biopsies due to them missing the "spot" So they are off by about 5 cm of where they took the samples.

What do you make of that it. . If 5 Centimeters away from where the tumor is tested positive for IDC, and they still don't have an actual sample of the tumor which by the way they say is an irregular shape with no defined margins

When I was first diagnosed I was absolutely sure that everything made sense now the lymph nodes, I break bones easy even the lymph nodes in my legs are enlarged. but my new team says "no no no those have nothing to do with it you're in stage 1" nothing is spread to your lymph nodes, okay but how can they be so sure?

I will also tell you I'm not even 50. I will be 50 in November, my last child moved out a few months ago and I was so ready to conquer the world with my new-found freedom. Actually keep my paycheck for myself for once. I was a foster kid and I made something of myself I became a stockbroker 19 years last week. I traveled a little bit but now I'm living in the Midwest and I raised two boys all by myself and this was supposed to be my time.

Question if they haven't tested the tumor how can they be sure what it is and how could they have been so far off in the biopsy sample.

question number 2 just because something small does that necessarily mean it's going to be a low stage and if they tested positive and their 5cm away from this tumor doesn't that mean the whole breast has cancer

Posting the mri report below in this thread.

According to my coordinator they are telling me that chip moved. Read the picture below if you can

I appreciate your help, I don't understand why they put a chip in to mark the spot if it can move?

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Comments

  • Peacetoallcuzweneedit
    Peacetoallcuzweneedit Member Posts: 233
    edited September 2017

    Hi Carlydrama -

    I hope you are doing well....I think you will find good info on this site, and I know this is/can be very overwhelming...I'm sorry you are going through this.

    It is normal to insert a marker at a biopsy site. Your biopsy came back as IDC, early stage? Correct? Your IDC will be staged by size and spread. Size and aggressive nature of the cancer are different, so that might be what you are referring to?? MRIs are used to find out more about the IDC and check for other spots, extent of tumor found....etc.....they can be/are used to help formulate a treatment plan.

    The 5cm you are referring to in your breast can sound large....but don't panic, my initial DCIS was seen as 6-7cm. The IDC found was very small. Other ladies/men may chime in on here about size as well. Hopefully you have an appointment very soon with your doc to go over your MRI findings and find out the "next step." I know you stated you have a hard time at the docs...is it possible to bring someone you trust to these appointments? Another set of ears, that can help you filter or take notes...or possibly record the visit?


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  • Carlydrama
    Carlydrama Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2017

    I guess I wasn't clear the MRI report says that the mass is 5 cm away from the marker that was placed during the biopsy

    Meaning they have never biopsy the actual mass itself or finger-like thing whatever

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  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited September 2017

    Carly, my guess is that either this is a secondary mass that was seen on the MRI but that was missed on other imaging or the mass is much larger than the prior imaging suggested and the radiologist feels that another portion of the mass should be biopsied to confirm. I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

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  • Mucki1991
    Mucki1991 Member Posts: 294
    edited September 2017

    MRI can't confirm or rule out Lymph node involvement. MRI showed a second area so it's natural for them to want to biopsy that also. Complete staging and grade will not be done until all/any masses are removed along with sentinel node biopsy. Sorry you find yourself here

    Best wishes for you

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  • Kahnartist
    Kahnartist Member Posts: 111
    edited September 2017

    hi! I was diagnosed last Monday with a 5 mm Idc. Like you, I had to deal with the chair of hell. I get you.

    I had an ultrasound guided biopsy first and that marker was clearly not on the spot so the chair was my second attempt. He showed me the second marker on the film and showed me it was also a few centimeters off and i was annoyed. It ended up coming back malignant so he thinks he got the sample from the spot. He said this sometimes the markers don't actually fire exactly where the sample was taken and show to be a little bit of the spot.

    I am waiting for my MRI results and fully expect to have to do more biopsies. Hopefully from someone else. He was a little all over the place. Anyway, I am sorry you have to have more. Ask them for a sedative to help your nerves. It has helped me so much during these terrible tests. I hope they find nothing more. Keep me updated.


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  • Carlydrama
    Carlydrama Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2017

    I had to take sedatives beforehand my arm looks like raw hamburger I can't do this anymore I can't do needles at all but when they're going to mess up like this and want me to redo it because they messed up this is unacceptable

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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited September 2017

    I didn't have a MRI but I did have a lumpectomy having been DX with Stage 1b IDC, Grade 1 BC. I had a second surgery to even the margins. My BS was sure I didn't have lymph mode involvement but when the Path report came back it showed a micromet in my SN. He said they had to dissect and re-dissect to see it. Given it was so small my ONC said there was no need to test more lymph nodes.

    Unfortunately there is no foolproof system to detect BC. We are at the mercy of our health professionals to find it and treat it. We have to be our own advocates. I questioned my ONC on several things. I asked a lot of questions and researched everything.

    Good luck! You have accomplished a lot in your life already. Congrats.

    Diane

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  • pupmom
    pupmom Member Posts: 5,068
    edited September 2017

    Diane, truth is we're at the mercy of our own bodies. Health care professionals do whatever is in their arsenals to protect us, but cancer is a vicious adversary.

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

    carlydrama, I am so sorry that you're here and confused by the testing results. Based on your info above, the marker isn't 5 cm away, it is 3cm in one direction and 2 cm in another (you can't just add those dimensions, think more of a triangle in a 3 dimensional space). While it is difficult in this initial investigative stage; when you've been told "idc" and you're getting recommendations for additional imaging or sampling and not feeling like you have 'anwers', the more information your providers collect the better. Once your providers have answered the question(s) about the other mass, they can better inform you about treatment options. It wouldn't really be helpful to you for me to speculate about your situation, but I would recommend that you begin assembling a team (BS, PS, MO, RO) so that you're ready to move once the additional information is in. Have they sent you the pathology report with your hormone receptor info yet? That usually comes before the HER2 results. That info will be imperative to your team in considering your treatment options. I am sorry that you're still struggling! sending you warm thoughts and gentle ((hugs))

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