Changes with 2 of 4 complex cyst

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amccms2
amccms2 Member Posts: 15
edited September 2018 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

Hi. Radiologist found an area of concern with my left arm (moth eaten appearance and translucent). Had a radioactive scan done to see if it was cancer. The test discovered uptake in left breast. Ultrasound found 4 complex cyst and a lymph node. Have had to go every 4 months with no change. Cancer center was going to release me back to my regular physician and go for mamm once a year. Until they noticed a change. Now I have to wait six months for an ultrasound. If they notice changes with this one they said they were going to biopsy. What changes are they referring to. And why not biopsy now

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  • djmammo
    djmammo Member Posts: 2,939
    edited February 2018

    amccms2

    What was the diagnosis of the bone lesion? Was it biopsied? Is it the only bone lesion?

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  • amccms2
    amccms2 Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2018

    They decided it was just a fluke in a sense. They really gave no explanation since the bone scan imaging did not pick up any abnormalities in my arm. Only found uptake in my breast. My arm is much better since a doctor inserted a needle in the problem area and did something called "needling". It did the trick. Anyway, it scares me to think that if my arm had not ever been hurting, would they have ever found it because I was told I dense breast tissue. It would have never appeared on a mammogram, only on an ultrasound.

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  • djmammo
    djmammo Member Posts: 2,939
    edited February 2018

    amccms2

    I have heard colleagues use the term "needling" in place of the word biopsy. Ask them if a sample was sent to the lab and ask for the path results. And while you are at it have them send you the report of the x-ray of your arm.

    A lucent lesion that is neg on a bone scan may be a benign bone cyst but I don't like the term "moth eaten" as that reflects a bad connotation to us radiologists. (Metastatic disease from breast is "hot" on bone scan and usually (not always) dense on a bone x-ray.)

    Even though benign, if a bone cyst is large enough it makes that portion of the bone a bit more fragile. Sometimes they are packed with bone chips that will strengthen that area as the chips eventually fuse together.

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  • amccms2
    amccms2 Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2018

    My original post was concerning 2 of the 4 complex cyst. They have gotten bigger. Why is the doctor concerned and if she is concerned, why is she making me wait an additional 6 months? Because they told me initially that if there were any change in them, they would biopsy. And now that there is change, they are making me wait and worry. Six months is a very long time.

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  • djmammo
    djmammo Member Posts: 2,939
    edited February 2018

    amccms2

    Hard to know without reading the reports. Do you have them?

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  • amccms2
    amccms2 Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2018

    No. I guess I should have requested a copy before I left. Maybe I can get a copy faxed as I am sure they would not email them diue to Hipaa violation.

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  • Rachel888
    Rachel888 Member Posts: 53
    edited February 2018

    Hi amccms, I think that cysts can get bigger but still not look suspicious. I have seen many posts where women's lumps get bigger or even smaller and end up being nothing. But it is worth seeing the report and then maybe you can figure out if they got bigger but still don't look suspicious or if they changed in another way that is worrisome. Once you get the report you might be able to get a second opinion or ask for a biopsy. I have a complex cyst and I know if mine changes in size or anything in 6 months my doctor will definitely recommend a biopsy (because she told me this). But your cyst could be different and it could be a very small change.

    Best of luck!

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  • amccms2
    amccms2 Member Posts: 15
    edited February 2018

    Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. I will call to see if they will deliver the report in some fashion (mail, fax or email). Hopefully they won’t make me drive almost 2 hours to pick it up. I will get back to you guys. Thanks again.


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  • amccms2
    amccms2 Member Posts: 15
    edited March 2018

    Hi DJMammo,


    I had them mail me their findings and trying to make sense of them. It is confusing. Exact wording "There is an oval mass in the left breast at 2:00 6 cm and the nipple 7 mm. This is more conspicuous on today's tomosynthesis imaging. Stable intramammary lymph node is seen in the left axillary tail". What does this mean?

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  • djmammo
    djmammo Member Posts: 2,939
    edited March 2018

    amccms2

    Hard to know if the second sentence is related to the first sentence, that is, are they describing the lymph node as an oval mass and then concluding it is a lymph node? Would help to see the entire report.

    The axillary tail is the strip of tissue between the breast and the arm pit. Lymph nodes are commonly found in the breast (intra-mammary) and the axillary tail, that is not abnormal. "Stable" means it has been there on prior studies and is unchanged implying that it is benign.

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  • amccms2
    amccms2 Member Posts: 15
    edited August 2018

    Hey. I was diagnosed Thursday with breast cancer. Had my “the plan” consultation today. I opted for double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery. I do not understand all the acronyms yet but I am sure to learn them soon enough. Positive ER, PR, DCIS and Her2. And invasive. Won’t know about my lymph nodes until close to surgery. And I go for the genetics test Thursday. He wanted to wait another 6 months even though the radiologist detected jagged edges. I insist on finally doing a biopsy. He minimized it and gave me the percentages speech. I thought about getting a second opinion just to see what they say

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  • amccms2
    amccms2 Member Posts: 15
    edited September 2018

    Going for CT scans for chest then abdomen and pelvis. Why? And then I am having a bone density scan tomorrow.

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