Concern with BS
Hello Everyone,
This is my first post on this site. I cannot even begin to explain how comforting and helpful you all have been. Hopefully, someone can give me some advice on how to proceed now. I'm sorry that this is such a long read, but I have no one else to ask.
My History: I have fibrocystic breast diseaseAbout two months ago, I noticed some dimpling under my left breast (none under my right). I showed my Dr and she ordered an ultrasound. I had developed a dull pain and my nipple started to pull. The skin also looks very bruised. Ultrasound came back clean, but noted b9 nodes and an area that was BIRADS 1. The pain persisted so I was sent to a BS. He didn't take me seriously because of my age (I'm 27). He spoke about how my dimpling wasn't "that" bad but ordered a MRI. He also said that the pain is something I need to learn to deal with and that a reduction won't help.
The Issue: The MRI was yesterday. The MRI was performed and I was informed that he wanted to do an ultrasound immediately. He actually came in to redo the ultrasound. He said there was a very clear area on the MRI that didn't reliably show up on the ultrasound. He said that he could only reproduce it clearly once. This is the same "area of concern" from the last us but is now almost a cm larger. My options are to wait a few months and redo the MRI, or to have a MRI guided biopsy. He told me the report would be ready this morning and I would be hearing from the BS today. I am impatient, so I went to get a printout of the reports/image disk this morning. Ultrasound: BIRADS 3, MRI: BIRADS 3.
The BS didn't seem to be as concerned as the radiologist was. He told me that the reports were good and there was nothing found to biopsy after I asked. If I hadn't had the report in my hand to read to him, I wouldn't have been able to convince him that the radiologist recommended a biopsy at all. Right now, I am scared to think about the "what ifs" of having not known about the findings before speaking to the BS. The radiologist was very solemn when he spoke to me and spoke with a sense of urgency. He told me not to ignore this. I don't know why there is such a difference between the two doctors' reactions.
My Questions:
A BIRAD 3 is something to be concerned about, right?
Should I proceed with the biopsy or should I be as unconcerned as the BS suggests? Should I wait a few months for a MRI?
The radiologist mentioned issues with scar tissue in case of a "false negative." Does anyone have any knowledge/advice on that?
The report called the area of concern "an area of increased tissue signal... it is amorphous." I know what the terminology is referring to, but can anyone explain what that means?
If I proceed with a reduction, would it really not make a difference in my discomfort?
Hopefully, this will all come out okay. I'm praying for the best, but preparing for the worst. I know the statistics are on my side. Thank you.
Comments
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I can't answer all of your questions, but I'm sure others will come along with more experience and chime in.
I would follow the radiologist's recommendation to do the biopsy. MRI's are known for showing "more" - which means that sometimes they do show things that aren't really there (false positives). But - I think you'd like to know, right? Especially if the size is changing and the symptoms are concerning.
They will leave a tiny clip as a marker at the site so on later imaging it can be seen. That will help explain any potential scarring distortion in the future.
Anything that's not classified as normal or benign is concerning, of course. Yes - stats are on your side. You should still have it checked. No sense worrying about something unknown when you can know.
PS - Find another BS. It's important to have trust and understanding with your providers.
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