** Extremely Dense Breasts - Worried **

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KitKat145
KitKat145 Member Posts: 2
edited June 2018 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

Hello... I'm hoping to get a little more insight or advice on my situation. I'm a 35 year old and found out I was pregnant with my first in March of this year and then unfortunately miscarried in May. Since the pregnancy, my breasts were already getting bigger and very sore. I did start to notice a slight change in my right armpit area, there were no nodules or pea sized bumps just a raised area that was tender. Recently after the miscarriage I noticed it was still there, my breasts started to go down in size a little and no more swelling. I decided to go to my GYN and she did agree that there was some swelling in the axilla area and suggested I go get a mammogram and ultrasound. This being my first time doing a mammogram I was a little nervous. My doctor suggested that I get the ultrasound first and mention to the technician to have the doctor look at it first before doing a mammogram in case it wasn't needed. The doctor didn't see anything with my breast or armpit (lymphs) on ultrasound but to be sure recommended I go ahead and do the mammo while I was there and because of my age. They did the mammo and after the nurse came out and said everything was fine. I said that's great, but also asked then why does my armpit area still feel tender, they couldn't give me an answer.

Fast forward to a week later, I got my results in the mail and pictures to view online. I read the letter and it was very confusing. It said " no cancer, but extremely dense breasts. BI-RADS Category 2: Benign Findings. Screen in one year. Dense Fibrograndular tissue is noted in all qaundrants of the right breast, no new suspicious solid mass or suspicious area of shadowing."

My concern is that after reading the letter and reading forums online it seems very dense breast tissue is common however it doesn't help in finding cancer. I did view my pictures online and my breast tissue is pretty much all white, everything. You can hardly see anything except white.

I talked with my GYN again on the results and she honestly thinks that I should wait and see if it goes down or if I notice anymore changes. She said with the pregnancy and miscarriage it takes awhile for the body to get back to normal and the hormones to level. I voiced my concerns on cancer or inflammatory cancer and she said she still honestly thinks to not worry at this moment in time. But I am worrying because I keep thinking in my head what if the hormones went out of wack and started something up in my breast tissue. I'm really confused on what to do. It's been going on three months now that I've had a tender breast and underarm. Recently I noticed it was tender in my right breast at around 6 0'clock, this morning I woke up and the tenderness and the aches moved to the side near the armpit. Armpit isn't as tender unless I press on it. Not sure why I feel more aches in this breast before I wake up, then when I get up and I start moving around I don't feel it anymore unless I actually press on it. I'm a worry wart and am really hoping it's just hormones or maybe extra breast tissue etc, but I can't help not thinking it's more.

I'm just not sure what to do, should I insist on an MRI or wait? A breast biopsy or wait?

Thanks!

Comments

  • Lula73
    Lula73 Member Posts: 1,824
    edited June 2018

    it doesn’t hurt to ask your GYN to request an mri especially since your breasts are so dense.

  • buttonsmachine
    buttonsmachine Member Posts: 930
    edited June 2018

    Dense breasts are a challenge for sure. An MRI is a great way to screen, although sometimes doctors are hesitant to order them, and insurance companies like to deny them. All I'm saying is don't be afraid to advocate for yourself and put up a fight. You know your body, and if you have persistent or weird symptoms, it's good to investigate. Sometimes younger women are not taken seriously, and that really annoys me!

    Still, don't worry too much yet. When I found my lump the ultrasound and mammogram looked suspicious immediately - despite my very dense breasts - and they went straight to an MRI and biopsy. It's a good sign that your ultrasound and mammogram look benign.

  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited June 2018

    Hi KitKat, I am very sorry to hear about the miscarriage.

    If you don't have family history of breast cancer and all the specialists you have seen so far do not think there is anything suspicious I would just follow the advice you were given, i.e. monitor and come back if you notice a lump, repeat mammo in a year.

    Birads 2 means benign changes, nothing more. Dense tissue does not mean you have cancer. Hormonal changes do not cause cancer.

    Best

  • NotVeryBrave
    NotVeryBrave Member Posts: 1,287
    edited June 2018

    Did they do the 3D mammogram? It's much better for dense breasts.

    When was your previous mammogram that they were using for comparison? Were they done at the same location?

    If you have ongoing concerns - perhaps see a breast specialist. They are the best versed in breast anatomy and can formulate a plan for you.


  • KitKat145
    KitKat145 Member Posts: 2
    edited June 2018

    Thank you everyone for the kind words and advice, I do appreciate it. :) I think that if my lymph's don't settle down within another week or so I'm definitely going to ask to have an MRI done and if my GYN refuses than I will go somewhere else. I never even knew I had dense breasts, but it's all very overwhelming.

    NotVeryBrave: This was my first ever mammogram, my GYN wanted me to have that and an ultrasound to just make sure nothing was going on since I felt tenderness in my right breast (which seems to be moving around now) and lymph's were slightly swollen, but no actual lumps or round nodules were felt. So the radiologist and doctor have nothing previously to go off of. They did 2-D and 3-D mammo. They did say my lymph nodes appear normal, but can't tell me why my armpit area is slightly raised. I was told breast tissue can form in the area during pregnancy though. All so confusing.

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