Questions for breast specialist
I just turned 40 a few months ago, I had a baseline mammogram at 35 two years post elective breast reduction. I had my first screening mammogram in the beginning of July and got a call back for an asymmetry not seen on my previous mammogram. I talked to the mammo tech and she assured me it was probably just a skin fold. I was scheduled out six weeks for the diagnostic mammogram and didn't think much about it until a week before and decided to look around. While looking in the mirror I raised my arm above my head and noticed a puckering along the scar in the crease along the bottom of my breast, that was definitely new. I started to feel around and felt a hard thick area that didn't feel like the rest of the breast and was also not symmetrical with my left breast. I have pretty lumpy breasts so although I do self exams I never feel very confident about them but this spot just struck me as different. A few days later I was feeling around in the same area and felt a lump. It's basically at the farthest inner lower corner of my breast, it's moveable and not hard like they always say cancer feels so I wasn’t too worried. I went to my diagnostic mammogram, which ended up negative for the asymmetry I was sent for in the first place but I told the tech about the puckering and thelump. They did some spot pictures on the lump and also an US- both were negative. Even though the mammo tech, the US tech and the radiologist all said they could feel the lump the radiologist ended up saying- "I can't see anything on US so I can't biopsy something I can't see (which I didn't ask if she could) and both the lump and the puckering are probably just scar tissue. You can follow up with your gyn or see a breast specialist" I was frozen and didn't ask any questions. I decided to see a breast specialist which is scheduled this week. I'm just wondering if the breast specialist says the same thing, should I push for more testing or just accept that it's "probably just scar tissue"? I know the odds are majorly in the favor of something benign but I just have an unsettled feeling. I'm mostly worried about waiting...stage iv cancer scares me.
Comments
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You could ask your specialist whether breast tomosynthesis or an MRI are warranted in your case.
I'd also ask whether the reports indicate your breasts are dense. If so you might want to read through https://www.areyoudense.org/
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Any weight loss in the past 6 mo to a year?
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No weight loss, no symptoms that would make me think it’s cancer and it has spread. I just don’t know what’s reasonable to request as far as testing on a lump that can’t be seen on imaging and when it’s reasonable to wait until next year’s mammogram. I don’t have a strong history of breast cancer in my family just one maternal aunt in her late 40’s but very stong history with colon cancer- my dad and his mother and her sister all diagnosed stage iv out of the gate, none of them survived more than two years and I’m sure that is what makes me scared!
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I was never told I have dense breasts but I did have a biopsy when I was 25 that turned out to be fibrocyctic- are those the same thing?
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