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J96
J96 Member Posts: 4
edited November 2018 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

Hey guys, I'm new to the group. I'm only 22 and im a bit worried. In August I had an ultrasound and they graded it a birads 3.

The report says

At 1 o'clock 3-4 cm from nipple, there is a 10 mm x 4 mm oval shaped, parallel oriented, circumscribed, smooth border, hypoechoic mass with no suspicious imaging characteristics seen. This appears to be a solid mass.

At 1 o'clock 7 cm from nipple, there is a 14 mm x 5 mm oval shaped, parallel oriented, circumscribed, smooth border, hypoechoic mass with no suspicious imaging characteristics seen. This appears to be a solid mass.

At 12 o'clock 6 cm from the nipple, there is a 4.3 cm x 2.1 cm oval shaped, parallel oriented, circumscribed, hypoechoic mass with no suspicious imaging characteristics seen. This may be a complicated cyst or low level solid mass.

In in the axilla, there are morphologically normal-appearing lymph nodes.


Is there anything I should be worried about? A birads 3 doesn't really let me know anything for sure it's like a big “ I don't really know we'll just watch it “ to me and it doesn't sit well with me. They want me to go back for follow up imaging in 6 months but that's such a long time to wait. This situation has been very emotional for me and I don't know what to think

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  • Salamandra
    Salamandra Member Posts: 1,444
    edited November 2018

    It is very encouraging that everything says non-suspicious and normal appearing! I think there is an excellent chance this really is nothing.

    That said, you are completely justified to be concerned! This is your health.

    In your shoes, I think I would want to really understand what the doctor thinks these lumps are, if not cancer, what he expects to happen or not happen after 6 months that would give a hint in one direction or another, the potential adverse consequences of waiting - if it turns out to have been cancer, and what next steps you could take now to rule out cancer.

    In my experience, it can be aggravatingly difficult to find a doctor who will take a woman's questions, and especially a young woman's questions, seriously. If you have a doctor who does, that is wonderful! go to them and keep asking until you feel like you understand and can make an informed decision about your healthcare (i.e., whether to put it on wait and watch mode, investigate further now, do genetic testing for possible cancer-related mutations, etc). If your doctor isn't taking your concerns seriously, don't take it personally. It's not you, it's them. Look for another doctor or be the squeaky wheel until they engage with you, whichever you think has a better chance of working.

    When you feel like you've got enough information and understanding to make a decision, make the best decision you can and make the best of it. That's all any of us can do.

    No matter which way you go now, there will be more nerve-wracking waiting (whether it's for the next 6 month ultrasound, or for the genetic test results, or the biopsy results, etc). It's hard to live with it for anybody, check out so many of the threads on this board. But all you can do is be your own best advocate and take care of yourself as well as you can (and can chat here or to your support system when you need some extra help)!

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  • Spoonie77
    Spoonie77 Member Posts: 925
    edited November 2018

    J96 - Totally second all that Salamandra has suggested. Good stuff.

    Thought I'd add that maybe this site, The Radiology Assistant: BI-RADS, might be helpful to you. It's been quite helpful to me over the past few months.

    This, info on BI-RADs 3, comes from that site:

    image

    Although it's so very hard to wait, all signs seem to point that a short interval point for follow-up are standard of care.


    That being said though, it is your health and your body, so hopefully your doc will listen to you and help assure you with facts and a plan in order to get you through the next waiting period.

    Fingers crossed nothing changes with your next scan. Keep us posted!

    (((((J96))))

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  • J96
    J96 Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2018

    Most of the time it seems like the doctors try to brush off my questions and they tell me that this is something very common with women within my age group. Although it sounds very reassuring I still need to know for certain that there is no sign of cancer to put my mind at ease and so I can stop worrying. I really dislike having a doctor that seem unconcerned with a situation like this . The last ultrasound i had the tech told me that everything is okay and im fine but my thing is how are they so sure ? It took the doctor 4 weeks to contact me with my results and that’s only because my mom called the office and was very adement on speaking with the doctor because she seen how emotional this whole thing has been for me. The doctors response for why she took so long to call was “ if it was urgent I would’ve called sooner “ that upset because whether it was urgent or not I still deserve to know as soon as my report was reviewed.

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  • J96
    J96 Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2018

    Thank you so much i will definitely take a look at that website. I’m hoping all is well when i have my next scan I will for sure keep you guys posted

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  • J96
    J96 Member Posts: 4
    edited November 2018

    Another thing I should mention is in August was when I got my first breast examination at planned parent hood. I don’t have health insurance so I don’t have a primary care doctor. I felt the palpable lump in my left breast and I made an appointment with planned parent hood. During the exam I told the doctor that I feel a lump in my right breast too. She felt it and she told me she didn’t feel anything so because she didn’t feel anything she wrote me and ultrasound script for only the left breast. I was very frustrated because i knew what I was feeling and she completely ignored it. I went ahead and got the ultrasound done for my left breast because I was so anxious i just couldn’t wait. Up to this day the doctor at planned patent hood never called me regarding my results I even called their office and never received a call back. So last month in October I went to a clinic inside of a hospital and had a breast examination with a obgyn because I was still very concerned about the lump I was feeling in my right breast, she could feel the lump as well ! She wrote me a script for a bilateral breast ultrasound and the results for the right breast came back as

    " 1:00 7 cm from nipple 3.6 x 1.2 x 2.5 cm and 1.2 x 1.0 x 0.7 cm circumscribed solid masses are parallel to the skin and likely represent benign fibroadenomas. Your recent breast exam performed on 10/30/2018 showed an area that we believe is probably benign (probably not cancer) however within the next 6 months we feel that you should have a follow up breast study to confirm that this area has not changed "

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  • JaKris24
    JaKris24 Member Posts: 7
    edited November 2018

    Ladies,

    I have been experiencing swelling and extreme pain under my left armpit and in my chest area. I went to urgent care November 18th and they did an EKG. The EKG was fine but they were sent me to the ER just because of the chest pain. I was admitted for observation and had a stress test the following day. Everything with my heart checked out so I was released Nov 19th.

    November 21st I went back to the ER with armpit pain and chest pain again. They checked me for a blood clot. That was not the issue either. This time they sent me home with a prescription of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and GERD medicine.

    November 23rd I saw my primary care doctor still in excruciating pain under the arm along with swelling beside the breast. My doctor gave me pain medicine and told me to rest in case I pulled a muscle.

    November 24 I went to a different ER. I am hurting for some reason and no one can tell me why. I am taking all the prescribed medications and nothing is helping. The ER doctor asked how long I had been having the pain under my arm. I first noticed sharp shooting pains under the arm on Aug 18th. I was getting ready for my 30 year class reunion. At that time it would come and go. Over the last few weeks the pain had become more often and been more persistent. It never ceases now. Not even with pain pills.

    My mom had breast cancer. My question or worry is could this pain under my arm be cancer? I'm in agony and don't know which way to turn. My doctor finally referred me to an oncologist. I will see them Dec 6th. But I haven't had a biopsy or anything.

    Has anyone else experienced anything like this

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