Radiologist messed up -- now how will it be fixed???

Lobular is a tricky beast, hard to pin down on imaging except, I think, MRI, and due to the chain shape as opposed to solid, also is hard to capture for sampling biopsies.

Lobular is very tricky to find and see. In April, 2018 my mammogram indicated I needed further investigation. A core needle biopsy indicated LCIS, ultra sound showed nothing and even MRI showed nothing. Six months later I had preventative surgery - bilateral mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction. The pathology report indicated a 1 cm lump. My surgical team is convinced it was there in April and was not seen on the MRI. By reading other posts you will find phrases that lobular "is tricky", is evasive". If you feel a lump pursue it. Also before any surgery have your lymph nodes tested to see if cancer cells have travelled to nodes. Surgery will only remove the nodes with cancer cel It used to be common to remove all the lymph nodes but there is a risk of lymphedema. Good Luck.

I don't think mine was a traditional lobular tumor, it was very distinct showed up on mammogram, ultrasound and mri. I had a mastectomy and the pathology showed one 1cm tumor idc and one 1cm ilc no other cancer present anywhere they could tell. I had DIEP reconstruction so far so good.

I think they should be able to get er, pr and her2 status for your biopsies. It ususlly takes atleast a couple days for pathologist to review it.

You should absolutely be at a hospital you have confidence in. In my opinion that's a huge part of this cancer battle. I wonder if the new dr will want to redo the biopsy. Knowing the hormone receptor status and grade of the tumor is info they will want before surgery.

If it's any comfort, my radiologist said nearly the same thing: "the pathologists don't like it if I don't send them enough material in the samples". I was a little worried about needing so many samples but it worked out ok.

This is kind of a bumpy road but you'll get to the healthy side quicker than you think. Hang in there!

Sending hugs, Lucky.

Hi Jessie,

Keep up with the wishful thinking you mentioned earlier!  I think that is great.  Errors are made more than we hear about, as you have experienced with your late husband.  Even Doctors now-a-days encourage second opinions.  I'm glad you are going to a new hospital that you are confident with.  Your experience so far does seem to be confusing.  You had a mammogram and from that you were told that you had cancer?  Then you had a biopsy and over the phone they confirmed that you had cancer?  Over the phone?  I would be running from that hospital too!  You should relax for the next few days until your new appointment.  Think positive and at your next appointment, let the surgeon know that you are not comfortable going forward with the partial diagnosis you have received to date and that you want to leave that bad experience behind you and start fresh.  He will understand.  

Jessie, I am sorry you are having to deal with this.

I work with families in which a loved one has dementia, and I strongly suggest you arrange some time off of caregiving for yourself. It’s ok, and better for your parents even, if you can reduce your stress somewhat by getting some time to yourself.

Take care, and best of luck! Glad you made the hospital change—good for you for taking action

jessie, it's such a slog. Life can be so unfair.

I was 20 when my biological mother died from breast cancer. Then my co-mother was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia when I was 23 and I was basically in charge of her. The average life span from diagnosis is 2-10 years, but she survived 15 - many of those years immobile and unable to communicate in any way. She died in April. My biopsy was in September. That was about months, out of basically all fo my 20s and 30s, free from these kind of cares. What can you do, you get what you get...