Age 27, have had two years of 6mo check ups already.
Hi all,
I just turned 27 last week. two years ago I noticed a strange dimple in my right breast when I flexed and decided to go in for a check because of a strong family history. My maternal grandmother and maternal aunt both had breast cancer (they and my mother were negative for any of the BRCA genes).
-Basically at the time (2016) they found two tumors via ultrasound and mammogram, I had a core needle biopsy on the big one and it came back as a fibroadenoma.
-Had my 6month follow up and the smaller tumor had grown and there was a new one. Had a second core needle biopsy, same results as before.
-Went in AGAIN for 6month follow up and had felt a new lump now on my left side, just before I made my appointment. New lump on left side ended up being a cyst that they drained. But the check up back on the right side had yet another new growth and one of the old growths had grown rapidly. Biopsy came back as yet another fibroadenoma. So in total I think I have at least 6 or 7 growths in my right breast.
I was on oral birth control from age 16-26, and recently just had the Kylena IUD placed. It gives off less hormones than the pill apparently, so I am hoping they might start shrinking?
I am very very lucky all results have come back negative, but then why do I feel like I'm a ticking time bomb whenever I go back in to these appointments?
I decided I was sick of the repetitive tests causing so much stress and how much each appointment was costing me and made an appointment with a breast surgeon. She wants to do an MRI (makes me nervous something new will be found) then probably take out the largest growth via surgery (lumpectomy?). She calculated my risk with all the family history and my early first period (age 11), no children, very dense breasts, large size (G), and it came back as High risk, 22%. Where a yearly MRI was recommended but she doesn't think that is necessary.
I have so much fear and anxiety over all of this I feel like I am going to make myself sick. I guess I don't really know exactly what I am asking, but just looking for anyone to relate to. I am terrified of scaring after the removal, the medical bills, the potential of them just to keep growing and to just keep needing a new one removed, or if I am just killing time until the inevitable.
I work in the medical field and have heard somewhat of how trauma to the area could somehow end up leading to cancer...by having all of these biopsies and any removals, am I adding yet another factor to increase my breast cancer risk?
This forum is amazing and reading all of your posts and how much all of you beautiful people who have been diagnosed encourage and help each other on here is really great. I feel stupid for posting worries that mean nothing compared to actually being diagnosed, but I can't curb this anxiety!
Comments
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I really can relate. I'm 26 and have 14 fibroadenomas (about to see a specialist about one of them) and several have grown rapidly in a short time. As far as I know, our hormone levels can affect fibroadenomas - they often grow and shrink around our period. Perhaps the fact you're no longer taking oral birth control will affect them.
Please don't feel stupid. For any person, finding something growing can be scary. It's perfectly legitimate to be concerned. If there's good reason to remove the growth, and if surgeon is recommending it, it's probably good to go that path. Try to stay positive and stay off Google - it doesn't help. If you want to connect further feel free to send me a PM. Thinking of you.
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See it already feels somehow nice to hear that someone else knows what it's like...thank you for the reply!!
I keep telling myself to stay off google and got way too deep into searching today... thank you for the friendly reminder. MUCH Needed
Xx
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No problem! Take care of yourself (and happy birthday!).
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Any updates, fiddlesticks522?
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thank you for asking!
I actually just got my MRI results 6 days ago. The MRI wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, I just hate sitting still that long!! Haha
Basically they reconfirmed all the previous biopsies in the right breast from the clips they left in there. Then they found a benign looking intramammary lymph node and told me not to worry about it. I’m not completely sure what that means. And then nothing else new was seen luckily.
Then my left breast which has basically given me no problems yet, other than a cyst that was drained, they found a small oval mass. Gave it Bi-Rads score 3 (which is a relief because I usually end up as a 4) and told me to get another ultrasound in 6 months....
so I am very relieved there was nothing scary. But I’m also kind of bummed that this 6month cycle road of new findings is still going round and round. I am starting to think it’s going to be the price I have to pay to stay on top of my health and give me the best shot of finding something very early if I do get it
Although I did get my results I haven’t had my follow up appointment with the breast surgeon yet, that will be on Monday. So we will see what she says for the larger growths!
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I know you originally posted that BRCA was negative. Have they done the full panel genetic testing on you??? I also have a long family history, and there's a VUS in the CHEK2 gene.
Sorry you are stuck in this 6 month cycle, but glad they are watching things so carefully.
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My mom had done some version of panel of testing probably over 10 or 15 yrs ago. But I am so glad you reminded me because I have been hearing that the old version of the panel of tests was significantly lacking and now there are a lot more they look for. I meant to ask my doctor about that next time I went in so I am definitely going to ask her Monday on how to get that going.
Thank you so much for reminding me
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