Ultrasound lobular cancer

Options
Sunshine37
Sunshine37 Member Posts: 4
edited December 2019 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

hi everyone,

I have a soft lump near or under my breast. I think it is muscle over a rib. I am getting an ultrasound for this. But i worry that it might be lobular cancer. And for what i have head this is very hard to see with ultrasound. Is this true? How often are these cancers missed? Can i be relieved after the ultrasound? So many questions but i know at some point if it is cancer it will be visible in the breast (dimpling) even though the ultrasound was negative...

Thank you for everyone to respond!!!

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • BevJen
    BevJen Member Posts: 2,523
    edited December 2019

    Lobular is difficult to spot on all imaging modalities. I think that for your breasts, the most reliable is an MRI.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited December 2019

    Sunshine, before you start thinking about lobular cancer, whether or not to trust the ultrasound, and what you should be doing next, you should wait to see what the ultrasound shows. To my understanding, ultrasounds are the first screening option for muscular conditions. So if this is a muscle issue, the ultrasound might show this. If the ultrasound shows something that explains what you are feeling, then you can feel confident in the result.

    If the ultrasound shows nothing at all, and if your doctors (including the Radiologist) agree that there is something there, then you move to additional testing. The Radiologist should have a recommendation on that, based on his/her assessment of what the lump might be.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sunshine37
    Sunshine37 Member Posts: 4
    edited December 2019

    yes maybe you are right. I am too frightened. My worst fear is that they say: nothing is there. And clinically the surgeon also thinks nothing is wrong they won't do extra testing. So how will i know for sure nothing is there? Should i do an mri even though they think nothing is there? Or should i wait untill something else as skin dimpling shows up?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • edj3
    edj3 Member Posts: 2,076
    edited December 2019

    While you should always be your own best advocate, there comes a point when you either decide to trust the medical team you're with or find a new one.

    May I ask why you've moved to the worst case scenario? Apologies if you haven't but from just reading this thread, it does seem like you are positive you have breast cancer. What leads you to that conclusion?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sunshine37
    Sunshine37 Member Posts: 4
    edited December 2019

    i don't know why i think it is breast cancer. I am not sure whether i have had this lumpy bit all the time or if it is new. And in my mind every lumpy thing is cancer. Idc would be pretty obvious but lobular almost always escapes on ultrasound is what i read. But maybe it is not that invisible. Lobular is just so sneaky and that's why I'm worried. Softish lump and maybe not visible on ultrasound.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • edj3
    edj3 Member Posts: 2,076
    edited December 2019

    Then the best advice I can give you is to step away from the keyboard and googling.

    For now, you have something that's getting checked out in the appropriate way. There's nothing you can do between now and when you get those results.

    Once you DO have those results, and if it's not the best news, then you can start building out your list of questions and talk with your medical team about your options.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited December 2019

    When it comes to breasts, most “lumpy things” are NOT cancer. About 99% aren’t, in fact. And if it’s a softish lump, it’s even less likely to be cancer.

    It’s good to get this checked out, but don’t assume the worst. And don’t start off expecting to second guess the doctor.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited December 2019

    I'm always amazed that people who question their doctors will accept anything they find doing a random Google search as gospel. Trust your medical team until they give you a reason not to.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kathy044
    Kathy044 Member Posts: 433
    edited December 2019

    Nice to see you are still around Bessie.

    Sunshine37 I was diagnosed with lobular cancer ten years ago after an abnormal screening mammogram. It was non palpable - lobular cancer seldom presents as a lump. On call back rather than getting a diagnostic mammogram they used ultrasound to see the small area of concern better. They also detected an enlarged under arm lymph node by ultrasound.

    Both breast tumour and node biopsies used ultrasound guided surgery, same with the following Lumpectomy and Lymph node removal surgeries.

    Bottom line is that though using ultrasound as a method to ‘screen’ for cancers might miss some hidden lobular cancers, if used to image a small problem area of concern, as in your case, ultrasound is probably the best answer.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sunshine37
    Sunshine37 Member Posts: 4
    edited December 2019

    thank you for all the replies!! Maybe i am paranoid :) i will wait what the outcome is of the ultrasound en focus on that.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • OnTarget
    OnTarget Member Posts: 447
    edited December 2019

    I have lobular and it was totally visible on the ultrasound. My large tumor in the left was super easy to see. The tumor in the right side was smaller and took an MRI to find it, but once located, it was not hard to find via ultrasound.

    My tumor also had a visible and palpable lump, which is not common for lobular.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories