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ladybug92
ladybug92 Member Posts: 7
edited December 2019 in Waiting for Test Results

Hi,

A few months ago, I started to notice clear discharge from one nipple that's been inverted for quite a long while. I finally asked friends if they experience this too, and one suggested I get it checked out. So I went to a nurse practitioner who said it was nothing but to follow up with a mammogram anyway. I had a mammogram and ultrasound, which both showed nothing. I'm 27 years old and I have very large, dense breasts so it would be hard to find anything anyway. However, the doctor noticed "a ridge" in the left during the manual breast exam. She also squeezed my nipple and it expressed that clear fluid from one of the ducts.

So I had an MRI three days ago. The radiologist called less than two hours later to say that there is a rectangular (why would it be rectangular) mass on the left breast that is "a few centimeters", lots of enhancements, especially around the left nipple, and that my nipple is pulling inward and that could be due to the mass in central and upper right quadrants. There is also a less concerning mass in addition to enhancement in my right breast. Yesterday I had an ultrasound-guided biopsy of my left breast but she said she wasn't sure if she got it because it was so hard to see due to my breast density. She tried four times to biopsy. The right breast mass wouldn't show up at all on ultrasound. So I have to have MRI-guided biopsies on both breasts in the next few weeks.

My paternal grandmother had cancer quite young, but she was not nearly as young as me. She was in her 30s or 40s. I do not know if I carry the BRCA gene, but my doctor recommended genetic counseling. Is this worthwhile? I'm worried that if I carry the gene, I will feel guilty when I'm ready to start to have children. Or maybe nobody will want to marry me.

All this from one slightly leaky nipple. Now I'm worried sick that I might have cancer and I don't know how to put it out of my mind. This sounds vain, but my breasts are the only part of my body I like. Anyone with similar experiences or advice, please let me know.

What could this be?

Sorry for my rambling post. Thanks for reading.

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Comments

  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited December 2019

    Talk to a genetic councilor before you start facing possibilities that might not exist. And think of all the cancers people get for which there is no reliable genetic testing! It's actually a privilege to have the knowledge.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2019

    Also - people get cancer all the time who may or may not have the gene. No one in my family had any sort of cancer. There are plenty of stories on here of ladies who have a strong family history of breast cancer who don't have the gene, or no family history and do have the gene. Its a predictive tool for awareness so if you do have (female) children they can be aware and be monitored from an earlier age even though they may never actually get breast cancer (although their risk is higher). It isn't like passing on a major hereditary disease like cystic fibrosis or hemophilia where the child is impacted directly from birth and automatically has a shortened lifespan. And, frankly, if a guy isn't going to marry you due to one defective gene, IF you carry it, that may or not be expressed decades down the road in the instance you do have a female child, well, he's not much of a catch then is he!

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  • Rah2464
    Rah2464 Member Posts: 1,647
    edited December 2019

    There is so much in genetics that we don't know. All of my sisters and myself now have been diagnosed with breast cancer with no known genetic component. However, having a known variant could change how you approach managing your risk for additional cancer. Consider speaking with a genetic counselor to determine if this is the right path for you. It is certainly acceptable to decide you don't want that information. It is an individual choice. Sorry you are having to even think about these things, ladybug. Glad you are getting good care.

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  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited December 2019

    Sondra mentioned “if you have (female) children.” This is not just a female thing. It affects males too

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2019

    An excellent point, Melissa,and one that (clearly) needs to be remembered and brought up!


    Thank you for the correction.

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  • Mamags
    Mamags Member Posts: 22
    edited December 2019

    Ladybug,

    I'm sorry that you are going through this, it is not a fun place to be. Hopefully you will find out answers soon when your biopsy results come back. I have been doing a lot of research on this site as I am in the waiting game myself. I can't give you any answers, unfortunately, but I can tell you that it is very rare for someone your age to be diagnosed with breast cancer. I am not saying it does not happen, but it is rare. There are also lots of other causes for a leaky nipple besides breast cancer. As far as genetic testing, all of your concerns are valid, however, as others have said, if you have a found mutation, it is not a guarantee that you will have breast cancer, just like if you do not have a mutation, it does not mean you will not get breast cancer.

    You did the right thing by getting to the bottom of what is going on with your breast and I hope you have peace of mind soon.



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