Was Sent Home After Ultrasound

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kalikins
kalikins Member Posts: 7
edited July 2020 in Not Diagnosed But Worried

I was sent to the hospital for an ultrasound because my doctor found a good sized lump on my breast. I'm only 28 but breast cancer does run in my family. They did the ultrasound and said they can feel it but can't find it on the ultrasound so said it might be tissue or a lymph node because I have dense breasts. They told me to just monitor it and see if it grows and follow up with my doctor. I don't feel okay with this. I had the mammogram scheduled and they canceled it. Any tips would be appreciated.

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  • Mavericksmom
    Mavericksmom Member Posts: 635
    edited July 2020

    I am sure you will get some answers from some of the very knowledgeable survivors here. I am a little shocked that they couldn't find it, but given your breast density, it is possible. I doubt it is a lymph node, but they are the “experts." I would ask for a breast MRI, as a mammogram doesn't always find cancer in dense breasts.

    Something else, how old were the members of your family when they were diagnosed with breast cancer and did anyone get tested for BRCA gene defects?

    Call your doctor, see a breast surgeon if your doctor isn't one, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with wait and see unless there was more convincing evedience

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  • kalikins
    kalikins Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2020

    Thank you for the fast reply. I'm so upset. I heard the ultrasound tech tell the doctor on the phone that it was a palpable mass but wouldn't show on the ultrasound.

    When I got here the clinic was busy and they said they were like an hour behind schedule so I felt very rushed.

    My aunt was a few years older than me. She had to have both breasts removed. I'm not 100% sure on the ages of the others.

    I'll call my doctor and then go to a breast surgeon. Thanks so much.

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited July 2020

    "Had to have both breasts removed" sounds like the mandatory deep mastectomies before modern treatments were developed. Please erase what your aunt went through from your mind. Some patients do opt for a double mastectomy for a symmetrical result, but it is not the default surgery it once was.

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited July 2020

    kalikins - your response is the next step. Make an appointment with your OB/Gyn or PCP - IN PERSON so you can discuss your fears. Also, be sure you have a copy of your imaging results for your records and take those with you.

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  • flashlight
    flashlight Member Posts: 698
    edited July 2020

    kalikins, I think you made a mistake by cancelling your 3D Mammogram. Get the Mammo done and then they can order a MRI.

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  • kalikins
    kalikins Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2020

    I didnt cancel it. They did. Then they all went home right after. It was obvious they jusg wanted to get rid of me and go home. D:

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  • kalikins
    kalikins Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2020

    I was supposed to have the mammogram right after the ultrasound.

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  • kathabus
    kathabus Member Posts: 205
    edited July 2020

    I agree about getting the 3D mammogram and then an MRI. Absolutely.

    After my BC diagnosis, I did an MRI and we found a second spot. (It was not cancer...it was a papilloma.). They could not find it on the ultrasound because it was behind the nipple and the shadowing prevented them from finding it.

    Depending on the location, shadows are sometimes a problem with ultrasounds. All of these tests work differently. My second spot, although not cancerous, wasn't picked up by a mammogram or an ultrasound! Needed to have an MRI guided biopsy because that was the only screening that showed it.

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  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited July 2020

    You have a palpable lump and a family history, and they want you to wait and see if it grows? I don't think so! What a shameful thing they did.You need a 3D mammogram and a breast MRI, plain and simple.

    If your doctor won’t make this happen, let us know and we will give you guidance on how to advocate for yourself.

    Sheesh.

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  • Mavericksmom
    Mavericksmom Member Posts: 635
    edited July 2020

    Kalikins, as expected, you got some sage advice!

    It is probably benign, but if your doctor agrees that you should “wait and see" ask “Is there any possibility that it is cancer?" If the doctor says no, ask how he knows that!

    The reason to see a doctor and not “wait and see" is because in the off chance it is cancer, it would likely be more aggressive due to your young age. The fact that your aunt wasn't much older than you when diagnosed is also a red flag. Again, it doesn't mean it is cancer, just that you need more testing!

    I am going for an ultrasound tomorrow on my reconstructed breast. I fully expect the lump I found and my doctor felt, is benign but I need to know for sure.

    It is just as important to know a lump is not cancer as it is to know it is!


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  • kalikins
    kalikins Member Posts: 7
    edited July 2020

    Thank you guys SO much for responding. I'm crying right now telling my husband about your responses. It feels good to have this much support. I know it's probably benign, but I'm not willing to 'wait and see' without evidence that it's nothing to worry about.

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  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited July 2020

    Did you get appointments for a mammo and MRI kalikins?

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited July 2020

    Please keep us updated and best to you.

    My mammogram and ultrasound did not find my cancer; the MRI did.

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  • Maire67
    Maire67 Member Posts: 768
    edited July 2020

    I didn’t have a palpable mass but an MRI picked up.lobular. 15 plus years later I consider myself lucky. My gyn insisted only following up a slight puffy area on my breast. I hope you have nothing but find another oncologist. Good luck

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited July 2020

    Maire, I also did not have a lump. I actually had a thickening. This was in my 40s and the radiologist kept thinking it was something, then nothing...too young...no breast MRI at the time. Fast forward 7-8 years later...and the MRI finally found it. I was lucky to still be stage 1. Congrats on your 15 years!

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