BI-RADS 5, just received biopsy results

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ltrinidad
ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
edited April 2021 in Waiting for Test Results

Dear all,

I received my results. I had a BI-RADS 5 and underwent a core ultrasound guided biopsy. The gynecologist just called me to tell me that there are only pre-cancerous findings: a radial scar and an atypical lobular hyperplasia that will most likely need to be excised. She gave me a referral for a breast surgeon. I dont understand and I almost dont even feel happy because I was absolutely sure it was cancer. And I feel horrible for others who are still waiting for results or have had already a cancer diagnosis. Thank you for your support. This site has been a blessing.

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  • SaraJay
    SaraJay Member Posts: 77
    edited March 2021

    Amazing news! I'm so happy for you 😊

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  • ltrinidad
    ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
    edited March 2021

    Dear SaraJay, I am praying for you, please keep me posted. Thank you very much. I am still here.

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited March 2021

    Well, we're happy for you.

    "I dont understand and I almost dont even feel happy because I was absolutely sure it was cancer."

    Please don't say things like that. You do know that most of us here have had cancer, right? And we'd give a LOT to not have had it? That's borderline offensive. Now go enjoy yourself.

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  • ltrinidad
    ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
    edited March 2021

    I am sorry for saying it like that, please forgive me. What I meant to say is that I was in complete shock, because the chances of it not being cancerous were 5%.

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  • ltrinidad
    ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
    edited March 2021

    I lost my father to stomach cancer at a very young age, I did not meant it in that way. So sorry.

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2021

    ltrinidad, with a BI-RADs5, a non-cancerous result is considered discordant. This is why it's been recommended that you see a surgeon to have an excisional (surgical) biopsy. The needle biopsy only picks up cells from one part of the suspicious lesion, and lesions often contain a mix of different conditions. So the excisional biopsy will remove the entire lesion, to see if anything else is hiding. I don't know about ALH, but after a needle biopsy finding of ADH (atypical ductal hyperplasia) there is about a 20% chance of finding either DCIS or invasive cancer in the excisional biopsy pathology.

    I've been here a long time and over the years have seen lots of BI-RADs5s come back benign. Most often the benign finding is confirmed by the subsequent excisional biopsy. Hopefully that will be the case for you. Good luck!


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  • ltrinidad
    ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
    edited March 2021

    Dear Beesie,

    Yes, that is what I had read (about discordant results) and I am now in the process of finding a breast surgeon and follow up on this. I will keep posting. Thank you very much for the good advice.

    Laura


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  • Humblepeace
    Humblepeace Member Posts: 118
    edited March 2021

    Itrinidad,

    I'm so happy and thankful for your results. Thank God! You are so supportive. I'm really glad for you!

    Humblepeace


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  • ltrinidad
    ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
    edited March 2021

    Thank you all, you have helped me so much through these difficult days. I will keep coming back to report on any developments.

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  • 2019whatayear
    2019whatayear Member Posts: 767
    edited March 2021

    Not to put words in your mouth, but I took your comment to be more like, you can't trust the apparent good news you got because you thought for sure it was cancer and now you are worried maybe they are wrong and it is and also nothing is fully solved yet?

    I hope you get the junk excised ASAP and it turns out to be all a bunch of benign cells and such!

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  • ltrinidad
    ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
    edited March 2021

    2019whatayear, yes, that is indeed what I thought, since I had read about "discordant results", when the pathology report does not match the radiological findings. And I found it hard to believe I would be in that 5% of false positives. I am copying and pasting my results, in case this is helpful for anyone else. My gynecologist referred me to a breast surgeon and I just called Memorial Sloan Kettering this afternoon for follow up and surgery.

    Final diagnosis (from the pathology report):

    Breast, right, 11:00, 4 vm from the nipple, ultrasound-guided core biopsy:

    - Complex sclerosing lesion / Radial scar

    - Atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH)

    - Fibrocystic changes with stromal fibrosis

    Comment: Immunostains for p63, calponin and E-cadherin confirmed above diagnosis.

    Clinical History

    Rignt breast, 11:00, 4 cm from the nipple, 1 cm irregular mass with high suspicion. BI-RADS 5

    Received in formalin are three cores of yellow-white soft tissue ranging from 1.7 cm to 1.9cm in greatest dimension.

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  • Rah2464
    Rah2464 Member Posts: 1,647
    edited April 2021

    Itrinidad I am very very happy that you had benign results in your biopsy but I am also very pleased that you are continuing the process. I do understand your suspicion about the good news. I sure hope you are in that select 5%. It has to be someone, right? Why not you? Thank you for posting about your results and next steps because it may very well assist someone else that has discordant results.

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  • ltrinidad
    ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
    edited April 2021

    Rah2464, I have been reading about discordant results, especially when there are radial scars together with atypical hyperplasia... I am cautiously optimistic and will wait for the excision biopsy, as others in the forum have suggested. I will keep posting. Thank you so much for your support.

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited April 2021

    Ah, the radial scar is more significant than the ALH when it comes to explaining the BI-RADs 5. Radial scars are the primary cause of discordant results because they have a very clear appearance of being cancer on imaging. But usually a radial scar is just a radial scar. The ALH, which does have the potential to be accompanied by DCIS or ILC or IDC, does add a complicating factor in your case, and probably increases the risk a bit that something more might be found. But with luck this will turn out to just be the radial scar and ALH.

    One thing to be aware of however is that ALH is a high risk condition and will require more monitoring in the future.

    Atypical Hyperplasia

    .

    Atypical hyperplasia of the breast

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  • ltrinidad
    ltrinidad Member Posts: 45
    edited April 2021

    Dear Beesie,

    Thank you so much for the information and support. Waiting to schedule an appointment with the surgeon. I will keep posting.


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