Looking for some reassuring, please

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Hirri
Hirri Member Posts: 16
edited November 2021 in Benign Breast Conditions

So 7 months ago I had my first ultrasound (I am 37 dense breasts) and they found multiple cysts in one breast, I got bi rads 3 and 6 months follow up. I came back and this time they also found some new solid lump with possible calcifications (again on ultrasound), no vascularity or very mild and this time I got bi rads 4. So I was referred to MRI with contrast. After MRI I got bi rads 2 saying - no enhancements. At first I was really happy but then I realized that something is off here - how can ultrasound be bi rads 4 and MRI only 2? I went back and then they did another ultrasound after MRI just to compare again (more experienced radiologist this time). She said that this new thing is most likely degenerating fibroadenoma with calcifications, not sure how it was not there (or maybe not spotted) 7 months ago. But she also said that I have 'busy' breasts - enlarged ducts as well as something that looks like cluster of adenosis. She said that this new lump is less worrisome than what is happening everywhere around and in her report she gave me bi rads 3 (MRI compared with ultrasound) - Proliferative changes: fibroadenoma, cysts and cluster of adenosis. And she also said it would be a good idea to talk to endocrinologist maybe about my hormones in general because breasts that show proliferative signs are of a higher risk to become cancerous (I was on birth control pills for 15 years, quit 4 tears ago, then had no period for a year and one year of hormonal disbalance for sure). I am so stressed now, it's all I think about, even started going to therapy. I will be going to follow up checks every 4 months just to feel safer, but is it that bad from my description? Should I trust MRI more? I read that sometimes as much as 20% of malignancies do not show any enhancement :(

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  • Salamandra
    Salamandra Member Posts: 1,444
    edited November 2021

    Hi Hirri,

    The MRI is pretty much the most sensitive screening tool doctors have. It is far more likely to show a false positive than a false negative (which leads to plenty of anxiety on that end). All the scans together tell a story. Sometimes the story doesn't make sense and then it's called discordant. But in this case it seems like the story being told by your scans makes sense - the MRI would give the docs a more detailed view, and that eases their mind from whatever caused the concern from the ultrasound, and that causes the stand down from high alert.

    Therapy is always a great idea for anxiety, especially as it sounds like you can expect to be dealing with this for a while given the nature of your breasts ("busy"). But for now you have good news and I hope you can enjoy it and get a little peace of mind!

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  • Hirri
    Hirri Member Posts: 16
    edited November 2021

    Thank you for replying! I do feel better for now, but it was so shocking for me to learn that this is a slow process and that there is a road to cancer where you start having benign conditions which eventually might lead to cancer, thus you have to keep checking all life long and hope that it's not there yet. This sounds so stressful to me, I cannot imagine how women handle their emotions with all this waiting.

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