Waiting (again) for biopsy after mammogram and ultrasound

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Artemis15
Artemis15 Member Posts: 9
edited January 2022 in Waiting for Test Results


I'm 58 no family or personal history of bc. Last year when I had my mammogram and double breast ultrasound (I have dense breasts, level C) the radiologist saw distortion in left breast. I then had mri which came back highly suspicious of dcis BiRADS 4 and then I had another mri for the biopsy—7samples we're taken. The biopsy came back benign with fibrocystic changes—non-prolifertive. I had a follow up ultrasound 6 months after which didn't show any changes

This years mammogram showed that the area has gotten larger. The radiologist believes it could be a radial scar and recommended another biopsy. She assured me several times that she thought it was benign but just wants to make sure—which didn't do much to calm me after what I went through last year. The pathology from last year did not contain the cellular characteristics of a radial scar and was non-prolifertive. So she wants to do another biopsy to see what is going on.

Last year was very difficult for me to get through all of the testing. I had to wait almost 1 month after the initial mri to get the mri biopsy. This year it's the same thing—almost 1 month from abnormal imaging to biopsy which is scheduled for 2/1. I found this forum last year and found it very helpful. I'm trying not to do too much researching until I get the pathology. Last year I scared myself so much by reading everything I could before I had a diagnosis.

Does anyone have experience with something like this—going from benign non proliferative to radial scar (proliferative) or maybe even malignant

With my history of childhood trauma and anxiety disorder, I'm beside myself with fear. I have a therapist who I speak to several times a week. Nothing is helping this time.

Any comments are welcomed. Thank you❤️

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  • mightlybird01
    mightlybird01 Member Posts: 217
    edited January 2022

    Artemis, I am sorry you have to deal with all the testing and find it hard to cope. However, it all sounds very positive and you really don't have to worry too much I think. Worst case scenario, this will be an early stage cancer, and you can just deal with it rather easily. I think other than making sure that you are being seen in a reputable hospital, you should try and just go with the flow, something we all learned during the pandemic, right ;-)!

    Can you try and find a new hobby, or a new form of exercise to channel your energy into something positive?


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  • mfk
    mfk Member Posts: 37
    edited January 2022

    Hi Artemis - I've experienced call backs from time to time over the years and chose to not worry until there was something to worry about. Easy for me to say, I know. I also have dense breasts, and in my case, with calcifications. Now with the hindsight of the patient portal, I can read the mammogram reports for the past twenty years and can see how things evolved over time, but in my case it appeared to happen in slow motion. Also, there was a time when they were monitoring my right breast, but that passed without issue. When I got called back most recently, they added an ultrasound, which caught my attention and made me think maybe this was actually going to turn into something. Of course, there's a built-in bias to the responses you'll get here - we're on this website for the most part because of our diagnosis - so don't assume that the same will happen to you. I decided to use the time pre-biopsy and post-biopsy/pre-results knocking off some errands that had sat on my to-do list for too long. Bought new tires for my car (might need to drive to radiation in the snow!), got new glasses (might need to look good in pre-op!) and the like.

    There's a great deal of good information on this website and other reputable sources, but I tried very hard not to read anything that wasn't relevant to my case as the facts evolved. To this day, my knowledge base is focused on what applies to me and very little else. It's hard, but try not to get ahead of yourself while you wait.

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  • Artemis15
    Artemis15 Member Posts: 9
    edited January 2022

    thank you both for your responses. After reading so many entries here of people repeatedly having to go through these tests it makes my heart ache for all of us. I know that all of this is part of life and I know plenty of people going through difficult life experiences.

    I also have been dealing with cervical abnormalities for decades due to hpv. Last year I had surgery that removed a lot of my cervix with clear margins but this year the pap came back abnormal again so I’m also waiting a few weeks to have that biopsy. It’s a lot for me to handle right now. If the abnormalities are moderate to severe I will likely have to have a hysterectomy according to my doctor. I’m post menopausal and don’t mind losing the organs, it’s just getting through all of that with my anxiety that makes it tough.

    I will try to keep myself occupied and know that during this time there will be some ok moments. I have a 16 year old daughter who is the light of my life and we are very close and I need to do everything I can to be here for her.


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  • zebra_co
    zebra_co Member Posts: 42
    edited January 2022

    Thank you for sharing. It is so true the the waiting is the hardest part! I’m waiting too, so let’s get through this together. I’ve had numerous call backs after annual mammograms. I’ve had 3 biopsies in the past decade and sounds like I may be having my 4th one next week. My first one was the hardest emotionally and it turned out benign. I did have DCIS in 2016 and got through that. I’m scheduled for my call back on Tuesday. It’s hard but I’ve learned that the stress and anxiety don’t impact the outcome. It just makes the waitingworse. I give myself permission to think about for a set period of time, then move away and do something else to keep my mind busy. Keep us posted please. Blessings 🌷

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited January 2022

    Artemis15, What got me through the wait time was doing as much fun stuff as possible. It was pre-Covid and warmer weather so I had more options, but watching your favorite silly movies or bingeing on cartoons or playing oldies and dancing your tush off are all ways to kill both time and worries. Share those fun things with your daughter. And have some cookies. Cookies always help.

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