Hoping someone can answer my niggling concerns. Had mastectomy etc. for invasive lobular in 2005. Recently, found a new lump in my remaining breast and had an exam, mammogram and ultrasound a week ago. Told they couldn’t see anything suspicious on scan and would compare mammogram with previous one. After reading posts about these tests missing some cancers and with my history, I am concerned that I wasn’t given a biopsy of the new area and also that I have never had a biopsy of a large fibroadenoma/fatty lump which I have had in that breast for some years
If in doubt ask for more tests. I used to be one to just accept what has been said and not push things, but after this I will ask for more investigation if and when I am not happy … I would add that so far I have not asked for anything that I have not been offered, but that is basically cos I don’t know what to ask for.
Hi Lilac
Thanks for reading and taking the time to acknowledge my fears.I wondered whether the reason I only had one reply was because my fears are justified, or maybe people think I shouldn’t voice these concerns - anyway it’s good to know you cared in spite of your own situation.
Trouble is those worries have been magnified a thousandfold since I wrote that post.
Yesterday a friend told me she had mets in her spine and on her liver and lung after over 6mths. of severe back pain which wasn’t treated as suspicious enough to have an earlier MRI scan.
I feel so lonely with these worries. I lost a very longstanding friend from mets. which followed the same pattern less than 2yrs. ago and two other friends have had recurrences in the last year. All of these dear people thought their cancers had been ‘dealt with’ and they were past the so called 5yr. milestone.
I’m nowhere near that and following my recent visit with a worry re- another lump and having personnal experience of things being overlooked in the past, I am finding it extremely difficult to find a way through my fears so I can support my friend when she needs me.
Sorry to offload - just need to ‘get a handle’ on all this and try to move forward- can’t do it anywhere else.
Seren x
Hi Seren
First of all, I don’t think you only got one reply because your fears are justified or that you shouldn’t voice concerns. That’s what the forums are for. I think it was truly an oversight, which seems to happen and normally you wouldnt let it bother you but at the moment you are very worried/
I can’t give you advice about what you should do, but I know if I had a lump that I had found and it was still bothering me even despite having a mammogram etc, I would pester the clinic for a biopsy and I wouldnt take no for an answer unless they could tell me exactly what the lump is. If there is a lump which can be clearly felt, they must give you a diagnosis - therefore if the biopsy comes back as negative to cancer and they can give you a definitive diagnosis of what the lump is eg cyst etc, then you can relax. I would also enquire about the other lump and unless they can categorically 100% tell you that it is benign, nag them. You are not out to win a popularity content at the clinic for being the most compliant patient. it is your body, you have reasons to be concerned, so go and ask.
I hope you dont mind me adding about you and your friends. It is dreadful when things like this happen to our friends and even those we dont know well. You must keep holding on the fact that although these things happen, it is not necessarily going to happen to you. It is a pity you don’t have friends who have success stories with cancer, There are plenty of them out there!
Go and phone the clinic and let us know how you get on.
Cathy
x
Hi Seren
I can totally understand how worried you must feel when you haven’t been given a straight answer about what the new lump is. Regardless of whether the lump has shown up on the imaging, they still need to confirm what it is. Did they say when they’d come back to you after comparing the mammograms? I had one of my mammograms redone with a magnifying lens to get a better picture. They may need to use a different type of biospy method to get a sample if something is not visible (again, I speak from experience). Given your history, I’m assuming that you’re not going to be left hanging in limbo and that they will be comparing your mammograms in the multi-disciplinary team meeting and discussing how to proceed. Otherwise, hassle the clinic, your BCN or your GP to get whichever tests can give you a concrete diagnosis.
With regards to your old lump, an ultrasound should be able to tell the difference between fat and a fibroadenoma as they have different density. In my experience they didn’t biopsy the fatty tissue, but they did biopsy the fibroadenomas.
x