Elevated risk enhanced screening MRI discontinued after age 50-breast density C but not a true C ???

Life after a breast cancer diagnosis Coping with fear and anxiety
1

Bit of a long story but I’ll try to condense it. Maternal Grandmother BC at 45 (1958) Mother advanced ovarian cancer 65 (2002) me BC at 45 (2015) sister BC at 57 (2022). Inconclusive gene testing.

I had MRI supplementary to mammogram until 2020. These were then withdrawn as I had turned 50 so I had mammogram only 2021 & 2022. This year I established I should have continued with the MRI due to my breast density; had one 2 weeks ago & am now waiting on the results. 

I spoke to the consultant radiographer who withdrew my mammograms in 2020 and who I managed to ‘persuade’ ( a year of polite but relentless arguing with a handy guideline update in January) to reinstate them this year. She told me my breast density is C on the left (cancer side) and A on the other. The C is not (she tells me) a ‘true C’ - which is why she discontinued the MRI in 2020. The C is down to significant scarring after my radiotherapy. Essentially, from my perspective, left breast is solid down one side. She will review the density after this MRI/mammo but I may not qualify for MRI again. Hmm…

This breast has been a solid brick since 2016 - it’s a mess, genuinely deformed. Breast exams are impossible on it and mammograms literally make me cry albeit briefly! This scar tissue is not going anywhere. So - if my density score is caused by the scarring, how can I NOT qualify for an MRI in the future? I should have asked her, but I was so damned grateful to get the bloody MRI that I forgot. 

Anyone have thoughts to share - I’m super-anxious waiting for my results and so focused getting this sorted!

Thanks for reading - Cate

2

Hi Cate

That does sound rather a mess. I wonder if it might be more productive to discuss it with your consultant when you get your results. It is the consultant who requests the scans/reports at the end of the day.  And your anxiety should be factored in - telling you all is OK when you don;t trust their judgment isn’t enough. Of course, you might be anywhere in the world and it’s daft to assume everyone is under the NHS. The fact is, we have no dealings with radiologists and decisions would always be made by the MDT, not an individual radiologist. I was in the surreal position of having a serious error in one of my first CT scan reports and it followed me round for over 6 months before it was rectified. Meantime, each different consultant I met needed to know about why I’d had my left kidney removed and I’d have to insist they brought a scan up on screen to see two healthy kidneys! Left breast/left kidney - easily confused? 

Head MRI this weekend. Happy days….Take care 

Jan x