Hi all. I saw my surgeon today. He advised me that I need chemo and TT before surgery. He also told me my CT showed no spread beyond the breast which I was obviously very happy with. I’m being discussed at the usual weekly meeting on Thursday, but he also said they still may need to do a biopsy of node and/or an mri. He said it wasn’t for sure, but told me just in case it happens , so I’m not put out. I thought if the CT was all ok, why would I need an MRI, and if I was told that my arm pit was fine at ultra sound, why would I need a biopsy. It just keeps the fear going longer and longer!
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Hi - I think CT and MRI just show slightly different things - perhaps they want to be thorough but will only do this if MDT decide it’s necessary. You’ll get used to this - nothing is decided until after meeting. Ultrasound of axillary nodes is only 75% accurate and one of mine was positive despite being ultrasound and clinically negative - can’t be 100 % without a biopsy unfortunately. Hope this helps. Try not to worry though obviously you will. I’m learning why they call us ‘patients’ 
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I feel the same. Test after test sometimes necessary sometimes overkill? I just occasionally wish the anxiety caused was taken into account. We all go from one anxious fortnight straight to the next. My lobular cancer was found to be much bigger than first thought after my lumpectomy so now facing a mastectomy. But before that they threw in a CT scan. My lymph nodes and mri are clear it’s just because it turned out a lot bigger at 5cm. It’s so hard having this extra anxiety on top of facing the emotional and physical buildup to a mastectomy. I know my hospital is extra “belt & braces” and I should just be grateful but when risk is low and anxiety high it’s very hard . Wishing you all the best x
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I had an MRI after diagnosis as the size wasn’t clear on the mammogram. The ultrasound showed one enlarged node so they biopsied and it was positive. No other nodes looked problematic on the ultrasound or mammogram or MRI. They did an axillary node clearance during the mastectomy and removed 17 nodes. 6 contained cancer.
I felt like you, the anxiety can be debilitating and the wait is too long in my book but I tried to focus on them needing the full and accurate picture to give me the right treatment.
I was devastated that I had to have a mastectomy (still grieving my breast) but it was the right decision. It looked 45mm on imaging but was actually 75mm when examined after surgery. If they’d only removed the 1 positive and enlarged node from the imaging id still have had 5 nodes with cancer in my body.
Waiting is torturous but it worth it in the long run.
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MRI typically shows tissue, nerves etc so they might do a breast MRI to plan the surgery or check if the tumour has shrunk post chemo, pre operation. You have to lie face down, it’s not great. Mine showed post chemo pre operation a full radiological response and gave them a baseline. Good luck.
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I had an MRI with injected dye to size the tumour to decide if it was chemo or surgery first. My MRI also found another tumour that wasn’t visible on the mammogram, it didn’t change my plan.
Hopefully the BCN nurses will be able to help. Maybe you could call your own breast nurse to talk it through.
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MRI is the gold standard so if they are offering just say yes please. So often you have to fight for them. Nothing sinister, just your team making sure you have the best possible care.
Hmm. Surely your anxiety would be greater if you were being denied tests? We all know it is difficult and the diagnostic stage is always worrying but come on ladies, we don’t want to go back to the days of indiscriminate slash and burn and a one-size-fits-all treatment plan. The tests are there to try to get as clear a picture as possible when what they are dealing with is an inexact science. That is why they have the multi-disciplinary meetings to decide individual treatments always based on the best possible information. I am regularly critical of our woeful NHS and its cavalier attitude to waste and poor administration, BUT where exploring all avenues for diagnostic information is concerned, I think we have to cut them some slack.
Thanks for all of your replies. Some quite varied situations here. Just to explain, I am happy to have all of my tests, and would never decline any of them. The post was really to see your experiences of why someone would have an mri when they had already had a ct, and you lovely people have explained both are used and maybe for different reasons. The delays are a very anxious time I know you will all agree, and is a dreadful part of this roller coaster. The anticipation of the results appointments is hard isn’t it. Thank you . Your support means a lot.
Hi angepange1,
Thanks for posting.
There is a lot to take in when you’re diagnosed with breast cancer and this can, at times, feel overwhelming.
Many people find the wait for further scans and tests difficult and as indicated by the replies, you are not alone in feeling fearful. You may find our information on stress and anxiety after a breast cancer diagnosis helpful.
CT scans may be used in planning treatment for breast cancer as they allow your team to assess whether the cancer has spread beyond the breast. An MRI scan can provide more details of a specific area such as the breast. Breast MRI may also be used when chemotherapy is given before surgery to monitor how well you are responding to the treatment.
As you have an invasive breast cancer, your treatment team will want to check if any of the lymph nodes under the arm contain cancer cells. Although the ultrasound scan, in your case, was normal as @pearl2 says this isn’t considered 100% accurate. A biopsy of the lymph node which is closest to the breast (sentinel lymph node) is usually carried out at the time of surgery to check that it is clear of cancer cells. As your surgeon indicated, they will know more about any further tests once your case is discussed at the multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting today
Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can often be helpful. Our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you. You can be in touch with your volunteer by phone or email and they can share their personal experiences to help answer your questions, offer support and listen to how you are feeling.
You can ring the Someone Like Me team on 0800 138 6551 or email them at someone.likeme@breastcancernow.org so they can then match you to your volunteer.
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