I am about to crack up! I have had received copies of my ultra sound report, which was like trying to get information from MI6, nothing short of signing the Official Secrets Act, I am convinced that the NHS is set up to prevent us from having any of our notes. That’s that rant over.
I nine weeks post surgery, for removal of a complex fibroadenoma. All a simple, easy process, or so I thought! New mass, near incision, painful, visible veins in the breasts, (very recent) and took myself back to clinic, ultra sound, where the raidiologist stated that it was something that needed biopsy, went back to the consultant, no need for biopsy.
US report states, and I know what it all means, “Discreet (what???) mass related to post surgical changes, appearance - highly unusual appearance, may represent fat necrosis”
Now, when I went back to the consultant, immediately after the ultra sound, she stated that “All is well, pain is something you have to put up with, being a woman”
If you were in my position, would you be pushing for a biopsy? To ascertain this is fat necrosis? I am not asking for medical advice, I am asking as women, would you want the piece of mind, or would you feel that the word of the consultant was enough?
Hi sommer
if something is stated as highly suspicious then it needs investigating further… i think you need to either get your GP to refer you back or ask to speak to a different surgeon. i have fat necrosis but they thought it was a tumour and told me to prepare for the worst… it is in the area where i had my lumpectomy but i was crapping it a bit as id just completed 6 months of chemo so thought it hadnt worked… but it was fat necrosis… there are numerous types of fatty necrosis… one of them mimics breast cancer so untill you have it in black and white id be rather concerned.
when you have radiological investigations you are normally given a grading of 1-5 depending how it look… 1 is normal and 5 is malignant… maybe you need to get back intouch with the radiologist and ask what grading or birads score it was given… if its a 1 or 2 we dont normally do anything but a 3, 4 or 5 needs biopsied… the grading is basically 1- normal, 2- benign (like a cyst), 3-indeterminate (but probably benign), 4- suspicious (probably malignant) 5-malignant…
although i have had one lady who was scored as malignant but turned out to be a fibroadenoma (they are usually a 3 or occassionally a 4) when the biopsy results came back.
def think you need to push for a biopsy for your own piece of mind.
take care
Thank you for your response. I am keeping this in perspective. It has been one long line of different views with me since my first appointment.
What my main concern is, why am I suffering so much trauma to my breast, when the initial surgery, was for a fibraodenoma, which was only 5mm under the skin? The radiologist counteracted the consultant’s advice, on the day of the surgery, she ordered a wire insertion to locate the “correct lump” he said only a skin marker was required, because it was only 5mm under the skin. I have dug deeper when removing a splinter from my thumb. I have no bruising, where the “may necrosis” is, I have no discharge. I am not discounting the radiologist, he told me to go back downstairs to the consultant, so that I could have an FNA, it did not need an ultra sound guided FNA as the mass was so papable, it is visible to the naked eye, it was the consultant who stated that it was not necessary. When she read the report back to me, there was nothing on it with the birad rating. I will try again, if it does state that, then I will settle for the follow up in September.