Hi
My lump was not noticable on the mammo but was present on the ultrasound but i knew it was there as it was very very close to the surface. It measured 2.5 cm on the u/s but after removal the actual cancerous tumour was only 1.7cm. I’m 39 so maybe this is a factor and may mean that for ladies below a certain age to have an ultrasound may be more helpful.
Gina
Hi
My story is very similar to that of sarsquatty. I missed my first age related mammogram because I had moved to a different part of the country and by the time I was picked up on my new doctor’s ‘turn’ for mammogram screening I was 53. My mammogram showed up a large area of calification in the left breast which was originally diagnosed as DCIS. I had a maestectomy and an immediate reconstruction but unfortunately post op. pathology showed invasive disease with spread to the lymph nodes. I often wonder if I had the mammogram 2 years earlier would it have made any difference to my diagnosis…
Lyn
Hi all
Being very breast aware, I discovered a lump in my breast myself, aged 55, five months before being called for my second NHS mammogramme. First mamogramme aged 52 was clear. My lump was 7.8mm less than 1 cm. no node or vascular invasion. While I fully understand the difficulty in diagnosing pre-menopausal women using mammogrammes (breast density etc) I think 3 yearly mammogramme for post menopausal women is grossly inadequate. As there is no cure for breast cancer even early breast cancer like mine, I feel that every effort should be made to prevent the disease and the only way this can be achieved is yearly mammogramme for women over 50 years. Pre-menopausal women should insist on a ultrasound. One year after my original diagnosis I feel bitter and agry, the more I read about this disease the more I feel sickened. Pink October is a joke, is this suppose to give us the illusion that something is being done about this disease, I don’t think so.
cheers
I was 64 when dx after a routine mammogram. My “lump” was 7.5mm,and I was told it would have been 8 years before it would have been big enough for me to feel it as a lump. My sister in law’s was 1cm and she was told hers would have taken 5 years to show as a lump big enough for her to feel herself. Maybe the older you are the longer these things take to grow.
Hi
The grade will show how fast growing it is.
I found my lump myself, it was 2.1cm and grade 3 (which I was told is normal for my age of 34 as metabolism is faster when you are younger).
I was told that it had probably been caused by the hormones from my 2nd pregnancy, which was just 18 months before I found the lump. So obviously was fast growing, although luckily no spread anywhere.
i had a 1.1cm lump show on mammo at 37 but confirmed on ultrasound, fna and biopsy was a grade 1 and slow growing and told it had probably been there for a number of years.
i was diagnosed with a new lump this year at 40 following routine annual mammo… it was 1cm on ultrasound but 1.9cm after wle going up to 2.5cm including dcis… this was grade 3 and was told it had probably been there a number of months.
luckily neither had nodes involved but most recent is triple neg and has lymphatic invasion, whereas first was 100% ER positive.
Hi Ladies
What a read I also was misdiagnosed and will be putting in a complant when I feel strong enough ( not sure if there is a time limit to complain )
I had inverted nipple with discharge was sent for managrame and they requested ultra sound , came back ok so was discharged from hospital and treated for the next 12 months by gp for an infected nipple which of course got worse I visited the docs almost every month and was given repeat pres for antibiotics form October I was on them constentley …
When you are told its nothing serious and you have young children you feel relaved that its all ok and only an infections …
In April 09 this year I was seen by a different doctor who re refured me to same consultant that discharged me 12 months earlier ,
was given a biopsy and guess what bc grade 3 and all lymps were cancerus except one 15/16 …
So I defo think it had been there some time …
Found out on the Mon breast removed on Wed at private hospital covered by nhs think maybe it was due to mis diagnosis…
Cant belive how many of us this is happening to this is why we should complain to stop it happening ,
Im 39 with two young children Im going to complain on there behalf because they both want mom around for a very long time and I want to be here …
Lisa x ( sorry about spelling )
Hi Lisa
I was misdiagnosed by four years because my GPs did not send me for further investigation when I asked - said I had nothing to worry about and as I was under age 50 I could not put myself into the NHS screening programme. Like you, when I was told I had nothing to worry about, I was relieved. I put myself into the system at age 50 and was found to have Stage 3b breast cancer. I also had 15 cancerous lymph nodes. Going a whole year with an infected nipple is appalling. I very much hope you make a complaint. For the sake of others who come after us, I feel, we must complain. I am actively fighting my case. I have also made most of the Breast Cancer charities aware of my situation. I’m still not aware of any breakthrough. I ask myself would they be prepared to stick their necks out and go against the system??
Concentrate on getting strong again. It is not difficult to lodge a complaint and you have plenty of time.
Take care.
Jeannie
I have read through this thread with interest. I have attended every mammogram that I have been called for as part of the screening programme and they have been clear. The most recent was in Feb 08. I will admit these gave me some complacency and I was not as careful about self examination as I should have been. One year later, Feb 09,I realised I could feel a lump and went to the GP and off into the system.
The outcome was a mastectomy for a 6cm IDC/DCIS tumour, grade 3, triple neg.clear nodes. I am 61.
I still don’t know whether this means I have an alarmingly rapidly growing lump even though I am older and postmenopausal or whether I was one of the 20% who are missed on routine screening. I do agree that the 3 year gap between mammos is too long.
Joss
hi Ladies thanks Jeannie .
Yes I will complain like you say but am slightly worried ABOUT COST ECT AS THIS SITUATION HAS PUT US UNDER FINACIAL DIFFICULTY ASWELL , iM NOW ONLY ON STAT SICK PAY AND AS TREATMENT HAS BEEN SO UNKIND TO ME IT LOOKS LIKE I WOUNT BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO WORK AS SOON AS I HOPPED . ALSO A MO I FEEL I NEED MY LOCAL GP MORE THAN EVER SOUNDS MADE BUT AT MO THEY CANT DO ENOUGH FOR ME … GUILT I SEEM TO THINK ALSO YOUNG CHILDREN HAVE GONE THERE SINCE BIRTH SO SITUATION REALLY DIFFICULT IT DOES GET ME DOWN ALOT WHEN I LET IT …
SPEAK SOON LISA
Hi Lisa
I hope you leave the complaining to later - you have more than enough to deal with at the moment. One thing at a time. My situation was quite different in that I never entered my GP surgery after I was diagnosed. An arrangement was made with the practice whereupon a different GP, to the one who had misdiagnosed, called at my home once a month. I put up with this until I eventually left the area I loved and had lived in for approx 13 years. It was the only way I felt I could put things behind me.
I did find the GP that visited me didn’t know a lot about breast cancer (again not helpful to my head) but he was prepared to give me anything I asked for in the way of medicines and financial help. Have you tried speaking to your GP about financial help? They can do a lot for you in the way of benefits (Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance). Also, have you thought about contacting Macmillan? I got a one-off Macmillan Grant of £300. I know things have changed a little but they advertise themselves heavily as being able to help people who are suffering financial loss through cancer. Please don’t feel guilty - they have money in the pot for this very purpose.
I hope this is helpful to you.
Jeannie
I was advised by the DWP to apply for DLA after I had surgery. My GP was sent a letter after I had applied and according to him I wasn’t disabled enough, or sick enough. Towards the end of treatment he refused to give my Oncologist permission to refer me for counselling,saying I didn’t need a psychologist, I’d nearly finished the treatment and “just needed to get on with things” thankfully she eventually ignored his behaviour and referred me anyway because another Consultant dealing with the menopause also recommended it.
Personally, most of the GPs I have seen since 2006 have not had a clue about BC. The one I have just mentioned knew nothing of the drugs I was on, he also thought Herceptin was a tablet even though it was never out of the news at the time. Another GP said “whoa, stop there, I’m not the best person to talk to as I don’t know anything about BC”.
The local Maggies Centre told me they get a steady stream of patients who feel their GPs are ignorant about cancer and the treatment of it.