I’m just curious…when I was diagnosed I had mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies. I had my WLE and SLNB. Noone has suggested I need an mri or ct or pet scan. Just wondered why as so many of you had these scans to check for spread. Iss it because your lymph nodes were showing cancer on ultrasound before surgery? Only asking as I’m convinced I’m riddled with cancer now! Thanks
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I didn’t have any further scans , I think it depends on the size , grade and stage of your cancer ( and also type as lobular cancer can be hard to see clearly without an MRI ).
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Hi, I have 2 tumours in my right breast both around 2cm. I have IDC Grade 2.
My consultant said I needed an MRI and CT. Apparently this is standard practice for our Trust but I do wonder if it’s because I had more than 1 tumour and they cannot be felt by physical examination? Also my lymph nodes have been reported as normal on the mammogram and 2 x ultrasounds so maybe they want to check with the MRI to be sure before surgery as I understand it shows them much clearer. My surgeon did mention he wanted to triple check my left breast as well just to be sure that one is OK. I’m definitely having a mastectomy of my right one.
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Thanks @jayne1210. Sorry to hear your diagosis. Maybe I didnt get mri because it was just 1 lump then. I’ll have to ask. Hope you are doing okay x
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Thanks @Jill1998. That might also explain why they didnt need to do mri on me. Hope you’re doing well. X
I also have not had a CT or MRI scan and don’t know why not.
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I haven’t had any scans either, with 16mm Idc and 2 lymph nodes, the rest were all clear. When I asked I was told I didn’t need them and they don’t like to give them to you unnecessarily.
Sending hugs to everyone
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Hi @Cali and @chillout365 - they only took 2 of my lymph nodes. Presumably if they are clear than so are the rest. It’s all so confusing as I don’t see any doctors for weeks or months and then I feel in the dark. I don’t even know if my surgery was successful other than they let me out of hospital! Still 4 weeks until my results! Hope everyone is doing well, but I’m proving to be an impatient patient!
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@bluesatsuma
Hi! Yes if your sentinel nodes are clear they don’t think it can have spread. One of my nodes was affected so they went back and took out all armpit ones on that side. They were almost all clear just two with a very minor presence, so i did chemo just in case. But still no scans. I do hope that’s a good sign!
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Hi Bluesatsuma
Yes they originally found it in the two that first removed then I had to have a 2nd op to remove the rest which were all clear. I was then offered onco test and that determined radiotherapy but not chemo, no scans though.
The waiting does funny things to your mind, stay strong and positive
xx
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Thanks @Cali for your reply. May i ask you, were your lymph nodes clear on ultrasounds before you had the slnb? I was told my nodes looked uninvolved but bracing myself that they might not be. Hope you are recovering well. X
@chillout365 thank goodness the rest of the lymph nodes were clear. I guess no mri means they are confident so I’m going to stop worrying about it now. Still 4 weeks till my results meeting! Hope you continue to recover well x
@bluesatsuma
On my ultrasound they thought one was a possibility, but the biopsy of that one came back clear. In total they counted one sentinel and two micro out of the 29 they removed overall. Which apparently was very good.
I do think I’m now recovering well, and dreading an MRI if they do request one as I’m claustrophobic!
I found my MRI very hard, in some ways worse than chemo, as the claustrophobia was intense. However I heard recently that a number of hospitals now have standing up machines which are apparently easier to tolerate so worth an enquiry
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I’m guessing it depends on initial findings. I didn’t get put in the MRI until they found I had Stage 3 and it was in lymph nodes. Worth asking, though
I had triple negative breast cancer and in my lymph nodes finished chemo and radiotherapy i was never offerd any scans i had to ask for one for prace of mind i would definitely ask for one
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Hi @Estartit. I hope you are well now. I’m going to ask but only if my lymph nodes are positive. It’s scary knowing it is in me, but I will wait to see what results day brings. Thanks for your reply. X
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Hi @teddy271. Thanks for your reply. I hope you’re on recovery road now. I think I will wait for results day and see if it’s in nodes. If it is i will ask about mri. Hopefully my nodes are negative x
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Hi @Cali. That’s a lot of lymph nodes that they took. Glad you are recovering well. I am going to sit tight and wait for results. If it is in my nodes then I guess they will take them all out. I am claustrophobic too. I’ve had mri before and I just closed my eyes and sang the songs on the earphones silently in my mind! X
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I think what tests are preformed depends on your doctor. I have 3 friends and we all had breast cancer the same year. All different treatments- Obviously it depends on your pathology the most, but doctors seem to differ on test too. I was Stage 1, her-, e/p +, no lymph node involvement. GYN found my breast lump. I couldn’t feel it even when she showed me where it was. Mammogram first, diagnostic mammogram second. Radiologist said mammogram didn’t look like cancer, he would see me in 6 months. GYN was leaving practice so she sent me to a breast surgeon who said she agreed it didn’t look like cancer. I asked for an ultrasound and doctor said she wouldn’t order one. She said they show too much that’s really nothing. I said ok, then just take the lump out. Told her if insurance didn’t pay, I would. Then she backed tracked to an ultrasound. There I met a Doctor, a different Radiologist who took the time to line up what he saw on the ultrasound to my mammogram. He felt I needed a stereotactic biopsy. The biopsy showed stage 0 Cancer. I had surgery a week later and the tumor showed invasive cancer stage 1, but clean margins. No positive nodes. He recommended MRI every year and diagnostic mammogram ever year, so I was checked by some diagnostic means every 6 months. He felt because the cancer was questionable on mammogram and I couldn’t feel the lump, he wanted to play it safe. This started at one year post surgery. They did a complete body scan before I stated radiation treatments. Have taken Anastrazole for 5 years. I’m glad I pushed the surgeon to do something. Who knows if I had waited 6 months. All I know is ask questions and if you don’t feel comfortable with the answer, get a second opinion. Doctors aren’t always right.