At my first mammogram at the age of. 50 I was diagnosed with Atypical ductal hyperplasia in situ on my right breast. I had the lump removed and no further treatment was needed. Since then I have had yearly check ups and mammograms. I had a check up in approx April time last year 2014 followed by a mammogram in june. I received a letter in August saying that my mammogram remained disease free and they would see me again in clinic next year. After this I had a strange feeling in my breast and a lump that was there one minute and gone the next. I had my knee replaced in February 2014 and just though it was muscle from using my elbow crutches. Then one morning I thought I’m going to the GP to get this lump checked. When my GP examined me she said that it was tethering and wanted me to go back for a mammogram. I told her that I have already had one a couple of months ago, then she found the results. She said I’m going to send you back to get them to check it again. Waited three weeks got appointment and finally the day came, the Dr laid me on the couch and examined my breast and then asked me to get dressed. As I got up my mammogram was on the screen in front of the Dr. I asked Is that my mammogram and the Dr said yes. I could clearly see a large white area on the mammogram. I asked the Dr is that it is that the area we are looking at and the Dr replied yes. I said well it can’t be nothing because I’ve had my all clear letter come through. The Dr showed me at the bottom of the Mammogram it read fatty tissue. The following Tuesday I was back at clinic having an ultra sound and a biopsy. yes I had breast cancer. Since then I have had a left breast mastectomy, then a couple of weeks after my first operation I had a second operation to have a lymph node clearance. Now I am just about to have chemo and then radium. The Moral of my story is how was this missed it was. 6 cm big. I could see it as clear as day on that mammogram so why couldn’t they. What can I do I never want anyone to go through what I am going through right now. !!! Someone is responsible and someone needs to be sacked or retrained because if i could see it on there why couldn’t they !!!
I had a similar experience I had an all clear mammogram in the November but in the January I too felt a ‘lump’ in my breast and went to GP thinking it was just a cyst or something but wanted it checked out as my sister had had a breast cance diagnosis. GP referred me and I had a ultra scan and biopsy and yes it was cancer and when the tumour was removed it was 9cm. I too felt someone had ‘messed up’ and asked to see the radiologist to discuss my mammogram and to find out what has happened. I saw the senior radiologist and she was fantastic she got the last two of my mammograms out and went through them with me - there were 8 pictures to look at and she showed me the area where my lump was which on one of the pictures was a white blob on the other one when they squish the breasts long ways the white blob had disappeared so the assumption was it was fatty tissue - she said that only 90% of cancers are picked up on Mammogram and whilst it is an excellent tool - things are not always picked up and its not human error its just if you have dense breasts for fatty tissue the cancers can ‘hide’. I was satisified by her explanation and now understand that whilst a mammogram is a good tool nothing is better than self checking of breasts which I do monthly on my good breast as every lump or bump goes reported and checked and I have had a number of scans in the last few years. I still have the yearly mammo’s but don’t rely on these results alone. x
I just feel angry did you ? Like you I had two aunts that had breast cancer and my mom had ovarian cancer so yes I was put in the “at risk group” So you would have thought they would have been even more observant. But that’s a good idea. Thank you for letting me know think I will get in touch with the radiologist. Did you have to have a mastectomy and chemo etc
So pleased to hear all is well. thank you for replying x
I had a similar experience. I had a lump I could feel behind my nipple, even though nothing had shown on a mammogram (had been having them yearly because of family history). My gp referred me to a breast clinic and they said there was nothing on ultrasound either so it was probably a blocked duct. Over the next 2.5 years I kept going back to my gp as it was growing and causing me pain and she sent me back to the clinic a number of times, and still they said it was nothing. Eventually after 20 months they did a biopsy and I was diagnosed with idc. Probably because of the delay my lymph nodes were affected and have had to be removed.
I am trying not to be too angry at the moment as I am currently having chemo and feel it is important to stay positive, but when this is all over I will definitely be looking for some answers.
Em
Hi, I also had a similar experience, can’t believe how common this is. I also had yearly mammograms for 10 yrs due to family history, I was discharged after mammo on august 2012, I was then invited to have another mammo in april 2013 as part of national screening as i had previously turned 50, both those results were clear. A couple of months later I felt what seemed a large lump and went to see my gp.
After examination he calmly said it shouldn’t be anything to worry about as my two recent mammograms were clear, however I did press him to make a referral ( i am so glad I did) and he reluctantly agreed.
He obviously did not think it was urgent as it took nine weeks to get appointment and guess what !!! I was diagnosed with triple neg 3cm tumour. I had lumpectomy,chemo and rads and tretment ended july 2014.
I asked the surgeon why this has happened despite two clear mammo’s within eight months and I got the same reply that they are excellent tools but not 100% accurate, lessons to be learned ladies ( keep checking yourselves).
I am more angry with my gp in the practice as he made me feel I was being paranoid and I could quite easily have taken his word for it that it was nothing to worry about so I made my views known to head of practice and she told me she will ensure this does not happen again to anyone.
Take care ladies
Wyn x
This is too frightingly common. You would have thought that with your family history like me, they would have been more cautious.