HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Do I have anything to be worried about?? Because i am WORRIED!

Support Forums
>
Breast Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/15/2012 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
I have a consult with a Dr at the breast clinic in a few weeks - but i am looking for advice from people who know what these "words" mean and would like to know if i should be worried.. if i should request a biopsy, any information you can give me.

Im 37 and went in for my 1st mammogram. They called me back for "asymmetric densities in the bilateral breasts". I went back, they did several more films, then had me wait, then called me back in for an ultrasound right then. They ultrasound tech said she saw a cyst.. ok, not a huge deal.. but when i went to Dr the next week and asked for the report, apparently there was another spot i wasn't told about then.

This is what the report says:

Additional spot compression and lateral views of the right breast demonstrated sub centimeter circumscribed masses in the right central upper and right central lower breast. Additional spot compression and lateral views of left breast demonstrated sub centimeter circumscribed masses in the left medial lateral breast.

Physical performed focused ultrasound of the right breast at the 12 o'clock position demonstrated a 0.3 x 0.3 x 0.5 cm simple cyst. Focused ultrasound of the right breast at the 6 o'clock position demonstrated a 0.8 x 0.3 x 0.9 circumscribed, heterogeneous mass with both hyper and hypo-echoic components but without increased vascular flow. Focused ultrasound of the left breast and the 3 and 9 o'clock positions was negative.

Impression:

Probably benign findings. BI _ RADS category 3
Follow up bilateral mammography recommended in 6 months.

So - its the second mass im freaked out about. I know its small.. but if it has both components it means its not just a cyst right? and heterogeneous means made of different materials correct? And just because there isnt INCREASED vascular flow.. that doesn't mean its NOT malignant right? So what else could it be? just a fatty mass? fibrous? and PROBABLY benign.. thats not good enough for me! We could take care of this NOW if theres something wrong thankyouverymuch! ;-)

any experiences, advice.. good or bad please. Should i ask that it be biopsied?

Thank you!
Posted 2/15/2012 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
You can always ask for a biopsy. With a cyst, they can do a fine needle aspiration. Sometimes, a cyst will have "junk" in it. Think orange juice... without pulp is my favorite. The kind with the pulp floating around in it? Yuck! That would be a cyst with junk in it. And then, very rarely, there will be a seed that gets through the juicing process. This would be the rare cyst with junk it it that has a stray cancer cell. This is very rare, but not impossible. 6 months, in terms of breast cancer, isn't very long. The smallest mass that will be found on a mammogram would usually have to grow for another three years before it would be a palpable mass. And the cancer probably started growing years before that. So you could wait, you could ask for a fine needle aspiration, or you could ask for a biopsy. Somewhere around 80% of biopsies are benign, even with all the technology we have, but sometimes a small scar is worth you peace of mind.

Hope this helps.

Hugs...
BEV
Posted 2/20/2012 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for responding Bev -

I'm not even really worried about the first one.. are you saying they can do FNA on the second one too?

I have heard its "slow growing" - but isn't that a double edged sword when your told "lets wait and see"? What if its growing so slow that there isn't enough of a change in 6 months for them to be concerned then either? At what point do I say, you can't tell me its a cyst.. then what is it?? If I'm overeacting.. please, tell me. I just feel like they are looking at me like "ok your young, no family history, so make room for the people that really have BC and see ya in 6 months.".

Know what I mean?
Posted 2/20/2012 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
I know the waiting is awful.....I don't have a lot of experience yet myself with any of this, but I also had a mammo, then a second mammo, then ultrasound and now I am finally going to get my biopsy tomorrow (waiting 10 days on pins and needles for this day to come).  I am 43 and have an 11 yr old and 9 yr old.  I am actually very anxious to get the procedure done and over....not scared of the procedure, just scared of the results.  All my report said is that I have a bigger density than last year and they want to see what it is...I'm glad they are being cautious and I want to know, too!  If I was you, I would definately request a biopsy or find a doctor that agrees with you....I don't want to wait for 6 mos.  80% of biopsies are benigh, but just not knowing is what is terrible.  I will find out my results in 2-3 days after tomorrow!  I feel something in there and it doesn't feel right, so I am thinking I have something and I want to know.  Good luck....I will check back for any comments as to what you decide.  Take care.....Isn't Bev great!!  She responded to my earlier post, too, and was the only one......!   It makes you feel like someone is listening and you are not alone.  Benign, benign, right! 
Posted 2/25/2012 7:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Englishtea,

You should ask for a needle biopsy if that will comfort you. Stress can make it worse if its more than just a cyst. Doctors tampered with my left breast and removed cysts/lumps on four occasions and my breast is still sore now after three years. I sometimes want to cut it off myself and call it a day. But, I do believe if the cysts were alarming to the physicians they would tell you. Sometimes those cysts could be fibrous breast tissue at least that what they told me. I know there may not be any concrete proof out there but I stopped drinking any soda, eating chocolate/caffeine and the cyst have been absent for the last three years. It can be scary but worrying or stressing can definitely make it worse. My prayers are with you!
Posted 2/27/2012 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Just got my biopsy results!  Benigh!  I know I am one of the lucky ones for now anyway!  Wow! Did that open my eyes to the anxiety and stress of not knowing and waiting and waiting for test results.  I know the statistics are high......I also drink decaf coffee and try to take care of myself....but frankly, I don't know if it really matters.  I think random....no one causes breast cancer.....you either will get it or you won't.  My heart goes out to everyone waiting for test results or getting cancer!  Take care of yourselves and live life to the fullest....I had myself burried so many times; leaving my young children; leaving my hsuband to care for them by himself (we have almost no family--and the little we do have are old and not capable of childcare--that scared the living daylights out of me)!  All the posts of living long, and longevity were very encouranging though!  Thank you for this forum and anyone that answerred my posts.  Life for me will go on until the next mammo?  Scarry! 
Posted 2/27/2012 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
So happy for you! It is so easy to jump to conclusions. I had a phone call from my oncologist's office one day several years ago. I called back, and the nurse told me that all my bloodwork looked good, my scans had all come back clean... but my mammogram came back showing a mass in my remaining breast. My thoughts at the time were, "Oh thank goodness it's just in the breast!" Of course, I was sure it was cancer, but I still had to wait six weeks to get compression views done that showed there was nothing. Nada. Not a thing. It was a relief, but it is funny how our perspective changes.

Hope that next year, all goes well.

Hugs,
BEV

P.S. And here all this time I thought you were a tea drinker! LOL
Posted 2/29/2012 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
I love green tea actually...drink it almost every day.  I am actually English too; born there but am an American citizen and have been here since I was 5 yrs of age!  Good luck with everything.  Say your prayers and enjoy life.  Take good care of yourself. 
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply