failed stereostaic core biopsy on prone table

Help.... I am trying to work through my options for a biopsy that I thought would have been done by now and hoping to get some input! I am so confused.
Last week I went in for a stereostatic core needle biopsy at local state university/med school. The radiologist who recommended the biopsy for my clusters of microcalcifications recommended I get it on an upright machine stereostatic machine, due to the location of the microcalcs - close to chest wall and the fact that I have itty bitty boobs. But I got scheduled for the prone position, so the radiologist, the same one who recommended the upright mentioned the mess up but then, tried to make the prone machine work. and then tried ultrasound. 4 hours later, we called it quits...

So, I got thinking I needed a second opinion. So, i went to a very well renowned hospital that does cutting edge everything... had a second opinion visit and they found more microcalcs and their opinion concurred with umass, I do indeed need a biopsy. BUT, here is the catch, to my astonishment, they recommended I get it on a prone table! Two radiologists reviewed all the films, including the ones from the failed prone procedure at the other hospital and they are CONFIDENT, those were their words, that they can have success using the prone table. After seeing me, with all their experience, etc...

I let them know about the failure at the other hospital. They didn't give me the upright option. Either prone stereostatic machine or surgery. But they seem really confident that it will work.

ARe there different prone tables that would make one more successful with tough cases like me? Should I ask the new hospital that question, or are they all prone tables pretty much the same?

any help is appreciated!!! thanks so much, I hope to have this figured out and done before christmas and hopefully have the results before then too. this is so stressful!!

Thanks so much :)https://www.healingwell.com/community/emoticons/confused.gif

Post Edited (hockeyplayinmama3) : 12/8/2011 7:36:14 PM (GMT-7)

BEV- Thanks for the reply! I would absolutely consider doing it the surgery way ... my only question about that is do they check to see pathology right away so they know if they need to remove everything, or do they just go ahead and remove everything strange so that they have less need to go back in there? I am just a little more scared of the "open surgery" route but, due to anesthesia and just being more open... I would do it in a heartbeat if that is the best way to do it.

thanks again!

 

Thanks so much! I never thought that was a possibility. I would totally do it with local anesthesia and it makes me less scared to have it done. I really appreciate your input! I am hoping to have the biopsy scheduled next week or the following week. The wait is torture!
Steph

Hi BEV,
Just had the biopsy done! Sore, but relieved that they were able to do it. They did say that from now on if I have more calcifications, that it would need to be done surgically, and, just as you said, it is all local anesthesia, and I would get to sit in a chair! So, total relief on all counts if I need to do this again. So, now I am keeping my fingers crossed the sample is ample and benign! 3-5 days...
Steph

Of breast cancer diagnoses, this is about as good as it gets. Sorry to hear that you are joining our sisterhood, Steph, but comparatively speaking... So. What comes next? They usually want to do a lumpectomy followed by radiation, just to get any stray cancer cells that may be hanging out. Sometimes chemo, but some consider this "overkill" for DCIS. And sometimes an aromatase inhibitor if it is er/pr positive (estrogen/ progesterone fed cells).

Don't be afraid to ask questions... why they think this therapy or that one is better for you. I don't know how old you are, but often, age is one of the big decision factors. The younger you are, the more aggressive the treatment they recommend.

Let me know how it goes... And again, sorry you have to be here.

Hugs...
BEV

I'm assuming that your doctor has gotten your pathology reports back by now, which is why he decided this was not cancer. Do you have a breast center near where you live? I would ask for a referral to one if there is one. You need to find out what is going on. If you G P and surgeon cannot tell you, you need to find someone who can.

I don't think your doctors are deliberately lying to you. It could be that they are still unsure what is causing the pain and swelling. But if they are unsure, you need to see someone who can figure it out!

Sorry you are going through so much.

Hugs...
BEV

I think it is fairly common to at least start with antibiotics when a doctor sees a breast that is red, swollen, and painful. I wish I could give you an answer, but I'm not a medical professional, and there are so many things that this could be! It doesn't necessarily have to be cancer. There are benign tumors (phyllodes tumors) that can grow very quickly. Your reference to broccoli brought that to mind, because they usually grow from a central "stalk" with a cluster of tumors at the "head." I don't think they are typically painful, but they can be very fast growing. They are also pretty rare. Even more rarely, they can be cancerous. But this could also be a lot of other things, as well.

I hope you will go to the surgeon with a list of questions that you would like to have answered before you leave his office. Write your questions down. Take your mom or someone close to you as a second pair of ears. Sometimes they will remember things that we forget.

And don't let them brush you off! You are deserving of that doctor's time and attention, whether you are in Canada or Turkey!

Hope all goes well for you.

HUgs....
BEV

HI OK SOO I NEED HELP PLEASE....YTHIS IS WHAT ULTERSOUND SAID:FOCAL ABNORMALITY IN RIGHT BREAST AT 3 O CLOCK RADIAN INVOLVING THE AREOLA,. THRE IS SKIN THICKENING WITH HYPOECHOIC AREA DEEP IN THE SKIN MEASURING 18X12X18MM. DOPPLER DEMONSTRY LYMPH NODE IS PROMINENT DEMONSTRATING HYPEREMIC FLOW. SIGNIFICANT HYPEREMIA WITH LOW IMPENDANCE FLOW.NO FLUID. . LESION INVOLVIN G NIPPLE IS RADIAN WITH SIGNIFICANT HYPEREREMIA NOTED.FINDINGS ARE CONSISTENT WITH AN INFLAMMATORY PROCESS. THERE IS NO ABCSESS.THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS INCLUDESNEO PLASTIC AND NON NEOPLASTIC INFLAMMATORY. MAMMOGRAM SAYS:NIPPLE INVERTED.THICKENING IN THE AREOLA . A 0.8 CM DENSITY IS IDENTIFIED. NO CYST. MICROCALICIFICATIONS EVIDENT. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW OR ASK?..IS THIS I.B.C?...I TALKED TO MY SURGEON AND HE SAID HE TOOK A ABSCESS OUT ?....HOW WHEN THE US SHOWED NO ABSCESS? THE MEASURMENTS OF WHAT HE TOOK OUT IS.....3.5X2.5X1.5CM. PATHOLGY OF MASS CAME BACK NO MALIGNANCY?..OHHHH PLEASE HELP ME UNDER STAND THIS?..I THINK AND BELIEVE US AND MAMMOGRAM IS RITE?..WAITING PASSIONALTY FOR YOUR REPLY....THANK YOU

hi, so i saw doctor today....i asked do i have i.b.c?..answer: no
do i have pagets?...no
he said i should be happy the pathology report came back benign. i asked what kind of infection?..he said i dont know. i said why do i still have a lump beside my nipple and it has discharge and slightly inside my boob not poking out?..he said those things happen. what about my armpit hurting?...thats from infection, nodes should go down. my lump beside my nipple is almoat like a purply color now, was red. thats normal healing. he told me to stay off internet....hahahaa. i said send me to a Breast surgeon, he said give me a name of one...i said we live in fort mcmurray we dont have one. the surgeon who did your surgery is a good surgeon. so i said what kind of test did you do on biopsey, is ther a specific test for pagets? or i.b.c?..he said no, they check for irregular cells if they see them, they do more. is that true?...i told him my boob still hurts, has like a burning, prickly feeling, he said its healing. theres like a brownish red fluid comin out. what does ultersound say?{he didnt kno i had a copy} he said if the surgeon went by the us and mammo he wudnt of cut you open to help you, cause you wer in so much pain. then he said ill give you more antibidicts, i said NO. my blood work came showing no infection, i took enuff antibiodicts. could the pathology report be wrong?..also he said its like up to 90% that the infection mite come back...he doesnt even know what it is or how i got it?..ohhh..where do i go frum here?..am i losing my mind?..