Radial scar.... anyone else have?

Hi All.

I did a search on the forum prior to posting, but nothing came up regarding breast disease/breast cancer.

I am 43 years old. Had an abnormal mammo in late December and was called back in for additional films. Those came back abnormal too.... microcalcification cluster in the left breast. Was immediately scheduled for a vacuum assisted stereotactic biopsy which I had performed last Thursday, Jan. 13th, and titanium marker was installed. The stereotactic sucked because the area was close to the nipple and the probe overshot and exited out the bottom of the breast. So now I have an 8 guage "through and through" tunnel in that breast with an exit wound as well as the entry. Grrrr. I've been pierced like a punk rocker. Where is my jewelry????

Radiologist expedited the path on it. My dingbat ob\gyn doctor called me Friday night with the results... all is fine. Calcifications were benign. Nothing to worry about, we will just stick with yearly mammo's to keep an eye on everything.

Last night at 5:30pm she basically calls me back and says "ooops. There was a part at the end of the report where the radiologist is insisting you have a surgical consult due to radial scar tissue found in the biopsies. Sorry about that." I asked her why I need a surgical consult if it was benign and she said she didn't know. Basically, she gave me results on Friday without reading the entire report, and it wasn't until the RADIOLOGIST followed up with her to make sure I was scheduled for a surge consult that she actually read the FULL report and then had to call me back with the news.

Still, she didn't have a single answer to any of my questions. I've had more informative conversations with my Pit Bull\ Boxer mix.

I've done some googling and read that radial scars can "hide" cancer cells. Has any of you wonderful ladies on this board had anything like that in your initial DX? I would love any information you could share, since it's obvious I wont be getting any answers from a medical professional until I can get into this surgeon guy for my consult.

Thanks so much!

m1

Thanks Bev!!

Actually, my radiologists have been golden (I'm up to 3 now.... guess my films are considered interesting... hahahaha). They warned me the probe might exit the other side.... they tried to avoid it but it is what it is.

My referring physician however has been close to useless (or a "hot mess" as you say.... LOVE IT!!). Will be swapping her out in the near future.

From what I have read, a radial scar is not really "scar tissue".... they call it a scar because of how it looks on film, but it is actually tissue and ductal changes in an area that 25% of the time can "hide" cancer cells. They say it is rare (something like only 3% of tissue abnormalities are radial scars), and considering how many views this post has gotten with no one raising their hand and saying "uh huh! Me too!" I guess the rarity of it is pretty accurate.

Have a surgical consult tomorrow morning at 9:45. I think they are going to want to do a lumpectomy to check for cancer cells around the area of the titanuim marker. Poor boob still has more colors on it than a Picasso and it appears we are still not done with diagnostics.

Will post up findings etc., as I go, if that is okay with the Mods. If nothing else, at least this post will be here for someone in the future that may have this "rare" finding in their path report.

Hugs right back atcha!
m1

Hey! Yeah, that is not a term I've ever heard before, and I've been around for a few years! LOL Anyway, Hope your consult and biopsy will give you peace of mind. Let us know how things go!

Hugs... BEV

Hello - I just wanted to share my story, the process and precedure that I recently went thru. Hopefully it will help those who are going thru the same thing. I found it rather confusing but realize now - that's because so little is known about radial scars. What to do, What not to do...........

I was diagnoised with a radial scar in OCT 2010. The story is pretty much the same as the rest of you. I started out by going for my yearly Mam and Ultra-sound when my Radiologist noticed a mass in my left breast at the 5:00 position - she decided at that time to do a core needle biopsy taking out 4 samples. She called me in 10 days to say the samples were NON maligant..........a few days later I got a call from family Dr. asking me to come into his office to chat about the results. This is when my Dr. presented the Pathologist's report of the findings and it states that "The new report indictes a radial scar with atypical lobular hyperplasia and excisional biopsy is recommended". So it must be the course of action that the first results are passed along to the Pathologist for his comments - Guess this why we get two calls, to our own horror.

Long story short - I gave it all much thought and did some reseach. If the core needle biopsies were negative why was it suggested that I needed a excisional biopsy. As I found out Radial Scars are rare and can hide cancerous cells so it's a 15% they can find something. Who knew............ 

Everyone I knew suggested "Better be safe than sorry". After dragging my feet and a couple visits with 3 top surgeons - I choose a wonderful surgeon who only does breast surgery.

So on Mar 28, 2011 I was booked for day surgery - started out with ultrasound so they could locate area thur use of a needle guided wire, they then moved me into the day surgery room for localized freezing of breast - 10 minute operation and a 1.5 incision. My surgeon took out the entire mass 1.75 cm x 1.80 cm x .80 cm. I actually asked to see it. Anyways I got the results in 7 days and it was benign. OMG my worse nightmare was over  and I should be so thankful nothing was found.

As of today I had my follow-up with the Surgeon to look at the incision and despite small dent or loss in breast tissue - I had no swelling, bleeding or pain from the operation.

So rule of thumb: get a good surgeon, ask lots of question prior to surgery, get copies of your all reports, post-surgery pack your breast with ice and use Clairns Stretch Mark Control Cream on the incision ( or any incision ) 14 days after to melt away the scar.

Hope this helps

Luv to you all

Snowbunny

I am 39 almost 40 two weeks ago I found a lump in my right breast. I already had my annual gynecological appt scheduled so I called and they sent me for mammo and ultrasound. Went expecting being told need to have surgery for my right breast. They begin doing extra scans and an ultrasound is ordered for my left breast. There was nothing wrong with my left. The lump in the right is 3 cysts bunched together I am having an aspiration done on 2/12. The left had a mass show on the mammo but not on the ultrasound. I was scheduled for a stereotactic breast biopsy. Had that done and it did not go well I was among the less than 1% that develop hematomas. I developed 3 hematomas in an hr they think they may have nicked a vessel. I am extremely bruised and still sore however got results today biopsy shown as benign but I do have a radial scar and am awaiting an appt with a surgeon to have it removed.I have never had cancer, no biopsies or trauma or anything else ever done.From what I understand they can just form however removing them is normal procedure since they can be associated with cancer. I have a family history of breast cancer so I am all for removing it. They will be removing the scar and surrounding tissue. It seems like it is just one of those things that happen with some women and not with others. But you are not alone.

Hi all!

I, too, have a family history of breast and ovarian cancer. However, my Mom's BRCA and BART tests were negative. Towards the end of last summer, I got this nagging feeling that I needed a mammogram. A spot was detected, biopsied and came back atypical lobular hyperplasia. It was small enough that the biopsy sucked the entire mess out. My doc put me on tamoxifen and I had a hard crash into menopause (I'm 50). No worries, tho'. At my next checkup (six months after the initial mammogram), my doc wanted me to have an MRI with dye to see if there was anything else was hidden. A suspicious area was identified that did not show up on the initial mammogram. I had two biopsies on this area - first with an ultrasound and the other with an MRI. The ultrasound biopsy's results were negative, but the doctor said something was just not right and suggested a MRI biopsy. The results from the MRI indicated radial scarring and no cancer. This was also small enough to be sucked out with the biopsies. She said that this was very rare, but has seen this in women like me (family history and atypical hyperplasia). She also said that these cells do not change into cancer, but can hide cancer. Also, in my case this is more like a marker that does put me at an increase for breast cancer. I will most likely change from tamoxifen to a drug for menopausal women and will go back in 6 months for another diagnostic exam. All this was caught so quickly in the game that I'm still a bit stunned. My aunt, back in the 60s, had a double mastectomy with rib and arm muscle removed... my mom had a single mastectomy... and I'm having clusters of cells removed. Not to make light of the seriousness of breast cancer, but I'm so grateful for the medical advances and only hope that when my daughters are older, there's a preventative shot that they can take. Take care ladies and forever keep moving forward. xxxooo

Hello everyone -- I've read through the posts on this thread and just need to say I'm pretty scared.

Will be 50 yrs old in August, have had routine mammograms since age 40. Have had a few cysts, but nothing a sonogram didn't rule out any further concern.

Went a few weeks ago for a follow up mammo on my right breast. They did another sonogram, then the radiologist came in and explained that i have a radial scar at about 10 o'clock on my right breast. He recommended an MRI, which of course I have to have my OBGYN get pre-authorization from insurance for. Well, surprise surprise, the insurance company denied the MRI request.

I have no family history of breast cancer. But after reading some various sources on the internet (I know, probably not a good idea), have become rather concerned about this.

So since the insurance company denied the MRI, I am now scheduled to meet with a general surgeon in 2 days for a consultation and have obtained my film (CD) from the recent mammos/sonogram findings.

Maybe it's psychosomatic, but my right breast is getting painful and I can REALLY feel this lump. Weird I never seemed to feel it before.

Anyway, like some of you have said, not a lot of good information out there about this. Would appreciate any other follow up experiences you can share.

Thank you!

I was diagnosed with a radial scar at 31 years old, had a lumpectomy. Went for my 6 month check up in July and my tests came out clean, but my doctor sat down with my husband and I and said that I have very fibrotic(sorry on spelling) breast tissue, and with menses early and some other risk factors. My aunt just got done with dealing with breast cancer stage 1. She feels I should have a bilat mastectomy. At first I was shocked, but at the time I was thinking if my breast tissue/cells are changing already, and I'm the type of person that dwells on something till I've done it or it consumes me. I'm going to have it done. I did get the whopping $3000 testing done and I was negative;) I have to say I am a double A cup and my lumpectomy threw my nipple has left me with a very deformed breast- half is prob gone already and I'm self conscious about it. I don't know if I'm okay with having surgery for fear of breast cancer or self conscious issue or both. I'm mourning breast feeding, feeling in my breasts, change.... I'm scheduled in 3 weeks to have it done and wondering if anyone on here has heard of this. I did get a second opinion and the doctor said basically the same recommendation. I would love to hear thoughts, anyone that has gone threw a preventative mastectomy, or anything anyone knows about radial scars. I know there rare, so I feel that shouldn't we be worried? Thanks so much!!!

Snowbunny said...
Hello - I just wanted to share my story, the process and precedure that I recently went thru. Hopefully it will help those who are going thru the same thing. I found it rather confusing but realize now - that's because so little is known about radial scars. What to do, What not to do...........



I was diagnoised with a radial scar in OCT 2010. The story is pretty much the same as the rest of you. I started out by going for my yearly Mam and Ultra-sound when my Radiologist noticed a mass in my left breast at the 5:00 position - she decided at that time to do a core needle biopsy taking out 4 samples. She called me in 10 days to say the samples were NON maligant..........a few days later I got a call from family Dr. asking me to come into his office to chat about the results. This is when my Dr. presented the Pathologist's report of the findings and it states that "The new report indictes a radial scar with atypical lobular hyperplasia and excisional biopsy is recommended". So it must be the course of action that the first results are passed along to the Pathologist for his comments - Guess this why we get two calls, to our own horror.



Long story short - I gave it all much thought and did some reseach. If the core needle biopsies were negative why was it suggested that I needed a excisional biopsy. As I found out Radial Scars are rare and can hide cancerous cells so it's a 15% they can find something. Who knew............



Everyone I knew suggested "Better be safe than sorry". After dragging my feet and a couple visits with 3 top surgeons - I choose a wonderful surgeon who only does breast surgery.



So on Mar 28, 2011 I was booked for day surgery - started out with ultrasound so they could locate area thur use of a needle guided wire, they then moved me into the day surgery room for localized freezing of breast - 10 minute operation and a 1.5 incision. My surgeon took out the entire mass 1.75 cm x 1.80 cm x .80 cm. I actually asked to see it. Anyways I got the results in 7 days and it was benign. OMG my worse nightmare was over and I should be so thankful nothing was found.



As of today I had my follow-up with the Surgeon to look at the incision and despite small dent or loss in breast tissue - I had no swelling, bleeding or pain from the operation.



So rule of thumb: get a good surgeon, ask lots of question prior to surgery, get copies of your all reports, post-surgery pack your breast with ice and use Clairns Stretch Mark Control Cream on the incision ( or any incision ) 14 days after to melt away the scar.



Hope this helps

Luv to you all

Snowbunny

Hi Snowbunny, hope you will see this post. I was told I have a radial scar and surgeon suggesting I have it removed. did it change shape or size of your breast? My breasts not so big to begin with. I know this should be least of my concerns.

Glad I found this thread very little info on radial scarring other than the don't worry or you need to worry.
I am 51 history of multiple cysts in both breasts from early 30's. I also had cysts in thyroid, major inflammation issues of joints and fibromyalgia.
Recent routine mammogram had letter to go to Jarvis Breast Clinic. They were excited to see me as have 4 radial scars in right breast. As you have all said rare 4 unheard of.
5 core biopsies taken go back next week for results. Scary stuff waiting now until next weeks appt.

I am 51 and no family history of breast cancer. I had a cyst needle biopsy in my late 20's, but other than that have had no problems. I have very fibrous breasts, so lately have had to follow up with ultrasounds after mammo's. This month, I was called back for 3-d mammo and ultrasound, then had a needle biopsy on 4/14. Today I got word that it was not cancerous, but is a radial scar and needs to be removed. I have been told that my information has been submitted to a surgeon, and now awaiting call to schedule. I so frustrated that now that my breast is no longer sore from the biopsy, but now am told it will be even sorer. Can you tell me what your recovery was like? I'm hoping I'm not going to have to miss work, etc. I've had so many surgeries in the past that I really do not look forward to it. Do they remove the tissue thru the same area they did the biopsy, or do they actually have to cut it open????