stereotactic needle biopsy

  I am very scared to have this done.  Is there anyone out there that has had this done? I am from MA. The size of the nodule is 15mm. I reply to this at the bottom. Ziggyrottie. thank you

Post Edited (ziggyrottie) : 2/11/2005 10:11:55 AM (GMT-7)

I think you are more frightened about having a breast biopsy than this procedure in particular.  Did your doctor find something on a mammogram that needed to be tested? Let me try to reassure you that breast lumps are very common, but most of the time they are benign.  The only way to know for sure is to biopsy it.  A stereotactic needle biopsy is one way to do this. A special computer finds the breast lesion and then the technician "locks" the breast in position for the radiologist take one or more samples of the lesion with needle, which feels like a bee sting. It may take several days to get the results, which is the hardest part of any test. We will be here to help you wait for your results, which we all hope will be benign! Welcome to our board.  You will find us a wealth of information and support. Let us know a little more about you, if you'd like (we are a nosy bunch, too!) Good luck! Frayda

I've had both excisional biopsies and a stereotactic one. It was not difficult, just a bit uncomfortable. Are you looking for more information on the procedure, or what? I can give you a web site with information on the procedure if that is what you are looking for. Sometimes what we do not know is the most frightening. A stereotactic biopsy is often followed by an excisional biopsy (at least it was in my case), to make sure nothing was missed. Good luck. Lauri

Well I am 45 a high risk for cancer Mother, Grandma and Aunt on my mothers side. The spot was found in 2003 on a mamo and the dr did a ultrasound and said it is just a cyst and then order a repeat mamo on the left side in 6 mns. So I did that no change so do worry. Now in 2004 I went for my yr mamo and the spot grew 1/4 of an inch so he did another ultrasound and could not find it. So he sent me to have another mamo on the left side. Told me that it needs to be biopsied. So here I am now. I am having it on feb 15th and I am scared to death of what I have read from what other people have gone with this. I am so glad there are people I can talk to about this. I am not afraid of the Cancer part of it because I was told from the time I started my period that one of us girls would get this. So that does not scare me at all. Thank you all for your time I am so glad I posted this. Oh my nodule 15mm.

OHHHHH I get so angry at these doctors who tell you to wait and see. Especially with your family history. That was IMHO the stupidest call a doctor would make. I had two benign tumors before cancer was found and never was I told to wait 6 months. Why oh why do they do this? My daughter was also diagnosed at age 39, I was 58. My other daughter is being watched carefully. She has had one benign lump removed, her doctor wanted her to wait 6 mos, but that was about the time her sister was diagnosed, so we insisted on removal. Your nodule sounds small, so maybe chances are good that it will be benign, too. How about calcifications, were they mentioned in your mammogram? You know you should really get a copy of the report from your last mammograms from the time you were told to wait and watch. They are available and you are entitled to have them. Once my daughter was dx two years after I was, I called and got a copy of the last benign lump which was 12 years previous to the mastectomy. AND the spot where cancer was found was right in the same area as the benign lump. So stay on top of everything. Hang out here, ask questions, listen carefully to what is being said by doctors and question them all you want. You do not have to take their guesses as gospel. Believe me, they have been wrong many times, too many times. Good luck, God bless. Mary K. MK for short.

I've had two needle biopsies, and they were no sweat at all. My doctor froze the site with some sort of spray, and I never felt the needles. Ask for the spray that deadens. I should think most of them have it. I'm having a root canal tomorrow morning, and between the two procedures, I'd much rather have a needle biopsy! I just don't want any more cancer.

Good luck to you. I'll be praying for you tomorrow while I'm in the dentist's chair.

Hugs,
Rita

Hi...The waiting was more painful than the biopsy....at least for me. I hope the results are good.
We will wait with you...

Cathi

No it was not close to the arm. It was more like around the 5:00 area which is where I thought it was. The radio. dr. could not find it on the ultrasound machine, but I think he could have found it if he had the mammo with him and I would not have had to go through this procedutre. Well I was told I should get the results by Friday or Monday of this week.

Glad to hear that you got good news and even more so, that your doctor is following up with high risk screening. You might want to check www.facingourrisk.org. It is a web site dedicated to the issues of genetics with breast and ovarian cancers. Happy dancing for you, Lauri