I am very worried Two Mammo`s Dense breasts lump

I have had Two Mammo`s a Ultrasound and went back Six months later it was still there and the hospital tells me come back in six months again.I have not felt good for a year now the doctor did blood work told me my throid was not working so he put me on medicine for that but the Mammograms show there is a lump deep in my chest wall and all they can say is come back I am worried because cancer runs in my family and I dont want to waiyt any longer what can I do? It states probabaly not cancer I cant go on a probably when it comes to my life.Please call me with information on whast I can do next. --Message edited by CancerCompass staff. For personal protection, phone number removed. Consider private reply. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html--my name is Donna and I will look forward to your call.

If you have ultrasound and mammograms which are not clear as to the cause of your finding you can ask your physician to prescribe a breast MRI study.  The ICD-9 code for abnormal mammogram is 798.30 which allows your doctor to request a breast MRI.  This non invasive test does not use any xrays.  It is much more sensitive than either mammography or sonography for breast cancer.  It is less specific than a mammogram and or sonogram in some studies but in a recent study of Breast MRI done at 3T (which gets better pictures at no additional cost) it was also quite specific.  Therefore I suggest that you find a 3T MRI unit in Connecticut.  I am sure that Yale New Haven Hospital and St Raphael's Hospital in New Haven have such a unit but search in your locale in CT to fine the 3T breast MRI in your neighborhood.  Please use 3T for your breast MRI. All other units are less sensitive and you will always have a question.  I can explain ahead of your test - if you have a 3T breast MRI - if you have cancer it will find it.  It is 100% sensitive in a Universoty of Toledo study from 4/30/09.  You can look that up on the internet.  Just do a search on 3T Breast MRI.  Also if the test comes up with a indeterminant nodule - I counsel most of my patients that at 3T the resolution is so good most of these nodules are benign.  If they ask you to come back for a 6 month followup of a breast MRI the chance of this being cencer is mush less.  In general if the nodule is 6m or greater they will oiften recommend a biopsy.  For lesions less than or equalt to 5mm they usually do not biopsy them.  If your doctor wants a biopsy of a smaller than 5mm lesion you can get a second opinion reading of your breast MRI at the University of Penn.  I believe they charge 200 for the overread.  Dr. Mark Rosen or Dr. Susan Orel.

You sound like your scared to death!  I understand you feelings.  I too had an area of concern that was being followed and followed and followed.  One day sitting in the office for a follow up mammo again, we all got to talking which is strange because most of the time no one says a word.  In the conversation a women ask me what I was there for and I told her they had been following.....  She said, "what are you waiting for?"  "if they aren't sure by now push to have it biopsied.  She proceeded to tell me about a friend who was a nurse and had an area and one of her colleage doctors told her to recheck in 6 months.  Ended up she had an aggressive form and in 6 months it had moved to her bones etc.  This scared the grap out of me so I had a good long talk with my surgeon.  We went ahead and had it removed and fortunately it turned out to be benign so I was able to again sleep at nights.  Here's a twist 2 years later I did develop BC in the other breast.  There is no reason you have to second guess this, in all likelihood it is benign but once you know you can take a deep breath and get back to your life.  Good luck.  Don't be afraid to tell your surgeon that the unknown is wearing you down and you have concerns because of family history.  If you are seeing the right doctor he will understand and proceed.

On Oct 04, 2009 12:00 AM DGeminieye699 wrote:

I have had Two Mammo`s a Ultrasound and went back Six months later it was still there and the hospital tells me come back in six months again.I have not felt good for a year now the doctor did blood work told me my throid was not working so he put me on medicine for that but the Mammograms show there is a lump deep in my chest wall and all they can say is come back I am worried because cancer runs in my family and I dont want to waiyt any longer what can I do? It states probabaly not cancer I cant go on a probably when it comes to my life.Please call me with information on whast I can do next. --Message edited by CancerCompass staff. For personal protection, phone number removed. Consider private reply. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html--my "" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html--my " target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html--my name is Donna and I will look forward to your call.

Donna,

This is not the time to be passive about your own healthcare.  I would insist on a biopsy, especially since you have a family history of cancer.  Early detection is key to your health.  I had suspicious clusters of calcifications that I was told was only a 10% chance of it being malignant breast cancer, but it was.

I also had a nodule on my thyroid that I had biopsied and was told there was only a 3% chance that it was thyroid cancer but it was.  I also insisted on having a very small black "ingrown hair follicle" on my face removed and biopsied and was told that there was no chance that it was cancercerous....well, guess what?  I'm here right now to complain about all this only because I am proactive in my own health.  NO ONE is going to do it for you.  Now is not the time to bury your head in the sand.  Insist on a biopsy sooner than later.

Atomicjoy

Donna, I was reading the response from atomicjoy and at first I had to look to see who wrote it.  My story begins the same, microcalcifications with a 10% chance of malignancy and it was.  Thyroid nodules which turned out to be stage 3 thyroid cancer.  But today I'm doing well because I was diagnosed and treated.  I would agree that I would push for a biopsy even if I had to find another doctor to do so.  You are probably making yourself sick worrying and this doesn't do anyone any good.  Talk to your doctor and tell him you can't sleep at nights and if he or she doesn't move forward, find another doctor.  If all turns out to be okay that you can relax for now.  Keep us informed.

On Oct 28, 2009 7:31 PM Leemg wrote:

Donna, I was reading the response from atomicjoy and at first I had to look to see who wrote it.  My story begins the same, microcalcifications with a 10% chance of malignancy and it was.  Thyroid nodules which turned out to be stage 3 thyroid cancer.  But today I'm doing well because I was diagnosed and treated.  I would agree that I would push for a biopsy even if I had to find another doctor to do so.  You are probably making yourself sick worrying and this doesn't do anyone any good.  Talk to your doctor and tell him you can't sleep at nights and if he or she doesn't move forward, find another doctor.  If all turns out to be okay that you can relax for now.  Keep us informed.

Leemg,

I post on the thyroid cancer thread as well as this one.  In fact, there are a couple of us on the thyroid thread that have had both breast and thyroid cancer.  I was diagnosed in March 06 with Stage 1 BC and was diagnosed in March 09 with Stage 3 thyroid cancer with a Tall cell variant (a more aggressive form).  My thyroid cancer was already there when I was diagnosed with breast cancer but went undetected because I was too passive and put too much trust in my doctors at the time.  It is really up to each and every one of us to be proactive in our own healthcare.  After all, you know your own body best and you know when something is wrong despite of what a doctor may tell you to ignore.

Atomicjoy

On Oct 29, 2009 1:26 AM atomicjoy wrote:

On Oct 28, 2009 7:31 PM Leemg wrote:

Donna, I was reading the response from atomicjoy and at first I had to look to see who wrote it.  My story begins the same, microcalcifications with a 10% chance of malignancy and it was.  Thyroid nodules which turned out to be stage 3 thyroid cancer.  But today I'm doing well because I was diagnosed and treated.  I would agree that I would push for a biopsy even if I had to find another doctor to do so.  You are probably making yourself sick worrying and this doesn't do anyone any good.  Talk to your doctor and tell him you can't sleep at nights and if he or she doesn't move forward, find another doctor.  If all turns out to be okay that you can relax for now.  Keep us informed.

Leemg,

I post on the thyroid cancer thread as well as this one.  In fact, there are a couple of us on the thyroid thread that have had both breast and thyroid cancer.  I was diagnosed in March 06 with Stage 1 BC and was diagnosed in March 09 with Stage 3 thyroid cancer with a Tall cell variant (a more aggressive form).  My thyroid cancer was already there when I was diagnosed with breast cancer but went undetected because I was too passive and put too much trust in my doctors at the time.  It is really up to each and every one of us to be proactive in our own healthcare.  After all, you know your own body best and you know when something is wrong despite of what a doctor may tell you to ignore.

Atomicjoy

Atomicjoy, I can't believe that we are like a carbon copy of one another.  I too was diagnosed with stage 1 BC but in September of 2003, and stage 3 thyroid cancer (also tall cell, more aggressive variant) in August 2007,  after awhile it all goes together.  I was not aware of any problem with my thyroid so that was also a total surprise.  I'm assuming it had spread to some lymph nodes to be classified as stage 3 (thyroid cancer)?  I had a left neck dissection in February of 2008.  So far it looks stable, although my thyroglobulin is measureable it is still under 2.  Breast cancer is stable as well although I've had two biopsies since.  How are you doing?  My parotid glands were damaged, not right away, but after my year scan so I deal with dry mouth.  (I lost one parathyroid gland with surgery).  I also have problems keeping my calcium levels within normal limits and had a low D which has been corrected.  Love to hear how things have gone for you.