DCIS undetected by mammogram
Hi everyone thanks for providing such an amazing support network. I’ve spent a few days looking through the posts to try and make sense of what is going to happen to me over the next few months/years....
Forum Discussion
I had no lump. 2 small areas of cacifications were picked up on mammogram,
noithing on ultrasound. The 2 areas were biopsied and diagnosed as High grade DCIS.
I had been told years earlier I had dense breasts but I had been given this info as if it was a good thing almost like a compliment like my boobs were fim and young for my age. No one told me it would make mammograms harder to read. i had been having routine mammos since i was 40 but I would have p[aid for MRI myself if i knew. as I am very proactive with screening after having high grade cervical precancerous changes on papsmear before I was 30.
Just before lumpectomy my brother in law (a doctor) suggested I ask for MRI. Medicare covered it. The MRI detected huge 9CM mass that had not been seen on any other imaging and that 3 specialists had not been able to feel. Of course lumpectomy was cancelled and I was sent for Mastectomy. The mass turned out to be 7cm on final pathology so MRI had slightly ovrestimated.
Problems with MRI, they do give false results, not just in size, but false negatives and positives. Mine was read in conjunction with the mammography and ultrasounds and 2 biopsies that had already been done so it wasnt read in isolation.
Also they have to time MRI in with your menstrual cycle if you still have one, so trying to mass screen everyone and working around all their period times would be a nightmare. It takes longer than mammography too.
I am able to get a free MRI now as part of my post breast cancer yearly checkups for the next 5 years. I was worried about a possible recurrence in the other breast going undetected. I had to ask for MRI screening but they did easily agree. I will have all 3. Mammography, ultrasound and MRI and it is all being covered. Hate all the radiation etc, but worth it fior the peace of mind.
noithing on ultrasound. The 2 areas were biopsied and diagnosed as High grade DCIS.
I had been told years earlier I had dense breasts but I had been given this info as if it was a good thing almost like a compliment like my boobs were fim and young for my age. No one told me it would make mammograms harder to read. i had been having routine mammos since i was 40 but I would have p[aid for MRI myself if i knew. as I am very proactive with screening after having high grade cervical precancerous changes on papsmear before I was 30.
Just before lumpectomy my brother in law (a doctor) suggested I ask for MRI. Medicare covered it. The MRI detected huge 9CM mass that had not been seen on any other imaging and that 3 specialists had not been able to feel. Of course lumpectomy was cancelled and I was sent for Mastectomy. The mass turned out to be 7cm on final pathology so MRI had slightly ovrestimated.
Problems with MRI, they do give false results, not just in size, but false negatives and positives. Mine was read in conjunction with the mammography and ultrasounds and 2 biopsies that had already been done so it wasnt read in isolation.
Also they have to time MRI in with your menstrual cycle if you still have one, so trying to mass screen everyone and working around all their period times would be a nightmare. It takes longer than mammography too.
I am able to get a free MRI now as part of my post breast cancer yearly checkups for the next 5 years. I was worried about a possible recurrence in the other breast going undetected. I had to ask for MRI screening but they did easily agree. I will have all 3. Mammography, ultrasound and MRI and it is all being covered. Hate all the radiation etc, but worth it fior the peace of mind.