Hi Anne - I was diagnosed with ILC in Late Nov 2015. Mine was very early stage, 7 sites and in total less than .5 cm. It took 3 months to diagnose and was discovered by pure accident. I had a cyst and after ultrasound aspiration of the cyst my breast surgeon saw a slight shadow on the ultrasound images - sitting in the area behind the cyst. She ordered a needle biopsy, but this did not find anything.
My breast surgeon was still intuitively suspicious. She next ordered an MRI which showed that breast was behaving differently to the other. A surgical biopsy was ordered and only then was the ILC identified.
No clear margins on the biopsy, and a large field of LCIS and pleimorphic cells (in the process of change) meant I needed a mastectomy. I've been told there is no higher risk of it appearing in the other breast as compared to someone without breast cancer so I've was encouraged to have a unilateral mastectomy.
If I had not had the benign cyst aspirated and a vigilant breast surgeon it would not have been found. I am very thankful.
K
