Biopsy by mammogram
I had my one year follow-up mammogram. Right breast all clear but now there's a new lump in my (previously healthy) left breast. Doc said he'd book me in for a biopsy under mammorgram. Considering the first mam hurt like hell - what is a prolonged mam gonna feel like? Has anyone had this procedure and can describe it for me please.
Triple negative cancer - what are the options?
Hi all, this is my first post. I have been reading other people's posts on here and have found them to be very helpful and inspirational, you are all amazing women. My story began when I found a lump in my right breast. Mammogram, ultrasound and core biopsy followed, biopsy pathology stated it was weakly progesterone positive and was in one lympth node. This was followed by wide local excision (13/6/14) and all of my lympth nodes removed from the right arm. Pathology has come back as triple negative ( apparently the biopsy pathology results must have been an error) and that only the one lympth node was involved. I am told that it is stage 3 and grade 3. I am seeing the oncologist in 2 weeks and am trying to research as much about TNBC as I can so that I can look at all of my options to discuss with him. I am wandering if I should opt to now have a double mastectomy and reconstruction, rather than just go along with the current plan of chemo and then radiation, as the risk of reoccurrance is so high with TNBC. I'd really loved to hear other women's stories who also had TNBC and what you chose to do. Thank you for reading and thanks in advance for any advise you can offer me. Karen
My Experience
HI all my name is Kirsti, I am 44 years of age, married with two sons aged 12 and 9 and a daugter aged 2. I discovered on Tuesday that I have a phyllodes tumor. I have had a lump in my right breast since late January, I had a mammogram, USS and was told intially by the sonographer that it was a cancer then told by the radiographer that it was fibrous tissue. So I sought a second opinion from a breast surgeon. He was confident it was fibrous tissue but wanted to see me in 6 weeks. I have tried to ignore it in that time but it was still there. So on the Friday I paid a visit to him, told him it had changed shape, he thought it was more prominent, he wanted to core biopsy it- (Frankly I wasnt leaving without a biopsy!) We negoiated that he would call me with the results late Tuesday after his rooms.( I live two and half hous away) We where both confident it wasn't anything "just fibrous tissue". He rang me Tuesday at lunch time with my results. Intailly I was quiet shocked then thought " its ok its not breast cancer, cut it out -all good" I contacted my colleagues at work they did a search for me while I returned to the office. This might all sound straight forward but this hasn't been and easy process, you see I am a health professional and now I find myself on the otherside! ( But have had the most awesome support from my friends and colleagues). I finally got around to reading the information on Wednesday morning and had a meltdown- to say this was not a good day would be an understatement! Most disconcerting for me has been the lack of scientific information, HOWEVER I have read all your blogs and it has given me great hope. I am putting positive vibes out to the universe that I will not be in the 1% of malignacies and that I wont have to return for further sugery. All of your positivity is just fantastic, I like that I can now realte to others who understand this are diagnosis. It is my hope that out of my experience I can help others, I will be speaking to my surgeon to look into research for this type of tumor, find out why they occur, further treatment options and most of prevention. I want to urge others not to give up on "fibrous tissue" and have it investigated more. Thanks for listening to me!
Something New
Hi Everyone Have read all your blogs and so thought I should add mine. I was diagnosed in June 2010 age 51 after a "clear" mammogram in Nov 2009. I ended up having a lumpectomy with sentinel node biopy but the lump was much larger than expected ( 49 mm) and one of the lymph nodes was positive for cancer so had to go back a month later and have a mastectomy which did not go well. Then endured 6 rounds of chemo and 5 weeks of radiation.I am pleased to say I have never looked back and have just had my 3 year all clear this week. I took up Dragon Boat Paddling in 2011 and love it. I have met the most amazing women who totally relate to you and we have fun too. We are planning a trip to Florida next year to take part in the World Breast Cancer survivors Dragon Boat Regatta! I am so excited. I also meet up with a group of women in the Strathpine Coffee Club ( Our original meeting place) at the Lawnton Bowls club every fortnight . It's very social even though it's a support group. I am currently on the waiting list for a reconstruction of my right breast and should have it done within the next 12months at RBWH. I look forward to hearing from any of you. If you are interested in paddling I paddle with the Redcliffe Pink Snapdragons - we have a facebook page and a website. Sarah x
Advice please...
Hi everyone. Am newly diagnosed (2 weeks) and have a few questions. A routine mammogram has got me here with the details that a biopsy has found cancer cells. A visit to the specialist didnt tell me anymore information other than I need to have the breast off. Pathology will then tell me what I have and treatment needed. Is this normal? I thought I would know what type of cancer I had, aggressive or not, stage etc before surgery and not after??? Also, specialist only recommends having the one off. When questioning him he says their is a slightly increased risk of it coming back in the 2nd breast. I would love to hear from others who have had to make the decision of one or two off and how they came to that decision. At this point in time i am thinking of having both off so that I wont worry about it coming back but would love to hear what others have to say. Thanks in advance.Just another bump in the road
So - what a year so far ... diagnosis 18.1.13 from a routine mammogram (no symptoms - no idea). From then I have had a lumpectomy with hook wire and sentinel node biopsy - yesterday I found out the lymph node is involved and I am headed for an axillary clearance and chemo before the next thing. I will have CT and bone scans to make sure the little bugger hasn't gone anywhere else. I am doing fine but everyone around me keeps reminding me that I can be angry or yell or scream ... why waste energy being angry - it won't help. I am just glad that I get to share the journey with lovely people (especially the medical people). So that is me - onward to the next thing.
First Tests
Last Friday (8 days after I first found the lump) I had the tests – mammogram (which I have been having for 20 years – last one nearly a year ago), MRI scan and biopsy. I could tell by the interactions of the radiologist and the doctor on duty that there was something to be concerned about. The doctor told me I needed to see the GP asap to discuss the results and that it was likely I would need referring to a breast surgeon. So I rang for an appointment which was made for Monday at 3pm. So far I had only told my partner but Friday night I also told a couple of girlfriends. I needed to know more before telling my three grown up daughters. The waiting for each stage is not easy but at that point I was going with ‘innocent until proven guilty’.
Warrior Women
Hi, I was diagnosed with TNBC on the 5 November 2012, Stage 3, with no lymph node involvement but I had two lesions (4mm and 6 mm) and a DCIS, with a definition of multi-focal. I opted for a lumpectomy and I have good margins. As a researcher and academic, I hid in my brain, and undertook extensive 3 month research into the allopathic verus traditional health care options. I was in a world of intellectual pain! I have a blog site - warriorbynature@wordpress.com where I have reflected my journey into weighing up the options. I finally came to the conclusion that despite my prognosis that I needed to undertake chemo. I have had my first round with extensive side effects. Prior to undertaking chemo, I sought a second opinion, as my breast surgeon had proposed 'on the phone' a day or so prior to Christmas that I have a bi-lateral mastectomy. I was naturally outraged by his lack of emotional intelligence in delivering this information in this way. I delayed chemo over the Christmas break. Asking the 'hard questions' revealed that timing was preferred within a set window in order for you to be included against 10 years of statistics that had been collected! Hmm...unimpressed to say the least! I had a second opinion from the leading female breast surgeon in Perth, and I was advised that since a mammogram had originally picked up the legion, that it was likely that a mammogram would it again. My left breast was clear of lesions, my cancer had been removed in the right and no further activity had been noted. My chemo regime changed from FEC X 6 to DC X 4. I have had my first round of DC and I have been unfortunate to have had serious side effects. I am due to start my second round on Wednesday. I want to acknowledge the wonderful courageous women on this site. These women put many others to shame, including our politicans who mostly have no real idea of 'regular life'. I know this from my experience of working in Canberra as a senior policy officer under Julia Gillard. I am in awe of this collection of women for their unwavering love for their children, partners, and friends. For the way that despite all that is ugly and dark that light is found to smile, and to ease the emotional burdens of family members who witness our pain. I am truly honoured to be in such company. I wish you all the very best. Te xx
Not happy
Hi, Well I'm popping back in but I am soooo angry and upset. I was due for lumpectomy today. First I had to get hook wire placed in at radiology. Well they couldn'tnfind it on mammograms etc. their reason being that they think the core needle biopsy got a lot of it. All well and good except now we don't know if and how much is left. I have high grade dcis and am left high and dry. I've been told likely hood that ill have to wait 3 or 6 months for it to grow more so they can see it again. Oh goody lets live every day knowing that its growing but how fast. I just wanted it to be out and move forward. Now I'm dormant and playing the bloody waiting game again. Does anyone know of this happening to anyone. Thanks guys for listening. MarnzRoller coaster ride
I was diagnosed with breast cancer on 28 August this year at the age of 44. To say it has been a whirlwind is an understatement! I was intially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the end of May, I needed to change my diet and lose 13kg to get out of the 'at risk' category. 3 months down the track I had changed my diet, got rid of high blood pressure and achieved my goal of losing 13kg. They say things happen for a reason, by losing this 13kg I noticed some changes in my left breast - very itchy. I thought this was just changes happening as I was in my 40s. had a mamogram through Breast Screen and was confirmed as having BC. Have since had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. sentinel node came back positive with spottings of cancer, was back in 1 week later and had 19 lymph nodes removed. slowly recovering from these ops, oncology appt this weds and are quite apprehensive as what to expect.