? About Cysts

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Cat64
Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
in Breast Cancer #1
I have very dense fibrocystic breasts. They cause me alot of pain! Needless to say, this creates a whole new level of anxiety & fear now that I have the "history". It weighs heavy on my mind every time they ache & I feel the lumps, that it may be back.
After reading over the results of my Ultrasound, it says that they found a new "hypoechoic lesion"-consistent with a cyst, and it also mentions "hemorrhage". It appears to me that 2 of them have drained. Now, the question I can't seem to get an acceptable answer to is: WHY don't they take them out???!! I just don't understand! How can it benefit my body in any way to leave these cysts in there to grow & drain fluid like this? Can anyone please answer this nagging ? on my mind?
♥ Cat

Comments

  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #2
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    I don't know Cat, but, I
    I don't know Cat, but, I would want them out too and tested. Can you have surgery to have them taken out?


    Lex
  • Gabe N Abby Mom
    Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
    #3
    Options
    I don't know for sure, but
    I don't know for sure, but maybe the process to remove them is more damaging/risky than leaving them alone and watching.

    Hugs,

    Linda
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #4
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    Gabe N Abby Mom said:

    I don't know for sure, but
    I don't know for sure, but maybe the process to remove them is more damaging/risky than leaving them alone and watching.

    Hugs,

    Linda

    Wish I could answer your
    Wish I could answer your questions Cat, but, I can't. What does your oncologist or surgeon say?


    Sue :)
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #5
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    Ritzy said:

    Wish I could answer your
    Wish I could answer your questions Cat, but, I can't. What does your oncologist or surgeon say?


    Sue :)

    Now I could be completely
    Now I could be completely wrong (I have been before many times) but the fact that they are draining is what they are supposed to do if they are cysts so that's probably a good sign. If I remember what I read about them correctly, cysts show up clear as apposed to solid. they will remove a cyst if it appears to have solid parts to it. They can also put in a needle and drain them and if they collapse them they know they are cysts. Yours sound like they were doing this on their own. I think what one of the gals said is correct. They can be more complication from constently removing them. I know how having these can be such a problem for you worrywise. I would certainly address this concerns with your doctor and ask why they don't remove them. I know this didn't ease your worry and I will be keep you in my best thoughts but maybe this explanation will help and maybe others know more and can add to this like our wiz with the links to everything you need to know. Big hugs coming to you.
    Stef
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398
    #6
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    fauxma said:

    Now I could be completely
    Now I could be completely wrong (I have been before many times) but the fact that they are draining is what they are supposed to do if they are cysts so that's probably a good sign. If I remember what I read about them correctly, cysts show up clear as apposed to solid. they will remove a cyst if it appears to have solid parts to it. They can also put in a needle and drain them and if they collapse them they know they are cysts. Yours sound like they were doing this on their own. I think what one of the gals said is correct. They can be more complication from constently removing them. I know how having these can be such a problem for you worrywise. I would certainly address this concerns with your doctor and ask why they don't remove them. I know this didn't ease your worry and I will be keep you in my best thoughts but maybe this explanation will help and maybe others know more and can add to this like our wiz with the links to everything you need to know. Big hugs coming to you.
    Stef

    I have had many lumps
    The year of first mastectomy, bilateral was not recommended by surgeon or my mother. I guess because I was already so ill from stage 3 cancer with it spreading they felt I needed to address the cancer before worrying about the healthy breast. I had wanted both gone but mother a nurse and said it would be just to hard on me so don't do it.
    I had the second breast removed at my insistance after finding and going through several lumpectomies. They actually removed a lump but left one in me that I felt so that was it take it off.
    I went 12 years then started to get lumps again and they really do not want to remove them even though the two in my arm are causing me such pain and now I have found another under healthy breast sides scar. I believe I am my best advocate and know I need to know what they are not just that it is a lump. All have been benign but wonder why still getting cysts. No one believes it could be cancer but I sometimes feel they cannot be sure they won't turn into cancer so should I be leaving them in? We still have to check and do something if we find something it is pretty simple but not removing lumps baffles me too though I don't think having unnecessary surgery is a good thing either so caught between a rock and hard place at this moment...
    Tara
  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #7
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    24242 said:

    I have had many lumps
    The year of first mastectomy, bilateral was not recommended by surgeon or my mother. I guess because I was already so ill from stage 3 cancer with it spreading they felt I needed to address the cancer before worrying about the healthy breast. I had wanted both gone but mother a nurse and said it would be just to hard on me so don't do it.
    I had the second breast removed at my insistance after finding and going through several lumpectomies. They actually removed a lump but left one in me that I felt so that was it take it off.
    I went 12 years then started to get lumps again and they really do not want to remove them even though the two in my arm are causing me such pain and now I have found another under healthy breast sides scar. I believe I am my best advocate and know I need to know what they are not just that it is a lump. All have been benign but wonder why still getting cysts. No one believes it could be cancer but I sometimes feel they cannot be sure they won't turn into cancer so should I be leaving them in? We still have to check and do something if we find something it is pretty simple but not removing lumps baffles me too though I don't think having unnecessary surgery is a good thing either so caught between a rock and hard place at this moment...
    Tara

    Stay on top of them
    Tara is right, you are your best advocate... I and my family were calling it search and destroy! If they were cysts, they found that out with biopsies, if they were solid, they were removed and some were atypical but not yet cancer!

    Carol
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
    #8
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    camul said:

    Stay on top of them
    Tara is right, you are your best advocate... I and my family were calling it search and destroy! If they were cysts, they found that out with biopsies, if they were solid, they were removed and some were atypical but not yet cancer!

    Carol

    fibrocystic breasts
    I totally understand what you are talking about when you said lumps ... and panicking. For years and years (probably 30 years ago) ... every time I'd go for a mammogram "something" would show up ... and the doctor would tell me it was a cyst and then he'd numb it and drain a bunch of fluid out of it. And ... that would be fine ... for maybe a year or two ... then more mammograms and draining ... etc. etc. I couldn't begin to do a self exam on breasts because they were so full of "stuff" I couldn't tell what was supposed to be the and what wasn't. Well ... as I got old ... the boobs kept growing and sagging ... until it was nearly impossible to find a bra that fit. I was getting indentations on my shoulders and my back was hurting ... so finally about 7 years ago a doctor recommended a breast reduction. Wish I'd done it sooner. The back pain was gone and I could actually buy bras at a "regular" store. The other REAL benefit in my mind is that when I had my annual mammogram 3 years ago "something" showed up. I could even see it on mammogram. I wonder if it would have been as easy to spot if I still had all that fibrocystic stuff in there???

    But ... I do feel your pain. I still remember how sore my breasts were ... like I'd been punched ... and they felt like bruises ... even though you couldn't see bruises.

    Take care ..

    hugs.
    Teena
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #9
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    tgf said:

    fibrocystic breasts
    I totally understand what you are talking about when you said lumps ... and panicking. For years and years (probably 30 years ago) ... every time I'd go for a mammogram "something" would show up ... and the doctor would tell me it was a cyst and then he'd numb it and drain a bunch of fluid out of it. And ... that would be fine ... for maybe a year or two ... then more mammograms and draining ... etc. etc. I couldn't begin to do a self exam on breasts because they were so full of "stuff" I couldn't tell what was supposed to be the and what wasn't. Well ... as I got old ... the boobs kept growing and sagging ... until it was nearly impossible to find a bra that fit. I was getting indentations on my shoulders and my back was hurting ... so finally about 7 years ago a doctor recommended a breast reduction. Wish I'd done it sooner. The back pain was gone and I could actually buy bras at a "regular" store. The other REAL benefit in my mind is that when I had my annual mammogram 3 years ago "something" showed up. I could even see it on mammogram. I wonder if it would have been as easy to spot if I still had all that fibrocystic stuff in there???

    But ... I do feel your pain. I still remember how sore my breasts were ... like I'd been punched ... and they felt like bruises ... even though you couldn't see bruises.

    Take care ..

    hugs.
    Teena

    Thank You
    all so much. I appreciate your help! Pre-BC, I didn't have insurance for several years. I cut down on caffeine and took alot of Advil. I did ask my surgeon to go ahead & take one of them out while he was removing the BC but he didn't. (I can't recall his reason why) Onc. was more concerned with treating the cancer, which is understandable, and suggested seeing an Ob-Gyn about those kind of issues, however, now I'm back to square one with insurance. (none)
    I wasn't thinking about the "advantage" of them draining. The less there are, the better! Thanks for pointing out the bright side! I have heard several women say their doctors found them, drained or removed them, so I wasn't grasping why I was any different.
    Having lumps & pain just have a whole new meaning now.
    ♥ Cat
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #10
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    fauxma said:

    Now I could be completely
    Now I could be completely wrong (I have been before many times) but the fact that they are draining is what they are supposed to do if they are cysts so that's probably a good sign. If I remember what I read about them correctly, cysts show up clear as apposed to solid. they will remove a cyst if it appears to have solid parts to it. They can also put in a needle and drain them and if they collapse them they know they are cysts. Yours sound like they were doing this on their own. I think what one of the gals said is correct. They can be more complication from constently removing them. I know how having these can be such a problem for you worrywise. I would certainly address this concerns with your doctor and ask why they don't remove them. I know this didn't ease your worry and I will be keep you in my best thoughts but maybe this explanation will help and maybe others know more and can add to this like our wiz with the links to everything you need to know. Big hugs coming to you.
    Stef

    Sending you a big hug Cat!
    Sending you a big hug Cat!
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    #11
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    Angie2U said:

    Sending you a big hug Cat!
    Sending you a big hug Cat!

    Cysts
    I had benign tumors starting when I was 20.When I was in my late 30's the doctor found a cyst.Said we would watch it.I always always kept my appt with this Breast Surgeon.Never missed any.Then one year i got off schedule.You feel comfortable after years of the cyst being fine.Well the year I made it in the doctor told me the cyst had grown.He walked around with his hands clasped as if in prayer.Told me with it growing he would have to aspirate it and send the fluid off to be checked for cancer cells.This was only because it had grown.The test came back it was benign.The cyst them absorbed when he did the needle biopsy.So many years went by.Then I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.That tumor plus a couple benign ones were removed/biopsied.All is well BUT after my report from my mammograms since my breast surgeries I am told I have a Spot(that appears to be benign).Gee appears to be benign.My doctors get the report so I am sure it is a cyst that isn't growing.But if it does I want it out or needle biopsied.

    Like others said they believe they dissolve.I am sure what mine did after the doctor drained it.

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