Are you dense and did you find your BC yourself?

I have dense breasts, found my tumor myself. But I'd never had a mammogram (I was 29, government doesn't pay for them until you're 50 here)

ComfortablyNumb said:

I have dense breasts, found

I have dense breasts, found my tumor myself. But I'd never had a mammogram (I was 29, government doesn't pay for them until you're 50 here)

I have dense breasts.  It was shown on the mammogram.

Lynne

I have dense breasts also, and my ILC was found on a mammogram.  Tumor was almost outside of the mammogram area, as it was up against my chest wall along my pectoral muscle. 

Deb 

Had dense  breasts, usually got ultrasound and mammo.  Or, would get ultrasound alternating with mammo every 6 months.  Then moved and new center didn't even think US was required.  3 months after reg. mammo with a call back to get more views and being told it was all O.K.----found it myself---inverted nipple--never a good thing.  You're all right, even digital mammo's don't do the trick we need to have other ways to diagnose the beast!  Had large ILC, and several DCIS. Bilat. mastect, chemo and radiation later, now on Xeloda after 5 years, for mets.  But Xeloda working very well. 

I have very dense breast.  For years before diagnosis, I had to go in for mammos and ultrasounds.  I found my cancerous lump myself.  It did not show up on the mammo; however it did on the ultrasound.  An MRI only located a deeper lump which changed my lumpectomy to a mastectomy.  Not fun!

Dorene

Treecy1106 said:

Thank You!!!

Thank You everyone for your responses!!! I am just trying to see if having an MRI for us women with Dense Breasts would have helped us catch the cancer earlier.

 

((HUGS))

Patrice

Something showed up on the mammo, so, I was sent for the core needle biopsy, which showed bc.  I would highly recommend for women to get a MRI, and, especially an ultrasound along with a mammo.  I do get an ultrasound now when I get my mammo. 

Debby

Lynn Smith said:

I have dense

I have dense breasts and for years my tumors(benign then) were found but  no mamos then.Starting at age 20  my doctor found 2  my husband found 1 a few years later and I found the 4th tumor a few years after that.Those were the days when you were in the hospital in a day or 2 and had lumpectomies or masectomies.Always  had lumpectomies.Then the one that was cancer was caused by a blow from my grandson.I went to the doctor within 2 weeks with pain. Since it was so early my doctor felt nothing but a mammo was due in 5 months.The mammo was done but I think if there had been a mammo the 2 weeks after the blow nothing would've showed.Way to early.

when the cancerous tumor was found in 2009 it was Stage 0 DCIS.I had a lumpectomy, then just as I was having that surgery another benign tumor was found and removed.Six weeks later a 3rd benign tumor wss found just before my check margin surgery. The doctor wanted to do that surgery to make sure all the cancer was gone. It was a whirlwind but so far things are pretty good with one fibroid tumor in that left breast.Same one all the time.

In all those 42 years there were 7 benign tumors removed and I still have the fibroid that is checked.

I've been taking tamox and Dec of 2014 I will be able to quit it UNLESS what I read now you can take it longer.Will see what my doctor says.

Lynn Smith

NorcoIJ I have had a inverted nipple for years.Didn't know it till maybe 17 years ago a tech saw it.She asked if I knew.NO and I had been having mammos for years(when they first came out).Had the mammo then  and it showed nothing.BUT in all those years  just last year I noticed a discharge in my right breast(the one with the inverted nipple) not the cancer side.The doctor ordered a ultrasound and it was OK.It't been a whirlwind for me as you can also see from all the 46 years now.4 of those years was when the cancer was dx in 2009.The other years were check up or mammos after they came out.

I consider my situation a whirlwind and complicated.It hasnt been easy having benign tumors since I was 20 and now i'm 66.  

Not sure if any of you ever had the old mammo.Where a COLD METAL plate was lowered down as they squeezed the breast. Then snapped the pic. Well I went in for 1 and the  tech lowered it.I think it  slipped from her.It slammed down on me. There I was pinned in the mammo and passing out.I couldn't fall to the floor by breast was stuck in the mammo. 3 techs came running. I was incoherent.So I was there with my left breast smashed and me out of it.not a good experience..It wasnt long after that those mammos improved.    

Lynn Smith

My cancer I found myself. It did not show on the mammogram or ultrasound. But just the size of it and an inverted nipple was enough to warn docs that something was wrong. So the first surgeon took the biopsy in the wrong place. She referred me to another surgeon because she didn't know how to deal with my case. The second surgeon did a large biopsy and ran other tests. He diagnosed me at stage 3. 

tasha_111 said:

Me too

Very dense. Had a huge lump that was clearly visible (size of a golf ball) mamo showed NOTHING!  US did pick it up.  I am really anti mammo since this, last month I had to have another one as I have recurred, mamo showed NOTHING again as it is inbetween the breast.   Tash x

Dense breasts and the mammo showed microcalcifications, which turned out to be bc.

Treecy1106 said:

Thanks Ladies

This just goes to show that mammo's are not the way to go for diagnosing BC. AT least thats what I think! They cannot be good for you..all the squeezing and pain...I mean ...come on!!! Ultrasound is better but still not 100%....MRI with contrast is the best way to find out for dense breasts. We...the ones with dense breasts cannot afford to be diagnosed by a mammo because most are diagnosed too late..meaning later stages!

My Doctor told me I was fine after he read the mammo and ultrasound. I told him I wasn't. After the MRI with contrast he found 4 tumors....not 1..not 2...but 4. Are you kidding me???? And I am triple negative. I was stage 2A....With all the mammos and ultrasounds I have gotten for the past 12 years every 6 months...they should have found it before it became INVASIVE.

Somehow...someway we need to help ourselves.

I am trying to get a number here on how many women diagnosed themselves and the mammo showed nothing...or showed it in a later stage.

Thanks for your help

((HUGS))

Patrice

Patrice, I will never again have a mamo, for several reasons.... 1, it hurts like hell, 2 it does NOT pick up bc, 3 awwwwww bugger it,,,, why bother when it does no good, hurts and wastes my precious time?  Forget bit!  Hugs Jxxx