Are you dense and did you find your BC yourself?

Dense..

Hi-

I'm new as just diagnosed w/BC in early July & joined this site tonight. Everytime I went to get a mamogram they told me mine wouldn't sag b/c they were so dense. Once had to look twice to see if I had implants. I discovered something was wrong when my breast was hard. I noticed it was different from my other one. I called my OBGYN and said I told them what was going on. (I was scheduled to get my yearly  about two weeks from when I called). They told me to come in the next day. I did and as soon as he saw it, he got a breast surgeon to come to me and a biopsy done later.

 

So, yes, I found it and have inflamatory breast cancer, and have dense breast.

 

 

LoveBabyJesus said:

Dense here

I am very dense and found my own cancer at 32.

All tests view the breast differently, MRI, untrasound and mammo. I am going for my MRI on Monday and mammo on Oct. because of my dense breasts. And sometimes neither tests catch anything. I have a friend who found her tumor (33) and decided to remove both breasts (found out she carries the gene). When they did the pathology report on both breasts, they found another type of cancer (tripple neg) that MRI, mammo or ultrasound did NOT catch. So thank God she opted to have a mastectomy.

I say you altenate. You take an MRI and 6 months later, take an ultrasound or mammo.

Insurance companies suck sometimes and are not willing to pay. But Your Oncology Dr. should be able to work hard so you get covered. Mine does.

Good luck to you sweet sister. XOXO

They say I'm dense

but no one ever told me that until recently.  I thought old ladies didn't have dense breasts ???? My routine mammogram 3 1/2 years ago did find my tumor.   Prior mammograms showed something in the same area that didn't change for a couple of years.  My surgeon said it was probably DCIS that became invasive.  All I know is it's gone now and I hope to never see it again.

 

alikat said:

Dense..

Hi-

I'm new as just diagnosed w/BC in early July & joined this site tonight. Everytime I went to get a mamogram they told me mine wouldn't sag b/c they were so dense. Once had to look twice to see if I had implants. I discovered something was wrong when my breast was hard. I noticed it was different from my other one. I called my OBGYN and said I told them what was going on. (I was scheduled to get my yearly  about two weeks from when I called). They told me to come in the next day. I did and as soon as he saw it, he got a breast surgeon to come to me and a biopsy done later.

 

So, yes, I found it and have inflamatory breast cancer, and have dense breast.

 

 

Mammograms do save lives.  It

Mammograms do save lives.  It saved mine and it looks like many others too!  Good post!

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

I think all of us should get

I think all of us should get a MRI too, along with the mammo and ultrasound, but, a lot of insurance companies won't pay for it, even though they should.

We need any and all tests to help us.  I wish everyone could get them.

Leeza

bluewillo said:

Well, I AM blonde!

Hi guys, it's me, blu. I haven't been able to log in for months...the mechanics of this site frustrate me to no end. So I just made a new "me".

I've been wanting to respond to this post ever since I first saw it. I said to myself "Yep, I AM dense...I had no idea I had a lump o' the big C until someone else told me. What a dumb dork I was". And then I would laugh out loud every time I saw the post title. I have no idea if I'm "dense"...only got one breast left, so maybe I'll ask at the nest mammo.

And I am disheartened to read of our recent loss of too many Sisters in Pink. Inspiring Angels...now we've got just that many more whispering in God's ear.

no I am not dense but my

no I am not dense but my cancer did not show up on mammo it was lobular which doesnt always show up on mammo, better on MRI. didnt know this. also had several exams prior, and I find everything myself

Carlee said:

Dense breasts and the mammo

Dense breasts and the mammo alerted them that something wasn't right in comparing to the one before.  Now I have not only a mammo, but, an ultrasound and a MRI.   I think every woman should, but, that is just my opinion.

 

Mammo found it and I also

Mammo found it and I also have dense breasts.  How are you doing Patrice?

I have dense breast tissue. I felt a lump
showed it to my primary care dr. He didnt like the feel of it so mamo next am, followed by us to measure, then tried a needle biopsy. then a biopsy. Followed by mastectomy. From mammo to mastectomy, 12 days!
I wish all insurances would approve mri's but that wont happen, so I am really happy that we have mammo's!

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

Dense breasts and I agree

Dense breasts and I agree that we shouldn't just rely on a mammo, although I still think we all should get one.