Kind of technical but need advice - Happened to any of you?

crselby
crselby Member Posts: 441 Member
in Breast Cancer #1

Hi all,

I am back on the boards after my dx with DCIS in 2009, lumpectomy and brachytherapy, followed by Tamoxifen for 1.5 years.... because new DCIS was found in the same breast 2 weeks ago.  But this is not about the affected breast.  My question is about the other, non-affected breast. 

 

An MRI last week found something in my non-DCIS breast that the surgeon wants to have MRI-biopsied.  But I have a history of MRIs finding something in that same spot since 2009 but they all have concluded it is benign.  See below:

6/20/2009 – MRI after dx with DCIS in right breast show in LEFT breast: Multiple cysts are present.  Rounded mass with irregular margins and heterogeneous enhancement and is located 3.0 cm from the nipple in the 11:00 to 12:00 position.   Evaluation with focused ultrasound is recommended. If not visualized, then MRI guided biopsy would be reasonable.  Birads 4

7/2/2009 – Ultrasound: No evidence for mass or cyst in the region of interest.  Immediately follow with MRI guided biopsy.

7/2/2009 – MRI: Inability to redemonstrate the prior finding the left breast on MRI.  Further interrogation helps to confirm that this lesion was likely a region of increased focal enhancement and not a discrete lesion.  BiRads 3 Follow up with MRI in 6 months. (In other words, they couldn't see it.)

1/19/2010 – MRI: Stable nodule at the 12:00 position which is likely benign. . BiRads 3 Follow up with MRI in 6 months.

9/26/2010 – MRI: Same lesion, same location, stable and unchanged. BiRads 2, RECOMMENDATIONS: Yearly mammograms in the absence of any clinical findings.

4/17/2015 – DCIS biopsied right breast  (again).  MRI done of both.  Two oval masses, possibly intramammary lymph nodes, in 12 o’clock AND 12:30 position noted. Biopsy needed.  BiRads 4

 

I have good insurance coverage (thank the Lord) so it will probably cover this, but I don't really think it's necessary.  Should I risk angering the breast cancer gods (doctors) by openly questioning the need for this?  If I take the reports from my past to show the surgeon, will it suggest that she didn't get enough history on me, that she didn't do her homework?  Because that is what I think.  I like her, otherwise.

 

What would YOU do?  1- go have it done and just be quiet about the past findings   or    2- take copies of the past reports on this unaffected breast (and it's stable mass that they want to biopsy) to the surgeon ASAP for further consideration.

 

Thanks, all.

~~Connie~~

Comments

  • TraciInLA
    TraciInLA Member Posts: 1,994 Member
    #2
    Not sure why a biopsy would be necessary?

    Connie,

    If I understood your earlier post correctly, you're going to be scheduling a bilateral mastectomy soon, yes?

    If my doctor had wanted to do yet another biopsy before my bilateral, my question to him would have been -- why on earth do I need to put myself through a biopsy, if you're just going to cut off my breast anyway?  Of course, post-surgery pathology on both breasts will confirm whether or not there was any cancer present.

    I suppose there could be a good, medically-necessary answer to why your surgeon would want/need to know that before your BMX, but -- for me -- it would have to be a darn good answer.

    Traci

     

     

  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #3
    TraciInLA said:

    Not sure why a biopsy would be necessary?

    Connie,

    If I understood your earlier post correctly, you're going to be scheduling a bilateral mastectomy soon, yes?

    If my doctor had wanted to do yet another biopsy before my bilateral, my question to him would have been -- why on earth do I need to put myself through a biopsy, if you're just going to cut off my breast anyway?  Of course, post-surgery pathology on both breasts will confirm whether or not there was any cancer present.

    I suppose there could be a good, medically-necessary answer to why your surgeon would want/need to know that before your BMX, but -- for me -- it would have to be a darn good answer.

    Traci

     

     

    Agree with Traci

    Connie

    i am sorry that you have to come back facing cancer again. Do not need another biopsy.just send both breasts for pathology which will be more accurate and give more info than biopsy. Each procedure takes time, money and soak energy out. Please ask questions 

    hugs to you

  • cinnamonsmile
    cinnamonsmile Member Posts: 1,187 Member
    #4
    Before what was to be my

    Before what was to be my single mastectomy, I had said that if anything was ever even suspect in the non-cancerous breast, I would skip the biopsy/lumpectomy and go straight to a mastectomy. Before the single mastectomy my surgeon ordered an MRI of both breasts. Something was found deep in the non-cancerous breast. I immediately chose a double mastectomy. The non-cancerous breast had PASH, a non cancerous condition. I was told that the only way to treat it anyway, was surgery.

    I have never regretted once that I had a double mastectomy. I had DCIS that was multi multi and more multi focal, along with pre-cancerous cells.

  • Pixie Dust
    Pixie Dust Member Posts: 424 Member
    #5
    TraciInLA said:

    Not sure why a biopsy would be necessary?

    Connie,

    If I understood your earlier post correctly, you're going to be scheduling a bilateral mastectomy soon, yes?

    If my doctor had wanted to do yet another biopsy before my bilateral, my question to him would have been -- why on earth do I need to put myself through a biopsy, if you're just going to cut off my breast anyway?  Of course, post-surgery pathology on both breasts will confirm whether or not there was any cancer present.

    I suppose there could be a good, medically-necessary answer to why your surgeon would want/need to know that before your BMX, but -- for me -- it would have to be a darn good answer.

    Traci

     

     

    Money

    Traci, the darn good answer to this is surgeon wants more MONEY !!!!    Pixie

  • morgamed
    morgamed Member Posts: 75
    #6
    It's all about the money

    My neighbor had her girls puffed and fluffed and they even gained a little weight... her cost was 5500.. 

    I had my girls yanked from me...no substitution  in exchange given so now I’m girl less (and loving it)  and my cost was 130,000 total from start of the mamo to the final pet ct scan.  

    I fired a few doctors and walked out of a hospital the day I was scheduled for the surgery.  Why?  I'm a human being and all I want is to be treated like one..  Ask your doctor if you were his mother would you put her though this?  

    I wish you the best

     

     

     

  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #7
    I feel a little differently.
    I didnt see anything saying you are scheduled for a mastectomy. If you were planning on a bi-lateral mastectomy then I wouldnt do a biopsy. However, if you are not, I wouldnt hesitate having another biopsy. If the radiologist is seeing something, then I would much rather go thru the biopsy then a year fm now (next mammo), having a full blown cancer.
    Having good insurance is definately a bonus, and bcuz you already had dcis, they are staying on top of the possibility of another site.
    The decision is ultimately yours however, I know if I didnt have the biopsy, I would be worried for the next year, and hopefully it will come back as benign. Better safe than sorry.
    Carol
  • GlowMore
    GlowMore Member Posts: 789 Member
    #8
    I'm with Pixie and Morga.. on

    I'm with Pixie and Morga.. on this one.......you have good insurance and sometimes they just can't resist getting all the $$ they can out of it and forget that you are the one having to go thru the stress/pain/anxiety.

    What do you mean risk angering the Cancer Gods....DAMMIT GIRL....THIS IS YOUR LIFE .... YOU ANGER ANY AND EVERYBODY OUT THERE IF YOU HAVE TO ***

    What would I do?   If I was already going to have a both my breasts removed ...WHY IN HELL WOULD I LET THEM DO THE EXTRA BIOP?    I would say HELL NO......... 

  • crselby
    crselby Member Posts: 441 Member
    #9
    Thanks everybody. I took

    Thanks everybody. I took copies of the old reports down to the hospital today. The surgeon had said that the sentinel lymph node in that breast would need to be tested if there was a malignancy found in the biopsy. Why? To ensure cells hadn't spread. Torture me first, then cut it off? I said. She was NOT happy at that comment. Oh well. I MAY do lumpectomy and whole breast radiation. 

     

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