More tests ... Breast issues this time

What kind of additional testing are they asking for? I've had numerous lumps, lumpectomies, needle biopsies, etc. through they years and they all came out negative. Sometimes our bodies grow things that aren't cancer, so keep that in mind. I can't say that it's nothing - nobody but god knows that - but I can say that, since you already have one type of cancer, they're probably being super cautious. Hang in there! (Easier said than done)

I suspect they are super-cautious when they know you are a cancer patient already.  I went for a mammo towards the end of my chemo last year and got called back for a 3-D imaging and then got called back for a biopsy!!  To say I was freaking out and terrified is an understatement.  I also have dense breast tissue.  I distinctly recall both the radiologist reading the films and the one doing the biopsy telling me that it would be early stage carcinoma in situ and not to worry.  In the end, I got a 2-word "benign calcification" pathology report, which pissed me off no end.  I'm sorry you're upset; most likely it is not a new primary.  But I'm glad you are on it and will follow through.  Best wishes, Oldbeauty

I am praying its nothing and they are just being extra careful.

I used to get my mammograms done at a local outpatient facility.  Sometimes I would get calls that additional views were required, other times I was told I needed an ultrasound.  Over the years I had a needle biopsy in one breast and a stereotactic biopsy in the other breast.  So when a mammogram I had about 7 years ago indicated that I needed biopsies on both breasts, I decided I was going for a second opinion on the mammogram.  I scheduled an appointment with a top-notch breast surgeon in Philadelphia affiliated with Pennsylvania Hospital Center for Breast Imaging.  I took a CD of my mammogram with me to my appointment.  After reviewing it, the breast surgeon concluded that I did not need either of the two recommended biopsies.  The surgeon said for sake of completeness, she wanted to have her own radiologist review the mammogram films as well.  She had me wait in the office and about 15 minutes later she returned and said her radiologist was in agreement that I didn't need either biopsy.  The surgeon followed me closely for a couple of years just to make sure all was stable.  Since then, I only get my mammograms at the Center for Breast Imaging, and I have not had to get any further ultrasounds or breast biopsies. 

Given the type of treatment you've been getting from the facility where you had your mammogram, I would suggest that you try another institution that has a reputation for providing a high quality of care.

Best of luck to you. 

My maternal grandmother had cancer in both breasts at the same time when she was in her 60's.  I wasn't even aware she had it.  My mother had cancer in situ in one breast at 74 and another cancer in a different site in the same breast almost 10 years later.  My sister has been called back after her mammos several times, and every time, the result turned out to be negative.  My cousin, on the other hand, was found to have cancer in one breast last year.  My mother had a lumpectomy the first time she had breast cancer and decided to just get rid of the breast the second time around. I was amazed when I picked her up to go home that she had absolutely no pain at all post surgery.  I would have expected an 83 year old lady to be in a lot of pain, needing lots of assistance after surgery.  I was very wrong.  I had genetic testing after my second bout of UPSC last year, figuring I probably had inherited a BRCA gene, but one wasn't found.

If you do find out you have breast cancer, I hope you have an easy surgery like my mother did. 

I should mention that I've been on Evista (and now the generic form of it, Raloxifene) since around menopause when my family doctor read some paper that said that Evista had been found to have a side benefit of protecting women against breast cancer.  It's a drug that helps to prevent osteoporosis, and so far, it's worked for me in both ways.  I should knock on wood because I'm due for my mammo again next month.  I also have dense breasts but so far, I've had no call backs, probably because I'm fairly small-busted.