Needle aspiration of lump??

krisrey · January 2004

Hi all, I have a question in regards to needle aspiration of a lump. When I first found my lump in March the doctor did a needle aspiration and it came back NEGATIVE. Long story short..my surgeon just decided he wanted to take out the lump anyway..good thing he did because it was a 1.6 cm with one node positive. Anyway my question is, has this happened to anybody getting benign cancer cells, then finding out it was not. I ask because I have a friend that just had this done and it came back negative, (6 months ago) now she is have a burning or "hot" in that spot. Do you think this is anything she should be concerned about? My only concern is that my initial aspiration came back benign too. Just curious if anybody else has knowledge of a "hot" spot on the lump area even though its suppose to be benign. Thanks all, I always learn so much from the postings.
Kris

sandytrif525 · January 2004

Hello I had 3 biosopies come back inconclusive. The fine needle and then another one and finally the surgical one. I don't know what advice I would give. I guess like you better safe than sorry. I have a friend who is having a fine needle aspiration done today. I hope she gets good results. Sandy

epgnyc · January 2004

I had a fine needle biopsy and mine came back as being cancer, so I was at least lucky in that mine was definitive. I think your friend's result was more difficult, particularly now that she's experiencing burning in that spot months later. If I were her I'd go back and demand another type of biopsy to make absolutely sure it's nothing. Because a needle biopsy samples such a very small area, I believe it can miss cancer cells more easily than other types of biopsies. But maybe that's just me - I'd much rather be safe than sorry. Ultimately your friend should do whatever will make her feel comfortable.

isaiah4031 · January 2004

Hi Kris,
My initial needle biopsy was not very conclusive, so the surgeon opted to remove the lump anyway. It turned out to be a 1.6 cm tumor also. I also had negative mammograms too. If your friend needs the lump removed to have peace of mind, then I would definitely suggest it. It's not that big a deal...as you know.. to have it removed and the peace of mind is well worth it. Good luck to you and your friend.
Love, Jayne

DeeNY711 · January 2004

In 1999, I had a needle localized biopsy of the left breast that indicated benign hyperplasia. In December of 2001, I developed a lump in the right breast, but my gynecologist and mammogram radiologist said that nothing showed on the mammogram films, and we already knew that I had benign hyperplasia in the left breast. By June of 2002, the architectural distortion of the breast was increasing, yet the mammogram was still negative. I had two MDs telling me that watchful waiting was adequate. I was relieved, until I got out to the car, and then a little voice in my head said that if they were wrong, it could cost me my life. I wrestled with what to do next. Stony Brook University Hospital had just gotten the CAD system, and I thought about going there. However, the thought of undressing one more time in front of one more stranger and being put through the wringer again held no appeal. In January of 2003, the lump was moving higher in the breast and I could see it in the mirror bulging up under my clothing when fully dressed. Again, the radiologist said the mammogram was negative and suggested we monitor for six months. I told him that was unacceptable. We did an ultrasound. It was negative for discreet image. He again suggested repeating the mammogram in 6 months. I said that I would like to consult with a breast surgeon and saw one that day. The core needle biopsy samples taken that day were full of lobular carcinoma. I would give practically anything to be able to go back to the day in the car in July of 2002 when I was weighing what to do next. My gynecologist was the coordinator of women's health care services for the City of Long Beach, and I thought that she was competent. Everybody at the hospital absolutely loves the mammogram radiologist, but he only interprets what he sees and does not see on the films. Your friend has to make her own decision for her own reasons as I did. I chose badly.
Hugs,
Denise

krisrey · January 2004

DeeNY711 said:
In 1999, I had a needle localized biopsy of the left breast that indicated benign hyperplasia. In December of 2001, I developed a lump in the right breast, but my gynecologist and mammogram radiologist said that nothing showed on the mammogram films, and we already knew that I had benign hyperplasia in the left breast. By June of 2002, the architectural distortion of the breast was increasing, yet the mammogram was still negative. I had two MDs telling me that watchful waiting was adequate. I was relieved, until I got out to the car, and then a little voice in my head said that if they were wrong, it could cost me my life. I wrestled with what to do next. Stony Brook University Hospital had just gotten the CAD system, and I thought about going there. However, the thought of undressing one more time in front of one more stranger and being put through the wringer again held no appeal. In January of 2003, the lump was moving higher in the breast and I could see it in the mirror bulging up under my clothing when fully dressed. Again, the radiologist said the mammogram was negative and suggested we monitor for six months. I told him that was unacceptable. We did an ultrasound. It was negative for discreet image. He again suggested repeating the mammogram in 6 months. I said that I would like to consult with a breast surgeon and saw one that day. The core needle biopsy samples taken that day were full of lobular carcinoma. I would give practically anything to be able to go back to the day in the car in July of 2002 when I was weighing what to do next. My gynecologist was the coordinator of women's health care services for the City of Long Beach, and I thought that she was competent. Everybody at the hospital absolutely loves the mammogram radiologist, but he only interprets what he sees and does not see on the films. Your friend has to make her own decision for her own reasons as I did. I chose badly.
Hugs,
Denise

Denise and all,
I also forgot to mention that I had been having mammograms since I was 35 (42 now) and my mammograms have always come out negative. Even though I could feel and see my lump, (like you Denise) it still did not show up on the mammogram. So with negative mamo and negative biopsy I am lucky that my surgeon decided to take out the lump anyway. I thank God for him making the decision that day, be basically said that even though it does not have the charaterics of cancer he wanted it out anyway, thank god he did.
I guess I should look into that CAD, or MRI of the breast because the mammograms do me no good. I do advise other women to get copies of their mammogram reports because when I got ahold of mine, they said I had very dense breast tissue so there were no abnormalities seen. They do not tell you that there could be abnormalities but simply we don't see any. I may have been a little more aggressive with self exams if I had known that I had dense tissue. When you have the mammogram, they lead you to believe that all is well for another year, not that there could be something but we just don't see anything....

Anyway, as far as my friend, I thought I had heard or read somewhere that a burning or hot spot on the breast is a sign of possible cancer and wondered if anyone else experienced something like that..if it were me I would get it checked asap!!
Thanks all
Kris

hummingbyrd · January 2004

Personal opinion, and it's not conventional.
CAD mammagram is the only one I trust; it, to me, is the 'gold standard'. Studies show it is 25-30% better at picking up stage 1 breast cancers than routine mammagrams. That's 25-30 women out of a 100 that otherwise would have been missed.
As for needle biopsy's, won't do one, no way. My philosphy is, you got a suspicious lump, go in and cut it out WHOLE. I told my surgeon, slice it, dice it, put it in a blender, but while it's in me DON'T knick it. They think I'm silly, because I think if you go stick a needle into a malignant tumor, then malignant cells are going to 'leak' out. They say if it's going to spread, the cells have already moved via lymph system or blood vessels. Well, maybe so, but I'm a country girl and I know if you got a baby with a dirty diaper, you leave it on him long enough, yes it's going to come out the sides...BUT you go sticking needles and poking holes in it and you're gonna get...well you get the idea!
Simple analogy, but it seems logical to me.
Hope this helps, remember it's just my personal opinion! God bless. hummingbyrd

hounddog · January 2004

Hello 14 yrs ago in November of 1989 I had a needle apiration and no fluid came out so then I had a biopsy and mine turned out to be cancer in my right breast . I had a friend at work that had the problem that your friend is having and she got an infection from the aspiration .Tell your friend to see her doctor because it is better to be safe than sorry. Take one day at a time and Put your trust in God.
Marilyn

live42day · January 2004

I had a needle biopsy in August of 2001 which came back negative. But the surgeon didn't like the shape of the lump when he saw it on the screen while doing the biopsy. He told me right then that if it came back negative, he wanted to do a surgical biopsy. I am sure glad he did! This time it came back positive. My mammograms were not much help either. I had a mammogram a few days before the needle biopsy and the advice from the radiologist was to come back in 6 mo and have another. When my surgeon found out, he said 6 mo. might be too late. I guess, the moral of the story is, follow your gut instinct. I like to think I would have, but who knows? I owe my life to the surgeon, and I will be forever grateful. I will also never have another needle biopsy. I don't trust them.
Janet

krisrey · January 2004

live42day said:
I had a needle biopsy in August of 2001 which came back negative. But the surgeon didn't like the shape of the lump when he saw it on the screen while doing the biopsy. He told me right then that if it came back negative, he wanted to do a surgical biopsy. I am sure glad he did! This time it came back positive. My mammograms were not much help either. I had a mammogram a few days before the needle biopsy and the advice from the radiologist was to come back in 6 mo and have another. When my surgeon found out, he said 6 mo. might be too late. I guess, the moral of the story is, follow your gut instinct. I like to think I would have, but who knows? I owe my life to the surgeon, and I will be forever grateful. I will also never have another needle biopsy. I don't trust them.
Janet

Thank you ALL for responding. I am so thankful I found this site, you are all wonderful women.
Like you Live42day...I feel I owe my life to my surgeon also, even after all the results of mamo and biopsy he still wanted it out, and out NOW..I will always be grateful to him. I am in the process of switching GYN's because I feel that this doctor could have or should have suspected something. I had just gone for a yearly GYN in Jan and then I found my own lump in March. I had expressed concerns about a small brown spot on the tip of my nipple and he said it was nothing but I could go to a surgeon and have it removed if it bothered me cosmetically. Then not even two months later I find this lump on the same breast. I asked my primary care about it and he said it should have raised a red flag to the GYN, but instead he shrugged it off. When I went back to the GYN to check the lump I found, he still basically shrugged after I expressed my concerns because I had a friend that was drying of cancer in the hospital right across the street from the doctors office. Again he shrugged it off saying..you are not going to die...I just hated his whole approach to my care, so on Feb I will be seeing a new women GYN.
Sorry ladies, I don't mean to go on and on, but it sure feels good getting it off my chest.
Kris

krisrey · January 2004

live42day said:
I had a needle biopsy in August of 2001 which came back negative. But the surgeon didn't like the shape of the lump when he saw it on the screen while doing the biopsy. He told me right then that if it came back negative, he wanted to do a surgical biopsy. I am sure glad he did! This time it came back positive. My mammograms were not much help either. I had a mammogram a few days before the needle biopsy and the advice from the radiologist was to come back in 6 mo and have another. When my surgeon found out, he said 6 mo. might be too late. I guess, the moral of the story is, follow your gut instinct. I like to think I would have, but who knows? I owe my life to the surgeon, and I will be forever grateful. I will also never have another needle biopsy. I don't trust them.
Janet

What are doctors thinking???
Thank you ALL for responding on the needle aspiration post. I am so thankful I found this site, you are all wonderful women.
Like you Live42day...I feel I owe my life to my surgeon also, even after all the results of mamo and biopsy he still wanted it out, and out NOW..I will always be grateful to him. I am in the process of switching GYN's because I feel that this doctor could have or should have suspected something. I had just gone for a yearly GYN in Jan and then I found my own lump in March. I had expressed concerns about a small brown spot on the tip of my nipple and he said it was nothing but I could go to a surgeon and have it removed if it bothered me cosmetically. Then not even two months later I find this lump on the same breast. I asked my primary care about it and he said it should have raised a red flag to the GYN, but instead he shrugged it off. When I went back to the GYN to check the lump I found, he still basically shrugged after I expressed my concerns because I had a friend that was drying of cancer in the hospital right across the street from the doctors office. Again he shrugged it off saying..you are not going to die...I just hated his whole approach to my care, so on Feb I will be seeing a new women GYN.
Sorry ladies, I don't mean to go on and on, but it sure feels good getting it off my chest.
Kris

bturner · January 2004

I found my lump because I had a burning pain in my breast. Tell your friend to get rechecked.

Needle aspiration of lump??

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