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Last Login: August 8, 2008
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Not Diagnosed but Concerned + High Risk Women, Created: Aug 8, 2008 11:09 pm
Mother and three sisters with breast CAI'm not sure what to do now. I had an appointment yesterday with my surgeon, and since it is a teaching hospital, I saw an assistant first. He said that he had never heard of doing an MRI based on family history, but I could talk to my surgeon about it. When the surgeon came in, he said that what he felt was most important was the genetic testing and we could discuss an MRI based on those results. He sent the genetic counselor in, and what she wants to do is test one of my sisters who has actually been diagnosed with breast cancer first, then test me. Genetic testing is $3000.00--I asked. Insurance may pay some, depending on the insurance company. Then the surgeon came back in, said he thought it very important that I pursue the genetic testing first since my biopsy showed "atypical hyperplasia"---I was never told that; I was only told that it wasn't cancer, but I needed a follow-up mammogram in 6 months. I've had 3 follow-up mammograms in 6 months intervals; all have been fine. The radiologist said when I had the last one in July that if the one in February was okay, they were switching me to yearly. I am not comfortable with this atypical hyperplasia, and I am not comfortable pushing any of my sisters into genetic testing they cannot afford. I'm wondering if I shouldn't go somewhere else that will agree to the MRI. |
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Not Diagnosed but Concerned + High Risk Women, Created: Aug 3, 2008 09:45 pm
Mother and three sisters with breast CAIn 1991, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, had the breast removed and went through a round of chemo and radiation. Six years later, she was again diagnosed with cancer in the other breast and had it removed. She did not have to have chemo or radiation that time. I do not know what type or kind of breast cancer it was, but I do remember the word "calcification" the second time. She survived the cancer both times, and while she is still alive, she suffers from Alzheimers. At age 44, my first sister was diagnosed with inductral carcinoma in situ and had a lumpectomy and radiation. My second sister was diagnosed at age 49 with invasive ductral carcinoma, had a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation. My third sister, at age 45, just received a pathology report from a biopsy and has the same kind of cancer as the second sister. I am 42 years old and have "suspicious" mammograms. Two years ago, I had a birad score of 4 on a mammogram due to calcifications. Some of the calcifications were biopsied, but were clear. I have had a mammogram every 6 months since and so far, everything is stable. My concern is that the third sister's cancer did not show on a mammogram; she had a suspicious spot on the left breast that the radiologist recommended a MRI. The MRI picked up the cancer in the right breast; the left breast is actually okay. I go to a very reputable cancer center, but they have never suggested a MRI. What is the significance of a mother and three sisters with breast cancer, and should I, or even can I, demand a MRI? What should precautions should I take to make sure that if I develop breast cancer, it is caught in the earliest stage? |
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