barb3246

I was recently diagnosed with a papilloma after a core-needle vacuum assisted biopsy. I haven't met with my breast surgeon yet, but how likely is it that she will want to do an excision of the area where the papilloma was found?  If she does recommend an excision, how likely is it that a more serious condition will be found, such as ADH or DCIS?  I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I just want to be prepared and know what questions to ask. 

I had my first MRI to see what was causing nipple discharge.  There was a technical problem with that MRI (the timing was off on the computer) so I needed to repeat it 2 days later.  Then I had another one immediately after my 2 core-needle biopsies to make sure the markers were in the correct location.  I had the first 2 at Tufts Medical Center and the second at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, both in Boston.

Hi Nicky,

I had 2 ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsies, and he used a vacuum assisted device to do the biopsy on the right side where the papilloma was. It wasn't that bad - I was just a little sore and had some bruising. The compression wrap that I had to wear afterwards was the worst part - I felt like I couldn't breathe it was so tight around my chest.

It took almost an hour for each biopsy. The right side took longer, as he took more samples with the vacuum assisted device. He actually took samples from 2 different areas in 1 duct.  I had markers placed in both biopsy sites as well as in a dilated duct adjacent to the duct in question, and then I had a digital mammogram and then another full breast MRI to make sure the biopsies were done in the correct location.  It was a very long afternoon.

The radiologist who gave me my results wants me to have a follow-up MRI in 3-6 months, but he said the breast surgeon may want to do another excision around the biopsy sites.  My followup with the surgeon is not until next Friday, so I won't know until then if there will be further treatment required.  I really hope I don't need more surgery.

I'm hoping for benign results for you as well !!!  Let me know how you make out.

Barb

The radiologist who did my 2 core-needle biopsies last week was nice enough to call me with the results, and both were benign!! I am so glad that I took the advice of a lot of ladies on this forum and got my results over the phone instead of waiting for my follow-up appt. with my breast surgeon on the 17th!!  Today is my birthday, and it was the best birthday present I ever got! I am just so relieved, and I want to thank everyone for their kind words and best wishes - you are a great group of women!!

The lump in my left breast was a fibroadenoma, and the right was a papilloma (I think he said there were a couple of them), which was causing the discharge that started this whole mess. The radiologist wants me to come back for a follow-up MRI in 3-6 months - is this typical for benign results? He also said that my breast surgeon may want to remove more tissue around the biopsy sites, so I guess I'll find out about that on the 17th. I'm hoping she won't suggest more surgery, but I will do whatever needs to be done. Do surgeons usually remove more tissue around benign tumors?

My breast surgeon had told me that her hospital would do a pathology review of the biopsies since they were done at a different hospital. Could the results be read very differently by 2 pathologists? I sure hope not, I don't want any surprises on the 17th....

 Barb

Yes, I had an MRI recently, and they told me it was best to do it between days 5 and 10 of your cycle.

Summer, you wrote that its "Important for you to find out what type of breast cancer your mother had and your doctor should know too, it will be beneficial in your diagnosis if you do have breast cancer and really, even if you don't."  

I got a path report from my mother's doctor many years ago, and all it said was "invasive ductal carcinoma", approx. 2.5 cm.  No mention of grade or hormone receptors or anything like that (did they do that 18 years ago?). It said that all her lymph nodes were negative, but they staged her at Stage 3 based on "final pathology", but I'm not sure what the final pathology showed that caused them to stage it like that. 

Forgive my ignorance, but why is the type that she had important for me and my doctor?

Shirlann - Thank you for your reply and words of comfort - I really appreciate it.

I have been having a clear, spontaneous discharge from my right nipple. My mammo was negative, and the nipple smear was negative for atypical cells/cancer. I had an MRI, and the results were that it showed an area of "enhancement"  under the nipple on the right breast, about 1.5 cm long along a milk duct.  My breast surgeon said the report read that it was "suggestive of intraductal lesion".   She said there were no problems noted for the left breast.

She then sent my MRI & Mammogram to another hospital that does MRI-guided biopsies, since this hospital doesn't. Well, this new radiologist reviewed my MRI, and now he wants to do a second biopsy on my left breast! He said he thinks it is a fibroadenoma, but wants to be sure. I was so shocked and upset. Now I have TWO things to worry about - it was bad enough with just one. He is planning to do core-needle biopsies for both on Oct. 1, next Wednesday. My surgeon said that since the biopsies will be done in another hospital. I will not get the results for 2 weeks - that just seems way to long to me and definitely not good for my mental health.

I am so consumed with anxiety that I find it difficult to function.  I'm wondering why the first radiologist didn't see or note the lump in the left breast, when this new radiologist is concerned enough to biopsy it. I'm also very worried that now I may have cancer in both breasts. My mother passed away from breast cancer 17 years ago at only 57 years old (I'm 43), so all of this is terrifying to me.  I could really use some words of encouragement right now.

I was trying to stay as positive as I could and hold on to that 80% number, and then the radiologist called & said I have "about a 50% chance" of it being benign. Why did he say that? So now of course I'm thinking he must have seen something on the MRI that is making him more concerned.  I'm really a nervous wreck now and have been crying off and on all evening. He is going to call my breast surgeon tomorrow, and he said someone will get back to me about scheduling the excision. How long does it usually take to get scheduled for an excision?

I have been having a clear spontaneous discharge from my right nipple. My mammo was negative, and the nipple smear was negative for atypical cells/cancer. I had an MRI last week, and the Nurse/Coordinator just called me earlier today with my MRI results.  She said that it showed an area of "enhancement"  under the nipple on the right breast, about 1.5 cm long along a milk duct.  She said the report read that it was "suggestive of intraductal lesion".  

She is overnighting my MRI & Mammogram to another hospital that does MRI-guided biopsies, since this hospital doesn't. She said they will locate the lesion via MRI, place a needle, and then remove the entire thing in the operating room. 

I am so worried and upset, I can't stop crying. I'm also very worried that it has been growing for a long time and was just never picked up on any mammos that I've had. Plus I'm angry that they just didn't send me to the 2nd hospital in the first place if they knew they would eventually have to if the MRI picked up anything. I'm hoping they will do the surgery next week, but I won't know for a few days.  My mother passed away from breast cancer almost 17 years ago (she was only 57), so its very difficult for me to not think the worst.  Any thoughts or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.