I've googled all the words in the report...still clueless.
I had my routine mammogram and well woman exam last Wednesday while I was off work before starting a new job this Monday. During my breast exam, my OBGYN noted nothing noticeable or remarkable. However, last Thursday I got a call that I needed to do a follow-up mammogram and ultrasound Monday of this week. The wait was excruciating! Went and had my follow up on Monday and the report says:
Revision to Bi-RADS 4 - Suspicious. The sonographer demonstrates a septated hypoechoic lobulated mass at the 6 o'clock position. 7, 9, and 9 o'clock positions show no focal masses. No intraluminal filling defects. The 6 o'clock position nodule, 4cm from the nipple is slightly septated with minimal peripheral vascularity and is atypical for a septated cyst. Rule out malignancy. Maximal diameter is .82 cm by this study (.48 x .46 x .82 cm). Rule out malignancy. Mild subareolar ductal ectasia otherwise noted. Surgical consultation for biopsy is recommended.
Unfortunately, they didn't give me any indication of what part of the report was concerning. So, I've googled it ALL to try to figure out what they see is potentially bad. From my research, I feel it's the vascularity and septated? Any ideas? I'll also note that even after the ultrasound noted the location of it, my doctor was not able to find it - which I feel is a good sign?
I have no family history, I am 41, don't smoke, eat healthy, exercise, and take care of myself. My last mammogram was November of 2020 with no remarkable findings. So, I'm hopeful for a positive outcome, but it is very worrying - especially starting a new job this week! I received a call yesterday for my biopsy and it isn't until 3/16. So, a 3 week wait with a follow up with the doctor on 3/28....so, at least a month of waiting.
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I am sorry you are here and I hope your biopsy results indicate no cancer. Just a point, many women in this group have had all of these "I have no family history, I am 41, don't smoke, eat healthy, exercise, and take care of myself" and a breast cancer diagnosis does not mean people were unhealthy. Having Cancer is mostly about luck (at least based on current knowledge).
I wish you the best result with your biopsy.
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Thank you, Aram. It's stressful, for sure! I didn't intend for that comment to come across as insinuating anyone with BC is unhealthy. Not at all. Those are the things I am trying to hold on to for hope that I am lucky enough for this to be benign. I'm so thankful I found this community so I can read about all of the different scenarios and all of the brave warriors that have beat it! It's inspiring, for sure!
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do you mean your dr wasn't able to palpate it? That doesn't really mean anything. For the biopsy they will use ulstrasound to find it. The report just says that the area is not typical of a cyst so they need to grab a sample and look at it to rule out malignancy
Do you have a date for the biopsy?
Hang in there
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Thank you for your reply! Yes, my doctor wasn't able to palpate it. I have searched and searched myself and can't feel anything! I know it's not an indicator of "nothing", but my hope is that if it's that small, even if it is something that we've caught it early enough that it's treatable.
My biopsy isn't until 3/16 and my follow up with the dr. is 3/28. So. Lots of waiting and stressing between now and then!
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So I am not an expert, but am good at reading medical jargon. What the report says to me is that there is a lobulated (lumpy) mass they see at the 6 o'clock position. It's got a feature that makes it look unlike a cyst (which are benign). The mass is tiny, less than 1 cm at the largest dimension. Looking at those dimensions, it's like a grain of rice, so of course it can't be palpated (felt is what that means). They want to biopsy the suspicious mass.
I will say that my ultrasound report following my mammogram was much more alarming and indicative of cancer than your report. If I were in your shoes knowing what I know now, I'd breathe, and know that you are on the right course to figure out what they saw. Something that even if malignant is really early and small.
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Thank you so much for your reply and reassurance. I’ve been trying to just chill out until I know more, but as you know, that is hard - especially knowing it’ll be over a month before I know what it is.
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Yes. So far the uncertainty has been the hardest for me. I'm actually feeling a lot more settled today with a slew of appointments and knowledge of my likely options. A possibility if you are feeling very anxious is calling your facility back and asking for an earlier appointment, even if it's a wait list for cancellations. Let them know how you are feeling.
If there is no earlier slots, another point that may help you: the fact that they are not rushing you to biopsy is positive. For me, everything has been rapid fire appointments. I had the biopsy 3 hours after my ultrasound. My MRI was scheduled for 4 days after the pathology results, and my surgery visits were the following two days. I've got a list of added appointments over the next 6 business days.
While I'm glad for the attention, the urgency alone lets me know that my situation has to be treated sooner rather that later. However, even though they are being urgent with me, we are methodically going through each step of diagnosis and assessment using best evidence based approaches, so there has still been more than enough time to worry.
I decided that too much time feeling too unsettled is really just a waste of a good day. On my most stressed out days last weekend, I stocked up on a bunch of groceries, worked on some home projects, and binge watched a short series called Sister Boniface Mysteries (a spinoff of Father Brown). Distraction and staying busy are really effective for me.
You are in my thoughts, and I'm optimistic that you'll get results that are either nothing, or something easily managed. And until then, look for the best way you can to enjoy the days in between.
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Hi Jillithan, and welcome.
We're so very sorry for the worries that bring you here, but we're glad you've found us. We know it can be very hard to not worry while you wait for answers, but try to keep calm and positive that this is nothing to worry about. It's good your doctors are being diligent about a potentially suspicious finding, and a biopsy will confirm either way. Read more about BI-RADS.
We will be thinking of you and sending good thoughts your way. Please keep us posted on your biopsy results.
--The Mods
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I love your positive attitude. It’s hard not to think the worst or jump to worst case scenario. I am using everything I can to keep my mind at ease. I’ll have to take your lead and try out some of your suggestions! Remember that no matter what, you are strong and you’ve got this!
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I love your positive attitude. It's hard not to think the worst or jump to worst case scenario. I am using everything I can to keep my mind at ease. I'll have to take your lead and try out some of your suggestions! Remember that no matter what, you are strong and you've got this!
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thank you! I love the community and support I’m finding here. Even in difficult times, it’s so nice to see so many women lifting each other up!
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jillithan,
You’ve been given good counsel! Our threads don’t “thread” on to the post to which you’re replying so if you respond to post and say thank you or I love your positive attitude it is not clear who are responding to. You can address them by username to avoid confusion. Take care
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thank you, exbrnxgrl! I'm super new here, so I appreciate the tip!
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Jil - and you can address everyone in one post.
Please try to stay away from that fake "dr google". Information there is often outdated or just simply wrong. You're better off going to NCI centers & doing research there - like Dana Farber or Cleveland Clinic or Johns Hopkins or Mayo or Stanford.
It's extremely common to be called back for more tests, especially if you don't have a backlog of prior mammograms. And don't forget - issues are often coded BIRADS 4 in order to make sure insurance will pay for ongoing tests. Good luck
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MinusTwo - I know. I know. All of the terms are just SO foreign to me and my doctor didn’t really explain anything to me about WHY they felt it warranted a biopsy. So, I resorted to trying to learn as much as possible about what septated, hypoechoic, and peripheral vascularity mean. I wish they would have at least told me which part of the mass concerned them enough to schedule a biopsy.I’m thankful I’ve found these boards, but it really shows that EVERY situation is different. I keep searching for a post with similarities to my ultrasound findings and there just isn’t something close.
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Jil - yes, we are all different. Maybe these abbreviations will help. Hang in there
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/131/topic...
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jillithan,
My PCP had examined my breasts just a few days before my mammogram, and felt nothing. I wound up with a Birads 5 so I kind of knew from the start. And as for the cause, you have breasts.
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After a month of waiting, I finally had my biopsy yesterday! I'm honestly surprised I was able to stay semi-calm during the wait, but the anxiety did creep in several times.
The biopsy wasn't bad and the technicians and nurses were so very kind. It made a stressful procedure a little more comforting. Mildly sore today, but nothing unbearable. By the time I got home yesterday, the nurse had updated my chart with notes from the procedure in the patient portal. Obviously still pending pathology, but I saw in the notes that she referred to it as a complicated cyst a handful of times. That's the first time anyone labeled it anything other than a nodule. Knowing the little I know about cysts and types, I'm hopeful for benign results. Hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst if pathology shows it is malignant. I'm thankful to be past the long wait and be in the timeframe of ACTION instead of waiting. More to come...
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