36F Waiting for Results of Biopsy BIRADS 5
Hello All,
I'm really worried to be here but also glad there is a community I can vent to and share my fears with as I wait for my biopsy results to come back.
Long story short, last July 2023 while I was breastfeeding (pumping only) I noticed a lump in my right breast. I brushed it off for a few days, then got really worried and scheduled an ultrasound. Results came back as likely fibroadenoma - follow up in 6 months. I had a bad feeling about the lump at the time and was incredibly relieved to hear it was "just" a fibroadenoma".
FF to December 2023, I noticed the lump felt a bit bigger, and starting around Dec 20 it felt significantly larger than it had before. I touch my breasts enough, and had kept checking on them, and this felt like it grew quite quickly, not slowly over the course of the few months.
Once again, I felt super worried so I scheduled a follow up US at the 5 month mark. The mass had grown 3x the size and now I had a BIRADS 4 rating.
I immediately got myself referred to a nearby cancer centre, was triaged and had an appt within 2 weeks for more imaging and a core needle biopsy.
In between the Ultrasound in late December and waiting for my appt in mid Jan, I felt some discharge from both nipples, squeezed my right breast, and to my surprise, a LOT of milk came out. I had weaned August 2023, but I was shooting a lot of milk 1-2 feet out from a single duct and getting more drops from the others. The first few streams of milk were slightly thicker and fattier than my normal milk was, but after a few squeezes it looked and also tasted exactly like my breast milk.
I felt a huge of a sense of relief, almost like I had popped a pimple. The lump also felt a bit more oval after I did this, so I started to get some false hope that maybe this was lactation related, since this same breast had a horrible bout of mastitis in late January and clogs almost every week or two while I was BFing. I was pretty convinced this was a benign abnormality.
I finally had my appt yesterday, they did a mammo, ultrasound, and ultrasound guided core biopsy of the breast mass and a fine needle biopsy of an axillary lymph node. Results came back as BIRADS 5 from imaging, I am just waiting on pathology results from the core biopsy now.
I am absolutely kicking myself for not pushing for a biopsy last year when I first felt the lump, and I feel upset with my primary care physician for brushing off my valid concerns because I was breastfeeding and my lump is tender.
So my question to everyone is, has anyone gotten a BIRADS 5 and came back benign?
Has anyone had a similar situation with milk discharge like this from a breast lump? I am trying to hang on to any shred of hope that this is a weird abnormality.
And finally, for a tumour growing this quickly, am I basically staring down the worst kind of breast cancer if it does in fact come back cancerous?
I have a 15 month old baby and whenever I look at him all I can think about is how I might not be there to see him grow up and it's absolutely crushing me.
Thankful in advance for any responses, support, or just listening.
Comments
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Hi @sistermoon , I'm sorry that you have to join us here. Waiting for biopsy results is very stressful. BIRADS 5 is more likely to be malignant but some posters on this site have had BIRADS 5 imaging that turned out to be benign. Every situation is different.
Even if you don't get the report you are hoping for most initial diagnoses are treatable with excellent survival statistics. The majority of women with early stage breast cancer live a normal life span and see their children grow up.
I understand your anger with your PCP. A year and a half after a callback mammogram my PCP told me a firm feeling in my breast (not really a lump) was just a cyst based on a clear mammogram a few weeks prior. I wasn't diagnosed until another year had passed. I was initially upset that the tumor was missed but I'm still only stage 2. In spite of the drawbacks of my local rural hospital I'm glad they are there for emergencies. I did travel over two hours to be treated at a cancer center, however. It's better to look toward the future than dwell on the past.
Let us know how things turn out. Here's hoping for benign!
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Hi @maggie15 Thanks so much for writing back. The waiting is so hard, and I consider myself lucky because I know I'll get some results by Friday at the latest, and I'm only 25-30 minutes from the best cancer care centre in Canada.
I feel so worried about this rapidly growing lump and fear it's the worst because of how quickly it has grown. The abnormal axillary node makes it even worse. I am trying to hold out hope but know I am probably not going to get the news I want.
I am just hoping that anything I get is caught early enough for treatments to be viable. I will absolutely let you know how things turn out once I hear more.
I hope you are doing well despite your diagnosis, and I hope you are finished treatment and cancer free very very soon. <3
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Welp, I guess I didn't have to wait that long. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. I'll be moving over to the diagnosis forums now.
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Oh @sistermoon we're so sorry to hear of this update. However, you've found the best community around to get advice, information, encouragement, and support — we're all here for you as you navigate your diagnosis and upcoming treatment. We welcome you with open arms.
As you know more, please share with us so we can all help guide you. We've got your back.
Sending big hugs.
—The Mods
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