Opinions on MRI, Biopsy and Overall Worry
I'm looking for opinions or similar situations. Every year I get my mammo and since cancer they appear hypervigilant. The first few years they wanted to biopsy everything they saw. I had a couple of bad experience with the first two biopsies so I later took charge and said no if it was something that could be watched. Those 3 or 4 more times we watched and whatever they saw was later gone. Here I am years after cancer and they are looking again. I have actually had to tell them certain radiologists could not read my reports because my chart shows they always wanted to poke and never really needed to. Now, I may be different than others and making these decisions causes a bit of anxiety, but here I am.
They wanted to biopsy this year and I needed to process. They were gung ho on getting me in 3 days after mammo. I ended up scheduling with my old doctors for opinions first. One said just do it and the other was fine with me having an MRI first. So here I am. I have an MRI schedule in a couple of weeks and the biopsy scheduled as a god forbid backup plan. How many of you would be satisfied if the MRI said all was well? By the way, I have had three MRIs back in the day. One before cancer surgery and two after surgery. Thanks and sorry we are all here.
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@rockym Hi Sorry you are even faced with these difficult decisions. Prior to my initial diagnosis in 2016 I had 8 breast biopsies in a 9 year span. So I understand the anxiety and dense breast plus being higher risk. My first breast biopsy showed ADH so I was at an increased risk for breast cancer. So of course year 9 was the year a positive biopsy.
I know it's stressful and a pia but nothing compares to a tissue biopsy. I would be sure a breast imaging radiologist was reading all my scans and mammo's. Sounds like you are already advocating to be sure certain radiologists don't read, which is great. If I had something that was suspicious on MR and your oncology surgeon agreed I would get the biopsy. If my MR seemed ok for a close follow up then I would follow as long as surgeon agrees. Personally as tired as I was of being poked I never wanted to say I should have….now what. As you know catching things at an earlier stage is always the goal.
I never missed a scan, biopsy etc and still walked the road little by little to Stage IV. Cancer can be a beast and should never be underestimated. Obviously just my opinion and personal experience. No two cancers are alike and no two experiences are the same either!
Sending positive vibes and strength your way for the next couple weeks.
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Thanks for the reply. This site has change so much since 2011 and it's harder for me to navigate. Thanks for also sharing your experience. I am awake at a crazy hour thinking about my situation. Sometimes I wonder if advocating for myself is good or not. I can toss and turn about the decisions. If I had the biopsy last month it would have all been said and done, but my mind and heart said to step back. Now I got what I wanted and not sure if I am happy with that. Mammo and ultrasound said biopsy, but that was one person's opinion. The person was young (most are now) and a DO and not an MD so that too bothered me. When I got my 2nd opinion, the surgeon agreed an MRI would be fine and an okay path, different, but okay.
Now I am sitting around with two appointments. One that was made by the imaging doctor for a biopsy and the MRI set up from my doctor. I can't bring myself to cancel the biopsy just yet. I agree and thank you for your opinion on the follow up. I am hoping for the best and sort of preparing for the worst which is why I am up at 4:00am :-0. Back in 2011 I threw the kitchen sink at my stage 2, surgery, chemo and rads. I did everything and more that each doctor said until I finally put my foot down. Back then I started to chart who was asking for what tests and unfortunately saw a pattern. That is why I ended up being even more pro-active. Uggg.
Thanks again. I am going to try to get my signature back up on the site like the old days. My past treatment used to be on each post and I would think that helps both in my questions and in other's replies. Take care.
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There is a way to update things in here as well but it is not as user friendly right now it seems and they do a lot of virtual things as well for those who do that I know.
I have dense tissues as well and where I go they do the 3D mamo on my non cancer side and an ultra sound right now t watch an area of concern right now. I did 10 years of hormonal therapy as well. Still see my MO as well. My MO has not suggested an MRI at this point but have had many for other issues I have going on right now. Imagine if something was going on it would have shown up in there. Best wishes to you. I know how scanxiety is.
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Unfortunately I was the one who asked for the MRI as a possible way to skip a biopsy. Now I am having second thoughts about both. The appointments are scheduled, but my gut is telling me the MRI will lead me down a path I may not want. At first I thought it was a good idea to get an MRI baseline, but now not so much. The biopsy is still a concern because part of me wants to wait and do a follow up, but I don't think that is protocol either. I could be worried over nothing, but I have always been scared of over-treatment. Having been through surgery, chemo and rads in my mid 40s (I'm almost 60 now) left a mental scar on me that has never gone away.
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At least you have all options. They put 13 reactive screws in my left arm. I know this because they were checking for brain cancer 3 years ago and my arm is still messed up from the MRI. I can never have an MRI which is the best way to find early new cancers. We have invasive cancer which means it will spreed. When and where are the only questions. Iwas told things looked good since they caught it early. I am 2 years into harmon treatment. They found 3 PBFs (probably benign findings) yesterday. My possible 10 years has turned to 2.
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