Architecture distortion with benign biopsy but sent to MRI and surgeon

gdlktt86

Hi everyone,

I am new here and just went through a roller coaster with my breast exams over the past week. Hoping to get some help and support from this group.

I am 38 and just finished breastfeeding my 1 yr old. I did my first mammogram last Friday and got callback for diagnostic mammogram followed by ultrasound. I was told I have architecture distortion on my mammogram and my ultrasound showed some correlation like hypervascularity in the same area. The radiologist marked it as BIRADS 4 and recommended a biopsy. She told me she does not think this is breast cancer but to err on the safer side she suggests biopsy it to rule it out. She also said she expect the result to come back as negative.

so I schedule the biopsy and another radiologist did it this week. I just got the result today and it is benign! The report says it’s fibrosis something. However, I don’t feel like I can celebrate because the radiologist who did the biopsy recommended MRI as next step following by surgeon consultation.

I was fairly confused and asked her to call me directly. She first told me she expects the result to be either DCIS or radial scar. And since the result is neither of these two she suspected there might something we missed hence we need to do a MRI then send me to a breast surgeon for consultation. I asked why we did not do MRI first then biopsy, she then told me it’s a standard process to send all patients with AD on mammo to surgeon consultation, irrespective of the biopsy results. And since she thinks it’s either DCIS or radial scar, either one would require a surgery. I was fairly shocked and also pissed at the same time. Because none of this information was communicated with me during my mammogram results explanation or before my biopsy. So I completely did not know what to expect after my biopsy results.

At this point I felt the benign biopsy result does not mean much (which makes me feel sad as I was using all my energies to keep myself sane while waiting for the result) and there are many more tests need to be done. Also feels like the radiologist is fairly anchored on I have something there and they just need to keep running tests to get it.

I am wondering if anyone here has similar experiences and can/want to share your perspectives? I’d also love to understand if this standard process of sending all patients with AD to surgeon consultation and potentially (follow up most cases) surgery removal of the area is actually the case in your experiences/areas?

Thank you all! Sending lots of love, support and positive thoughts to everyone here. Tough process, and I am glad we have each other to lean on.

maggie15

Hi @gdlktt86, I’m sorry you are dealing with AD. It is often caused by radial scars which are benign but grow in a tissue environment favorable to cancer cells. The radial scars hide the nearby breast cancer from imaging. A surgical biopsy (small lumpectomy) is usually done so that a pathologist can examine enough tissue to make sure no breast cancer cells are present.

My AD was treated under an older protocol of observation by mammography. After two and a half years of clear mammograms I developed osteomyelitis of the mandible. The oral surgeon told me that this jawbone infection meant there was cancer somewhere. Sure enough I had a 3.2 cm IDC tumor with multiple radial scars in the margins and a positive lymph node. Originally it probably was DCIS, noninvasive and stage 0, but it grew into a stage 2 invasive tumor over that time.

It’s disappointing when you are told you need more procedures after a benign biopsy but my experience explains why this newer protocol is followed. It may still come back as benign but it is better to be safe than sorry. Let us know how it turns out. All the best.

gdlktt86

thanks for sharing your story @maggie15 sorry to hear you had to get your diagnosis that way but I am glad you were able to get under control.

Appreciate the encouraging words, I guess I’ll do more tests and see there those take me.

Really thought the benign biopsy would be the final step in my journey but looks like this would a longer game so I am trying to prepare myself better.

maggie15

Hi @gdlktt86, Radial scars are rare so your situation is unusual.. There is still a very good chance that further testing will give a benign result. Take care.