MRI Biopsy
I am 8 years out from triple negative BC and have been doing well. My last mammogram showed a very small area of concern. Watch and wait was suggested but my last cancer was very aggressive and grew quickly so I'm not inclined to watch and wait. I have asked for a biopsy but because it is so small, it will be difficult to see on an ultrasound so an MRI biopsy has been recommended. I have never heard of this before. I have to say, I find MRI's very uncomfortable and difficult and I cannot imagine how they'll do this while I'm laying face down. Has anyone here had an MRI biopsy and if so, can you tell me a bit more about the procedure?
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My MRI guided biopsy was quite painful. This was really because of where the spot was located rather than anything about the procedure itself. When you are laying down, they compress your breast with a plate that has grid markers on it. This is light compression, not the hard squeeze of a mammogram.
They send you in to get an image and note where it is on the grid. I think I went in and out a couple of times. You are not in for the long time like a regular MRI. Then they do the lidocaine. This where it was very painful because the spot they needed to biopsy was in the cleavage side of my breast. Since they can only access you from the armpit side, they had to skewer through my entire breast. If your spot is on the outside part of your breast this will be much easier.
They send you back in to make sure that the biopsy needle is in the right place, then out again for the actual sampling. Then in again to make sure they got it.
I had already made the decision to have a BMX, but I walked out of there saying "Never again!". I will say that both the nurse and the doctor were very kind.
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Thank you Maggie, that is helpful to hear. I'm sorry your biopsy was painful. My area of interest is on the outside of my left breast, so hopefully they won't have to go as deep as you had to deal with.
Claire
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@skiclaire i had a MRI guided biopsy 2 years ago when there was a very small area of concern seen on the regular MRI. It was on the outside lower portion of my right breast. And as Maggie stated, they compress the breast to keep it stable for the needle biopsy. For me it was super easy relatively speaking. Painless with the lidocaine. The doctor was very gentle and rubbed my hand a few times to reassure me during the procedure. I’m glad I did it, because it was cancerous.
I also have triple negative and they do grow fast, so it’s always better to be cautious with extra testing so you know what you are dealing with. And can act on it quickly. It’s not a good type of cancer for the let’s wait and see approach, in my experience.
Good luck and fingers crossed that is benign.
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I had an MRI biopsy and I don't really remember much about, it doesn't stand out at all among all the rest of the procedures I've had. I think the pain can't have been bad or I'd remember.
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