Worried about upcoming biopsy and next steps

Hi Luluh

Sorry you are going through this. Hang in there. You are not alone. I am in a similar situation, since I just found a little tiny bump in my chest, attached to the pec muscle. I got an ultrasound and I am waiting for the report.

You will get a biopsy, and if the area is confirmed to be cancer (hopefully it won’t be), it would be only then that they will order a PET scan of your entire body, to determine if the cancer is a local recurrence (in which case you would get curative treatment) or if you also have mets in distant places (hopefully not, but in that in case you would be Stage IV, and therefore you would get different, palliative treatment)

Nothing you can do until you get that biopsy and the results. Only that will drive the next imaging, if any. Fingers crossed you don’t have cancer!

On your second question, I found the recovery of mastectomy to be relatively easy, and it gave me peace of mind not to have to get a mammogram ever again.

Laughing Gull

Hi Luluh,

Fingers crossed for you too.

I got the results of my ultrasound, and they unfortunately couldn't see any mass in the ultrasound. My palpable lump is tiny, and it probably blends with the surrounding tissue. The surgeon will schedule a procedure to remove it to biopsy it. I have no date yet for this procedure, but I am hoping for a spot to open soon. in the meantime, I am trying to stay distracted, with movies and special activities and anything that distracts me and calms my mind.

LaughingGull

The removal of my lump (since it is tiny and right under the skin, it will be removed entirely to biopsy it) is scheduled for Tuesday next week.

Survivor11, I will be thinking of you tomorrow and I wish from the bottom of my heart that your lump is benign. I see in your signature that you had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction with implants. If you dont mind my asking, where is your lump? Between skin and implant? By the mastectomy scar? Mine is in the chest wall, under the skin and attached to the pectoral muscle, like a peppercorn in size.

luluh, best luck for Thursday.

Really panicking today 😩

laughinggull, it appears to be between the implant and my skin, very easily felt. Same breast as initial dx. I am sending you prayers and hugs for Thursday. I kinda wish I was going under to just have it all removed, not looking forward to another needle biopsy, last time I bleed like a pig and my whole breast bruised.
Thank you Lilith.

I’m sorry you’re all going through this. Honestly, the not knowing is the toughest. Once you know you’ll make plans to move forward! Hugs!

No, everything is on the non cancer breast - mammo and ultrasound.

I've been taking a CBD: 9:1 that I got from the dispensary. I was taking zzzquil every night and wanted to stop.The CBD calms you so your brain isn't working overtime. That's what keeps me awake most nights. That and some random song!

I take one before I go to bed, but twice I've had to get up at around 1 or 2 and take another one.

Happy for you survivor11 that you had the biopsy already. I hope you get the results before the weekend and that they are benign!!!

homemom, I agree nights are the worst. I took half Ativan last night and slept like a log all night. I am planning on doing the same for the next few days.

lulluh, good luck with the biopsy today. Fingers crossed that it's easy and painless and reveals benign lessions only.

Hello ladies! I have been following this forum and my heart goes out to all of you because waiting really is the worst part. I have had three biopsies due to results of mammogram or US and all were positive for cancer, so I know firsthand how it feels. I also had a mass that was seen on an US that they told me to wait 6 months and then another US to check for growth. I waited, actually slightly more than the 6 months, but thankfully that was benign. I think they say 6 months because the mass should double by that time if it's cancer. Don't quote me on that, no one told me that, I just came to that conclusion.

That said, having had breast cancer three times all I can say is I am crossing my fingers that all of your results will be benign! Cyber hugs for all of you!

Hoping it’s ok to chime in here. Just had my first mammogram today after my single mastectomy and chemo. There was a 5mm spot in my remaining breast at the bottom of the nipple that I was told is “too round” to be cancer and is most likely a lymph node. Tech thought it was a fibroadenoma. Radiologist thinks it’s a lymph node and wants me back in 6 months for more imaging. After asking a million times if it could be cancer and receiving a million no’s, I am still feeling like I can’t trust it. Anyone else have a lymph node pop up on an ultrasound?

Hi Luluh, thank you for sharing the excellent news! So happy for you. And kudos to the radiologist for uploading the report in time for the weekend. NOW you are going to have a wonderful weekend!

jh40, I had fibroadenomas in my non-cancer breast since I was young, and was always reassured that they don't evolve into cancer. That's for fibroadenomas. Now into lymph nodes. Lymph nodes can be anywhere in the breast and they can appear in ultrasound. Radiologists have all these ways to measure their features and describe them: totally normal, a bit out of the norm in a totally benign way, to mildly suspicious to highly suspicious. etc., etc. (I am making the explanations up, but you get the idea); if they are reassuring you that what they see it's not cancer, I am sure they are right. But they should be able to explain why. Your diagnosis and treatment are very recent, and of course you don't want mysterious, unexplained thingies in your healthy breast. I know if I were you, I wouldn't stop until they explain the thing to my satisfaction. Have you talked to the dr, or just glanced at the report?

Hope everyone has a great weekend,

LaughingGull

laughinggull, I had both chemo and radiation after my first cancer in 2003 (IDC) After my surgery in 2019 for ILC, I had the oncotype testing and my number, while high enough to have chemo if I was young, was said to not likely to be effective due to being over 50, so no chemo and no rads because it was in same breast as the first and they won't radiate twice. I had a single mastectomy with DIEP reconstruction. I wanted a bilateral mastectomy and my breast surgeon refused to remove my "healthy" breast. Last August I was diagnosed with DCIS and IDC in my "former healthy" breast and they didn't feel chemo would be effective. Not sure why they didn't do radiation, but I am glad they didn't because in 2023 I was severely burned by radiation to the point of jelly bean size blisters and sloughing off of skin. It came back to haunt me after my DIEP reconstruction in 2019, because the skin had large open wounds that required me to have a home nurse visiting twice a week for months. What I experienced doesn't happen to most people who have radiation. Neither of my two sisters who also had breast cancer were burned the way I was.

I am seeing my MO next week because of bone pain. I am fairly certain it is not metastasis, but I need to be sure.

Luluh, so glad you got good news about biopsy results! Woohoo!

I hope the rest of you have similar results like Luluh's!!!

Thanks Luluh. So sweet of you to stop by. Makes me feel less afraid. My biopsy will be an excisional biopsy, performed by my surgeon in the OR. Right now sitting here in my gown waiting for the surgeon. I am going to ask him to please share his impression of the type of lump this is today after the surgery. The wait is so agonizing. Fingers crossed!

I just got off the phone with my MO. We were discussing the bone density test from this morning. I have osteopenia in my lumbar area and she wants me to do more load bearing exercises. I took the chance to ask her about my mammogram/ultrasound. She read the report to me and everything discussed was followed with "benign". It looks similar to the "mass" that was seen in 2015 that turned out to be benign. She said not to stress over it, she's not concerned and neither should I be. I asked if I need to go back in 3 or 6 months. She said we can keep it at 3. Shewwww!!!

I just have to look into back strengthening with weights. Positive vibes to you laughinggull!

My surgeon just call me to let me know that my lump is benign!
Thank you all for your support. We haven’t heard yet from Survivor11