ultrasound results
I was previously on this site in 2020 with my 2nd scare that turned out benign. Now I'm at my 3rd scare. I've had 4 screenings post age 40. 2 required a biopsy that resulted in benign findings (one was an excisional biopsy because the needle biopsy was discordant). Finally in 2022 I had a clean screening for once! Now in 2023, again suspicious findings. I'm 49. My mother had breast cancer at 48, so I'm always on edge about getting it myself, but none of us have the breast cancer gene. I have dense breasts and they always seem to find something to investigate. This is my results of the ultrasound with bi-rads category 0 requiring additional imaging. Mammogram was clean with a bi-rads category 2 result. How bad does this look? I'm freaking out and tired of having to go through this with most of my screenings. I'm including only the relevant parts:
At left 2:00 2 cm from the nipple, there are 2 oval hypoechoic masses, not previously visualized. The
larger mass measures 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.3 cm with possible indistinct margins. The smaller mass
measures up to 0.3 cm and demonstrates posterior acoustic enhancement, favored to reflect a
complicated cyst.
OVERALL BI-RADS 0: INCOMPLETE
Two left breast masses at 2:00 2 cm from the nipple. Recommend targeted left breast ultrasound.
An additional imaging exam of the left breast(s) is recommended.
Comments
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@aviva92, we're sorry you are here and worried again, and we sincerely hope that, like your previous experiences, the results come back as benign. Please, let us know how it goes with further imaging tests. Remember that you're not alone, and we're here to support you.
Best wishes,
From the Mods
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Oh and my prior biopsies were the right breast. Now it's left being suspicious which makes me a tiny bit more paranoid. I'm guessing they are both just as prone to cancer though.
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They wound up recommending a biopsy, but didn't seem hugely concerned that it would be cancer. I was going to opt to watch it for 6 months instead, but my mother begged me to do the biopsy. so I wound up doing the biopsy because my mother begged me. It came back as "benign breast tissue with stromal fibrosis and focal calcifications" so good news, but why do my breasts keep growing things to biopsy? It's exhausting.
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Good news that the biopsy is benign. All the false alarms are exhausting but it's better to make sure nothing serious is wrong.
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Good news aviva! I am sure that this is quite stress inducing. You mentioned you being negative for the breast cancer gene, singular. Hopefully that was a typo because genetic testing now looks at over 30 genes that might increase one’s chances of developing bc. If you haven’t had the full testing panel you might consider looking into it. However the reality is that the majority of those who are dx’ed have no genetic mutations. Still, I always think more info is better. Sorry that I have no answers regarding why you keep having benign growths. I have heard people use the phrase “busy breasts”. Take care and hooray!
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thanks everyone!
oh, to be clear, they biopsied the larger one. The plan with the smaller one was if the larger one was benign, then they were just recommending a follow-up ultrasound in 6 months of the smaller one. I guess the smaller one is assumed to be benign
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I'm confused. I was tested for what looks like 2 variants of brca1 and one of brca2, but the paperwork is a little confusing. I wasn't aware that there are others. I did this through my gynecologist who sent it to myriad genetics. I didn't realize there are over 30 genes that increase the risk of breast cancer. This was done in mid 2022, so it's fairly recent. So I'm a little confused if there are additional genes if they were not tested too.
In one section of the report, it talks about genes analyzed and lists a long list of them, like 40 of them, but in the results it only seems to specifically say I'm negative for the BRCA genes. It goes on to say my lifetime risk is 15.9% based on one metric and 21.2% based on another one, so it's higher than the average population, but not awful. I think that is based on the fact that my mother had breast cancer rather than the genes they tested though. Unsure if they take into consideration that there isn't cancer on my father's side of the family, but a lot on my mother's side.
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aviva,
I’m sorry but I don’t have the expertise to explain the results you mentioned, save for the clear BRCA negatives. Years ago when when they tested only for BRCA genes, Myriad was the test company. When the fuller testing panel became available, it was a company called Ambry. I have been negative for everything despite some risk factors. Family history, ethno/religious group, yet still negative. I have daughters and granddaughters so my concerns are for them. However, reality is that only a minority of bc patients have known mutations. Of course, there may more that have yet to be discovered.
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okay, in looking at this test from myriad again and comparing it to an article on this website, I think they did test me for a bunch of other genes that might be associated with breast cancer and for all of them the result was "no clinically significant mutation identified". The only one that they indicated had any finding was a gene called "APC" and in the interpretation it says "Uncertain clinical significance". So it sounds like at least based on the known genes, I don't have increased risk. My mother had estrogen positive breast cancer at 48, so based on that it seems my biggest risk for following in her footsteps is not being in menopause? I am not in menopause officially but haven't had a period in 112 days and counting. No idea how high or low my estrogen levels are. It seemed high last I had it tested a year or so ago, but I was having periods more regular then. Unsure if that increases my chances for cancer.
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I suspect there are more genes that are yet to be discovered. Hoping to follow my father's genetics for not getting cancer and my mother's genetics for not getting dementia.
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