Would you get a biopsy if told you need a mammo again in 6 mos?

[bumcat]

I am asking this for a co-worker. She will be reading this thread for opinions. She had a mammogram and was told to have another mammogram and an ultrasound. She was told that she has two cysts. Sounds like they are filled with liquid. One is 5x6 mm and the other is 7x6 mm.
Her dr (primary care) told her that she is rated a level 3 and should have another mammogram in 6 months.
She talked to another dr. that told her she should have a biopsy to make real sure and for peace of mind. Cancer does not run in her family and this is the first time she has had a problem with the mammogram.
For those that get a mammogram every six months - did you eventually have to have a biopsy?
Also considering the facts above would you or did you if rated a 3?

And one more thing I have been trying to get this coworker to Disney. I keep trying to tell her that her and her husband do not have to have kids to go. Please tell my stubborn coworker Susan how much fun Disney is!! Thanks guys!

 

[chris1gill]

Well, first, I've not had a problem with cancer, BUT I have had biopsies taken (elsewhere) before & honestly, if one doctor says to wait & the other says to take the biopsy, I'd lean pretty heavily towards having the biopsy... afterall, there's no reason NOT to have the biopsy right? That would just be my inclination.

Now, about Disney, our first trip to Disney was without children & we had a lot of fun, course we have gone ahead, had children & brought them.... I think it might be more fun without them LOL...

 

[legs22]

For my piece of mind, I would get a biopsy. If they are cysts, they can just aspirate some fluid and send it to pathology. I had a cyst aspirated in my gyn's office and it was negative (thank goodness!). The gyn's wife had had breast cancer so he did not mess around when it came to that!
It doesn't matter if cancer doesn't run in her family. I've seen enough patients with breast cancer that didn't have a family history.
Not sure what a level 3 is.

 

[ladydancer]

I was told pretty much what you were told, to wait. It went away! I really don't know what to say except you have to go with your gut feeling.

 

[lrmillen]

Someone close to me had this situation happen. She waited months to have another mammogram and was scheduled immediately for a biopsy when the doctor saw the results. The excuse for not ordering the biopsy the first time was it didn't look bad. But things can change and just to be safe do it right away. Catching things early is the key.

 

[Jeafl]

Is the doctor positive they are fluid-filled? If they are, sometimes (if not usually) they collapse when they are biopsied. I just had a stereotactic biopsy a couple of months ago, and it was a great relief to know positively that it wasn't cancer. I think not knowing for SURE would drive me nuts.

For what it's worth, the breast surgeon I went to said that heredity plays a part in breast cancer, but the majority of patients have no family history of breast cancer at all. If it were me, I would probably have the biopsy.

 

[charabby]

I think she could have the biopsy - six months is a long time for an agressive cancer to grow - it could be a matter of life or death. In the case of my stepfather, his doctor discouraged him from having a scope done of his esophogus for six months and to just wait and see if the pain went away on its own. His radioligist said if he had seen him even three months earlier he would have been able to save him. We lost him this past February. Sorry to be 'negative', but I just wouldn't fool around with it, especially when the procedure is so nonevasive.

 

[lsyorke]

Get the biopsy!! Peace of mind counts for alot!

Oh, and GO TO DISNEY!!!!

 

[bumcat]

Is the doctor positive they are fluid-filled?
_____________________________________


I'm pretty sure the answer was yes on this.

 

[WOW]

I had a lumpectomy 3 years ago, very tiny, but there were cancer cells in my breast. They removed it and also did a sentinel node removal to check if it had spread. It did not!!!! Thank God. It is a gruesome process, but as someone else on this board said, you really have to go with your gut feeling. When I was diagnosed after my biopsy, there was definately no real rush to speed things along. I had the mamo in April, biopsy in May and surgery in June, so you probably don't need to panic. Personally, I would have the biopsy. No family history, but I was on Prempro and the surgeon had me stop taking it IMMEDIATELY. There are many boards on the internet, the one I found most helpfull was Susan Love.com. Her information is awesome, I highly recommedend it. She also has a book which also is good. Good Luck with your decision.

GO TO DISNEY!!!!!!!!! I scheduled my radiation treatments around my Disney vacation and it was the best thing I did!!!!!!!!!
Good luck and God Bless!

 

[newholiday]

brother had breast cancer a few yrs back

Im having surgery next Wed to have 3 cysts removed from my left ovary and another procedure while he has me under. (I know diff area). Had ultrasound done last wk, 12wks before and 6wks before that. The cysts were found when they did the original ultrasound. Doc was waiting for the cysts to get smaller - 2 stayed same size, 1 got larger. My feeling is they dont belong there, get them out!

He did send me for a cancer bloodtest 12wks ago though which did come back neg.

If she waits, can she have that bloodtest for peace of mind?
good luck

 

[Dan Murphy]

I would suggest she talk the radiologist who is reading the mammogram. S/he is the one who knows what it shows. As for family history, as Jill mentioned above, it plays into the equation some, but is not nearly as big a factor as other cancers, such as colon, where heredity is significantly higher. I would not suggest she wait 6 months, based only on the opinion of her PCP. JMO.

 

[DebbieB]

I've had cysts show up on mammograms, they do sonograms and can tell they are just cysts. One year the radiologist did some extra views to be sure. One I could feel and it disappeared in a couple months.

I would ask for a second opinion. I have a coworker who was told come back in 6 months and in 6 months it was cancer and had spread to a lymph node, resulting in her having to undergo chemotherapy. I have another coworker who had a lumpectomy 5 years ago and had a suspicious spot on her last mammogram. They said they felt it was nothing but to come back in 6 months. She spoke to another doctor and he recommended 3 months. It was OK at 3 months, so they said repeat at 6 months again.

From what I understand, there isn't a blood test for breast cancer (my mom has it).

 

[Feralpeg]

I had a mammogram that looked suspicious. I went to a surgeon who examined me and looked at the films. He said he didn't think it was anything and to wait. When I went back after six months and had another mammogram, they immediately took me in for a sonogram. By the time the sonogram was over, they had my doctor on the phone and were scheduling me for a biopsy. When I came out of surgery, the surgeon told me not to worry. He said he'd done tons of them and it didn't look bad. I guess that is why it was such a shock when they called me two days later to tell me that it was malignant and that I should go to the hospital for a bone scan, liver scan, etc. to make sure it hadn't spread. A couple of weeks later, I had a mastectomy. I'm not saying that all cases will be like mine. Just remember, they can't always tell just by look at a mammogram. I was lucky in that mine was not an aggressive cancer. If it had been, things might not have turned out as well.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'll be very honest with you, if I had anything growing in my breast, it would be being biopsied. I am a nurse, and I have seen too many of these "it's a cyst" situations where it ends up being cancer.

A biopsy is not that big of a deal, so just have it done.

And go to Disney!

 

[mssocks]

Two things:
One - GO TO DISNEY!!!!
Two - On my 1st mammo, they saw something and decided it was a lymph node. They did an ultrasound. No one could feel it or find it on the ultrasound. My doc suggested we wait six months and check it again. There was no change, so we went another six months. It was a tad bigger, so another ultrasound. Everyone still felt it was a lymph node ( which scared me....I don't understand why that was a GOOD thing?? ) but I asked, is it time for me to see the surgeon. I volunteered in the ER so knew who I wanted and he knew me. I went to see him right away. In the meantime, I had this really hard lump in the other breast that never showed up and no one felt was an issue. At the surgeons office, he couldn't find the "lymph node" but because I asked, he aspirated the hard lump. Bless him, he used novacaine first! Anyway, he did get some fluid which surprised me. I thought it was just a fatty tumor. For other reasons than worry, I had a needle located biopsy that same week. It was out patient and if PM'd would gladly give you the blow by blow description. Before I left the hospital the surgeon came and told me the fluid from one was benign and he had removed two lymph nodes, also benign. They decided that it showed on the mammo because I was fighting an infection ( darned sinuses ) each time and that's what nodes are designed to do. Help fight the infection. These little buggers decided to get bigger doing it.

Anyway, my point is - you need to decide - if you wait six months are you going to torture yourself with "what ifs" the entire time? Or will you be able to let go of it until then. A simple aspiration in the surgeons office is just a little novacaine and laying there while he tells bad jokes as pulls out some fluid and a few cells. You even get a bandaid. The needle locate is more involved as an outpatient procedure. Gory details available on request.

MOST IMPORTANT PART!!! - I have a severe medical phobia and cannot abide being touched or examined. Have been therapy for five years. I SAILED THROUGH THIS. You need someone you can talk to as an equal who just happens to know how to aspirate cysts. Someone you are comfortable with and who listens.

Sorry so long - - - - GO TO DISNEY - ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE!!!

 

[browneyes]

I'd rather have peace of mind. It's an almost impossibilty to get me to go to a doctor, but if I go and there's any hint of problems, I want to see what the problem is or get it fixed asap. Cancers of all kinds run in my family (including breast cancer), so I would definately force myself to get the biopsy. Good luck to Susan.

 

[Serena]

Cancer runs in my family too, especially in the females. However, so do lumps in their breast caused by caffeine. My sister has had to stop drinking anything with caffeine in it. So far, I've been lucky, no problems at all.

I'd get a second opinion and go from there. And I'd rather know for sure than wonder.

 

[Nancy]

Get the biopsy....go to Disney!



No history of breast cancer in my family. My Mom had the mammogram, waited 6 months for another...had the biopsy at that time and had cancer...radiation, chemo, the works. Scarred the pants off of me...still does. Years later, mammogram and this time biopsy immediately...more cancer, more chemo.


As for the bloodtests...they do tests for cancer markers in the blood...my Mom's came back negative this last time..and it was cancerous ...and they took out another node this time too.

For peace of mind I would go.


And then go to Disney!

 

[bumcat]

Thanks for all the replies. I will be forwarding this to her this morning.
Oh by the way she was the one that asked me to ask my "disney people". I told her we talk about everything on these boards.

She was leaning towards getting a biopsy so I'm sure she will. Now getting her to Disney that will take a miracle!!