I Finished My Treatment A Year And A Half Ago.( Stage Lll3) .
I finished my treatment a year and a half ago.( Stage lll3) . I get mammograms every 6 months. Had one last week and showed clusters of microcalcifications.Since i had major modicfications on my breast,they can't tell how far back towards the chest wall these go. My surgeon is out of the country for two weeks,but his staff contacted him and he said,forget an MRI, he will see me when he returns and schedulea biopsy. Any other survivors here that had something similar? I'm a nervous wreck!
Yes. I had a surgical biopsy after MRI last year showed the same thing. It can back with lots of cellular changes but no malignancy. He said all breasts go through cellular changes around my age (50), and so I have another MRI in August. They placed a titanium clip in the area to monitor it. I had a single mastectomy 5 years ago. I'm still hanging onto my remaining breast but it is nerve wracking. Still, I'd rather go through all of thus surveillance than end up with what I have on the other side and possibly for nothing, except maybe a smidgen of peace of mind. I've known friends who had double BX and still stress about metastasis elsewhere so I'm not sure I will ever feel 100% safe.
My mammogram in 2011 showed a 1 cm tumor. It was biopised and found to be stage one. Had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. A much larger 6 cm tumor ( stage 3 c, triple+) was found as well as the smaller one. 11 lymph nodes were removed. Had chemo,15 months of Herceptin, mastecomy,radiation and many reconstructions and revisions. Mammo last March showed pockets of fluid- were aspirated and were clear.August- mammo was a-ok. Spent 5 hours at the radiolgist's last Wednesday. Cluster of microcalcifications are posterior. Becasue of the revision, there isn't enough breast to get as far back as necessary. Radiologist said i needed an MRI.
Got a hold of my surgeon before he left the country on Thursday for a 2 week vacation. He said no MRI, biopsy instead. So, now I have to wait until 3/31 to see him.
My first mammogram back in 2003 shows microcalcifications. That year I also had a breast ultrasound and was told nothing to worry about it. I didn't have to have additional mammograms and breast ultrasound until 2011 when the microcalcifcations 'changed' in appearance. Back to additional view mammogram and breast ultrasound which lead to biopsy and being told I had breast cancer. Initially told I had Stage 1 IDC so I did the lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. I had 31 lymph nodes light up from the radioactive isotope that was injected into the breast. Only one lymph node was confirmed for cancer. Oh, also during the work up the breasts MRI showed an 'abnormality' in the same breast. After that surgery, I was told I was Stage 2a. She told me that she didn't like the appearance of the breast tissue. I also didn't have clear margins. My breast surgeon told me she could go in and take more tissue to see if we could get clear margins or I could just decide on a prophylatic bilateral mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. I decided on bilateral mastectomy and I don't regret that decision. I also didn't need radiation or chemotherapy. But I still battle the cancer fatigue.
I had microcalcifications and I looked up the word its pre-cancerous. Hugs and prayers!
I would go for the biopsy then you will know if its cancer or not. Radiology exams are not 100% absolute.
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