<p>So I had my first breast MRI after more than 20 years of mammograms and today I learned that they’ve detected an “abnormal area” and I have to see my OB GYN next week to discuss the results. With previous mammograms, an abnormal reading resulted in a biopsy. I have had three biopsies and two separate benign lumps removed over so many years so I am wondering if the “abnormal” area is just scar tissue. Have any of you had a breast MRI with an abnormal results? Just wondering what to expect.</p>
<p>I haven’t and I hope someone who has will answer, but I do know they have a large false positive ratio. From one article:
“Because of its poor specificity, MRI scans of the breast will be wrong, or falsely-positive, in 15 to 35 percent of cases where an abnormality is detected. Although there are other reasons as well, this high false-positive rate is the primary reason that MRI scans are not routinely used to screen for breast cancer.”
I’ve had a mother and sister with breast cancer and have an ultrasound and new 3-D mammogram. Nothing is perfect and I’ve had my anxiety over masses, but you do what you have to do.
Do you have dense breast tissue? Have you had ultrasounds before?
Waiting is horrible, but I know in my Mom’s case and my sister’s, when they suspected it was cancer, she was seen right away.
I hope you find out soon what they want to do, even if it’s another biopsy.
Sending good thoughts your way.</p>
<p>My MRI might have saved my life. I felt a small lump in my left breast and mentioned it when I went in for my mammogram. That lead to an ultrasound which lead to a biopsy. All the while I felt like they were wasting my money because I’m only 45, healthy, and don’t have a history of breast cancer in my family (other than one aunt). There was no way I could get cancer… wrong! Two days after my biopsy they called and said it was cancer. Because I have such dense breast tissue they sent me for an MRI. Long story short - the MRI revealed a much larger tumor in my right breast (3cm) that I still can’t feel. I am so thankful that they ordered that MRI or we might never have found that tumor. That dense breast tissue is really key - my tumors didn’t show up on mammograms so for me I can never trust that again. And I had actually been told last year not to come back for two years but I did anyway and I’m thankful for that.</p>
<p>My MRI was on a Tuesday and my doc called me Wednesday to let me know about the second cancer. He said the dye lit it up like a Christmas tree. I’m surprised they are making you wait so long - waiting and not knowing is so tough. For me, they said they couldn’t be sure until the biopsy, but they were pretty positive that it was cancer - and they were right. Now I’m having to wait on additional marker testing and genetic testing to find out how they want to proceed. It’s been 23 days of waiting so far (first cancer was diagnosed Feb. 1) and it doesn’t get any easier. Hope you get good news!</p>
<p>Klanders, I had much the same experience you’ve had with mammograms–they looked fine (I have very dense breasts). My BC was only diagnosed after I started having a weird numbness and tingling in my fingers, which turned out to be caused by the fact that my lymph nodes under my arm were blocked by cancer cells. Anyhow, I had a mastectomy and dense-dose chemo, and have been fine since. I’m writing because all this happened in 2006, and when I was diagnosed and waiting to hear the treatment plan I was glad to hear from those who’d picked up and gone on with their lives, sometimes for decades. I wish you the best with your treatment and recovery.</p>
<p>For anyone facing breast cancer, I highly recommend the breastcancer.org website and discussion boards. You’ll find a good answer to just about any question you may have.
Good luck to you, Aloha, and best wishes, Klanders, for your complete recovery.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts. And thank you Klanders for sharing your story. I do wish you the best. I hope they caught the cancer early enough. Can you tell me about the genetic and marker testing they did on you? I’m considering that mainly because my grandmother and aunt died of ovarian cancer and I am told that there is no screening test for that. The only thing that can be done is screening for the BRAC gene.</p>
<p>Debruns, I too have dense tissue which was the reason the radiologist suggested a baseline MRI. I am hoping their delay in seeing me might indicate that the issue isn’t dire… but who knows. I guess I have to mentally prepare myself to go through yet another biopsy. So frustrating.</p>
<p>Thanks for your kind wishes. It’s hard being in “limbo.” Jingle, I’m glad you mentioned the numbness and tingling in your hands. It’s scary to me, but I’ve had the same thing for the past year. They’ve tested for carpal tunnel and that was negative. They found that I have some degenerating discs in my neck but they’ve found nothing at all to cause my hand stuff. Never thought to mention it as being a part of the cancer. I’ll be sure to do that. The preliminary one lymph node biopsy was negative so that was encouraging. Time will tell. Regarding markers… they will be able to tell the three key markers from the biopsy if you end up having one. I was Estrogen and Progesterone positive which I guess is good because they know how to treat those. There was some question on one of my lumps if it was HER2 positive or negative so they did an additional test called the FISH test and we are waiting on that result. If it is positive I have to start chemo immediately. I’m praying it’s negative! The genetic testing looks for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2. There are other cancer genes out there that they haven’t found yet but if I’m positive for either of those then there is a heightened concern that I might have or at a later date get more cancer because of being “predisposed.” It takes several weeks for those results to come in. Regarding ovaries… I had a hysterectomy (totally unrelated to this!) back in December and kept my ovaries because I never dreamed I’d have cancer and didn’t feel like I was high risk because I don’t have a strong family history of cancer. If I turn out to be BRCA positive I will have to go back and have my ovaries removed because I will have a higher likelihood of getting ovarian cancer. Keep us posted, Aloha, on how your doctor’s appt. goes.</p>
<p>Jingle and Klanders… does the numbness and tingling in your hands happen even when your arms are down at your sides? I have experienced that but I’m able to shake it off.</p>
<p>Klanders, thanks for the additional info on the genetic tests. I actually sent for this genetic testing kit from 23andMe just the other day but they only test for the three most common markers for breast cancer. But I thought that at only $99, it was worth getting.</p>
<p>Praying too that your FISH test is negative, Klanders. Please keep us posted too on your results.</p>
<p>@ Aloha TM</p>
<p>I had a mammogram with an abnormal spot. I did a follow up mammogram, and then an ultrasound. (I am very young so it was random my doctor ordered the first Mammogram a year prior and they caught the ‘spot’ on the comparison.) I did a breast MRI. They decided that they had to take a biopsy. Everyone failed to warn me that meant a biopsy in the MRI machine. The spot is in the far back center of my breast, so not somewhere that can be accessed easily. I re-did the breast mri once more, then they took me out of the machine, a surgeon went through my chest wall (on the side of my breast) and located the lump with his needle. They put me back in the MRI machine with the biopsy needle in place to make certain they had the correct location. I chose not to have the marker inserted because I am ultra sensitve to metals, etc. From the moment they found my lump, until the moment they said it is benign took literally over 2 months of waiting. I did the entire surgical procedure with no meds, not even an advil, just the lidocaine. I am truly glad that I did everything they told me to do (because there were of course moments that I was ready to run.) I went in to the biopsy thinking they were taking a skin tissue sample, so a little warning and knowledge would have better prepared me for that. I had to do a 6 month and 1 year follow up MRIs and mammograms. The spot is still there and might turn to cancer later, but for now it is holding. By the 4th one the breast MRI is really easy to get through, I almost fell asleep in the machine last time. Best of luck and remember to just breath.</p>
<p>I keep going every 6 months for a 3D mammogram and ultrasound for dense breasts. I
have a tiny fibroidanoma I wish they’d take out but they said it was too small. I had a larger one years ago that gave me a scare. I guess if the margins are smooth and it doesn’t grow or change…but still.
My sister didn’t seem to want to do the genetic testing. I didn’t know there was a kit. Some women don’t want insurance companies to know about it, but they aren’t supposed to use it against you by law. Life insurance might be another matter.
I used to go to a radiologist for years, but then they sent me to Yale’s Breast Center because of my history. They have a little more high-tech equipment.</p>
<p>I send good thoughts to all. It’s not easy, but at least we are seeking medical care, many don’t.</p>
<p>RocketMom95, wow, two months is extraordinarily long. I’ve also had a core biopsy done by my chest wall but they used a “robotic” needle to do it and didn’t need the MRI. I got the results the next day. I sure hope I don’t have to get another MRI. It was quite uncomfortable for me. My arms became numb!</p>
<p>Rocketmom, I’m very claustrophobic, but I heard you are on your stomach for breast MRI. Is it easier like that, can you see the floor or is it too dark? If I need one and I can see something it might be easier.
I met a woman who just couldn’t do an MRI (for another area, not breast) and they had to take her out. She had a biopsy without it, but she said she felt terrible…they reassured her it happens all the time though.</p>
<p>Debruns, I’m not claustrophobic so that didn’t bother me. You are on your stomach and your face is on one of those “doughnut” holes that you find on some massage tables so all I could see was the bottom of the table. I’ve never had a “regular” MRI but I heard they put a mirror so you end up seeing yourself? Anyway, they did ask me if I was claustrophobic and if I had said yes, they would have offered me a sedative which I guess is what you would need to get this done.</p>
<p>I think the breast MRI is much easier than the regular one, where you’re on your back. They both are noisy, though, so definitely request ear plugs! Breast MRI is pretty short, and you are able to see a bit more than the enclosed full MRI machine. Not too bad, actually.<br>
Numbness can be related to spinal compression. That is something that the regular MRI is able to “see,” and I’d recommend one if numbness continues, especially for anyone with breast cancer. An x-ray of the bone won’t show what’s going on near the spinal cord.</p>
<p>I had a breast MRI and biopsy. If you have issues you can take a sedative that really helps. I had a BC not detected on mammo, lobular which does not readily show up on mammo. It is my third trip to the rodeo. the ifrst in 1994, and the last in 2009, dont know what I was drinking as am gene negative. Now if your nodes are negative they do an oncogene test to see if chemo would be beneficial. There are many survivors. Hoping you dont have cancer, but if you do dont hesitate to pm me, I am als an RN</p>
<p>Thank you downtoearth. I will definitely pm you if I have any questions. I just received my MRI results today and, as I suspected, I will need to get a core biopsy aided by ultrasound. They found not one but four “suspicious abnormalities.” One on the right and three on the left. So my wait continues… Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>Good luck, many things are called “abnormal” on MRI’s and many false positive. I saw this on the breast.org site, one person’s angst with her MRI.
[Breast</a> Cancer Topic: MRI Results are in - any advice?](<a href=“http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/62/topic/787199]Breast”>http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/62/topic/787199)</p>
<p>I hope you hear good news soon…</p>
<p>Yes, I heard breast MRI’s are easier, for now my docs seem satisfied with the ultrasound/mammogram, but we will see.</p>
<p>There are a lot of us out here! I had all of that (3D mammogram, biopsy, MRI, mastectomy, BRAC 1 and 2 negative before diagnosis, BART negative after diagnosis, Oncotype DX 13 so no chemo) in October and November. Now going through the whole reconstruction fill-ups after a little bump in the road set-back, then I’ll have reconstructive surgery in a few months. You know, none of it was awful at all, although the waiting isn’t easy. I also have dense breasts, and even my breast surgeon and plastic surgeon couldn’t feel the 1 cm tumor. But I’m doing well, fine really. The MRI is done while on your stomach but there is a mirror so you can see the back wall behind you. It wasn’t uncomfortable. Just loud! I’ll be thinking of you and hoping the news is good. Feel free to pm me since it’s all really fresh in my mind.</p>
<p>So nice to have many others who can relate! Thank you!</p>
<p>Threekids, your post makes me realize that there is so much terminology out there I still have to learn. Wish someone could just list all those terms with the definitions in one place. I read about BIRADS classification since mine was labeled BIRADS 4 and that didn’t put my mind at ease. I also looked up “progressive kinetics” and “plateau kinetics” so it looks like the nodule on the right is the one that is more worrisome–I think. Is there a site that you found particularly useful? My husband says I’m overthinking this but I told him I couldn’t help it!</p>
<p>You know, I was afraid to look up too much information, just the basics. For some reason (and I’m gonna get some flack for this) I did not like breastcancer.org. Maybe I just don’t know how to use the site. I was comfortable learning as I went along. Every time something new was mentioned, then I’d get a complete education about it. And it’s quite an education. I had no idea! Tons of information, like the tests, Oncotype Dx, BRAC, BART. Who knew? And no two people or cases or tumors or surgery or anything will be exactly the same. Everybody reacts differently. I would have been shocked if someone had said that I’d be calm and not a basket case through this. But I was ok. I know I’m really lucky, my best friend is my physician, her husband is an OB/GYN, my twin sister is an RN and my husband is an oncologist. They were all in the room for the biopsy. I have a wonderful and compassionate and patient breast surgeon. So I really felt I was in, and continue to be, in good, well guided hands. But I really didn’t want to overdose on information, so I stayed away from looking up statistics. I did look up the tests so I’d be informed about decisions. </p>
<p>I understand the feeling about overthinking. You can’t not overthink. It’s not under your control! At night, when I was alone with my thoughts, I’d start to think of different scenarios. I had to stop myself, which is pretty tough to do! Your oncologist will be the one to give you the whole picture.</p>
<p>People will come out of the woodwork. Everybody, it seems, has or had breast cancer. It’s diagnosed so much that it feels like the common cold to me! Remember being pregnant and it felt like everybody around you was pregnant? Once you mention breast cancer, everybody has or had it!</p>
<p>I hope you don’t scare yourself with information you don’t need, or even worse, don’t understand. You’ll learn about your case as you go, and what you need to know to make good, informed choices. Once you have all your information, you’ll feel better. It’s the not knowing that’s the hardest. </p>
<p>I’m three months post surgery, and well over three months before my reconstruction, but honestly, I don’t think about it constantly, and have to remind myself, oh yeah, I had breast cancer and I’m still not done! Anything I can help you with, just ask.</p>