OT: what is the usual procedure if you find a lump in your breast?

Becky,

I have just come off the 6 month mammogram/sonogram tract.  For the past two years, every freakin time a mammogram was done, there was something strange.

My PCP referred me to a breast center, where a biopsy was done.  Fortunately, everything has been good.

I will tell you one thing - biopsies have come a long way.  When I had my first one in 1986, they actually cut and stitched you.  The past several have been needle biopsies.

Is this your first adventure with a lump?  It's scary as hell.  Just hang in there until further testing has been completed.

Yes it is my first experience.  I had a cyst removed from the back of my neck a few years ago and this seems much like that so I hope that is what it is.  My pcp took that out in his office.

I just want it OUT gone REMOVED.  I don't want to screw around with a lot of doctor's appointments.  

~Becky

Based only on my experience, I've had several lumps found by me, then confirmed by my pcp, who sent me for mamograms. Every time the lump has been a cyst, and there were some that showed on the mamo that turned out to just be calcium. 

I got lucky with several of the mamograms, and they managed to fit me in immediately if I could hang in the lobby till they had a few extra minutes. The place I go to has changed to all digital in the last few years, so they see them immediately, and even though it wasn't the official person reading the mamo, the technician taking them, who also marks and retakes closer images of suspicious areas, let me watch as she was doing them, and it was clear that nothing scary was there, so even though I had to wait about a week for the official word, I knew she hadn't seen anything that worried her, so I didn't fret all week about it.

IF they found anything suspicious, I'd have been sent for a needle biopsy.


I hope your experience ends up as anticlimactic as all of mine have.

Sounds like I will have some waiting to do and a process to go through.  It makes me wonder why they harp on early detection if there is no rush to get these things diagnosed.  I guess a few weeks doesn't matter.  Unless it is a few weeks of worry which it will be for me.

Apparently I needed to learn how to deal with waiting and worry since I've been doing a lot of that lately and it looks like this will be more of that. 

I would rather skip the mamogram and biopsy and just have this thing removed and then biopsied.

~Becky

((((((((Hugs Becky))))))) I can relate. Palpable breast masses are common and oftentimes benign. The good thing is that advances in techniques and early detection are working wonders these days as well as with the digital techniques where lesions can be detected way before they are palpated.   I have experienced both.. as a young adult  I felt a 'jacks sized ball" mass in my right breast as I told my mom... because of family history I was rushed to a private medical center in Panama and was seen by a surgeon who immediately requested a series of sonograms which showed two lesions in my right breast these were removed by wide excision biopsy and sent to pathology ... the larger mass was benign, a fibroadenoma and the second lesion was an in situ carcinoma...After a few following appointment with ultrasonography it was deemed that all masses were excised and I was free ... I never had a mammo then...  Being young and foolish and 'invincible' I thought 'problem solved' ..so NOT .... at the time of my first mammo as an adult I had fatty replaced dense breasts with highly suspicious abnormalities in both breasts ... I had ductal in-situ carcicoma and I had needle localization w/lumpectomies and sentinel node biopsies followed by adjuvant therapy with hormonal treatment and some chemo.... I have no malignancies today and am followed by digital mammography every six months and I sweat bullets each time the time comes around even when I try not to... I went as far as considering and following all the steps to get prophylactic mastectomies but backed down because of risks with lymphedema and agreed to continue to monitor and be vigilant in the interim but deep down I want these jokers REMOVED and off my chest for good... I am malignancy free and for the first time in my life this year I had a Birads 2 reading where I always had a 3 and 4 that almost gave me a nervous breakdown...that is why I REFUSE any boob work ...I am not messing around with the gals... I rather walk around like an ironing board because I also REFUSE expanders or any type of implant or reconstruction if I get the prophylactic mastectomies ... I knock no one who does but I have been scared ****less too many times to want to have titties that would make me sweat bullets or hide any growth that should not be there... I rather use the titties in a bag my DD gave me...

I don't think the process is very long ... your PCP will evaluate you, likely give you a referral for mammography, based on the results you may have interventional radiology or needle aspiration right in the surgeon's office ... or you may necessitate one day surgery to have a biopsy or whatever intervention is deemed necessary.... Again...keep in mind that a lot of those palpable lumps are benign and in the event they are not they are very treatable these days ...

Apologies in advance for my long winded nature ... and sorry for any typos my ferret just dragged my reading glasses off somewhere and the one I have on has broken limbs and not staying on my nose like they should....  Wishing you the most prompt and best outcome.

*edit typos gils = gals
type

You have really been through it.  wow.  I'm so glad you are healthy now.

The one thing I don't understand is why you have to have a mammogram when you have a lump you can SEE with the naked eye???

~Becky

The reason for the mammogram is that you feel a lump but you may have more "lumps" that are too small to feel.  Just because you feel a lump it may not be cancer.   Don't worry until you get test results.   I know that is hard.
The prosess is fast. I had a mammogram, ultrasound and biospy the same day at a breast center.    The results from the biopsy came back the next day.  I say the surgeon two days later.  Breast cancer treatments are not one size fits all.  You will have more tests to help plan your treatment based on your actual tumor.  This will help give you the best survival  chance.  Treatments have come a long away.  If you do have cancer  join a support group.  It helps alot with the emotional part of cancer.   Remember there are more survivors then people who die from breast cancer. 

 Good luck.

Don't put the cart before the horse here..... there is more than one explanation for a lump in your breast. In my case, it was cysts and scar tissue.

THAT BEING SAID- If you get a mammogram and they suspect or locate breast cancer, they will move you through the system FAST!

Many doctors are motivated by compassion and caring, ALL are motivated to not be sued!!!

They simply cannot diagnose you with a potentially fast spreading "early detection is the key" cancer and then have you wait for months and months to treat it!!

Well I agree with you but I don't really understand why a mammogram is the first step when you already have a lump/cyst.  I thought the purpose of the mammogram was to FIND those.

~Becky

Becky, the mammogram can determine what kind of lump it is, also whether there are more areas that might be suspicious. I had the radiologist show me all the areas and he told me what all the colors and shapes represent. Amazing how detailed they are! I had all these tiny scattershot grains of sand that were then biopsied.