Hello Everyone:

I hate to say it, but I am new to this Board. I need to learn a lot and quickly.

On Monday, I went to see my GP about the iching and a little discomfort in my right breast. I had seen a Dermatolgist about it in Jan. and she gave me some cream to put on. It did not go away, and was bothersome, but not terribly. Still, since I have had it off and on for 7 or 8 months, I was not worried. I have a mammogram every year.
Dr. said she wanted a new mammo and, if indicated, a ultrasound. I had both.
Final Assessment of the findings. BI-RADS category 4, Suspicious Finding, recommend biopsy.
The report said they found no change in the mammagram from 7/07, no supicious abnormalities.
Ultrasound: dense shadowing at 9 to 10 o'clock of uncertain etiology. It has some shadowing and some increase in flow.
Today, they sent me a certified letter, telling me to have a follow-up.

I don't know, seems to me that one should not rush into anything. Maybe have another US in 3 to 6 months. I did make an appointment at the Cancer center up north, but I am not sure I really want to keep it. I feel very sure that there is no real problem.

Anyone had a report similar to mine and it was cancer or was not?
Any advice to help me make the decision?
I really appreciate the folks on the Boards who take their time to help others.
Sorry this is so long.
Sivad:confused:

Sivad,

If it were me, I would absolutely get the biopsy. If it is suspicious, it is better to be safe than sorry and the only way they can tell is a biopsy. As you say, there is a good chance it is nothing, but I would rather know than wait.

I was dxed with breast cancer in 06, with a suspicous area on mammogram.
Thankfully it was caught early at stage 1 and I am doing well aalmost 2yrs later.

Good luck with your decision.
Leea

Hi Leea,

Thank you for your reply. You are RIGHT, of course. My head was swimming and I just could not think straight.
I am worried about leaving my Mom here. I am the only daughter and her caretaker. I need to travel a distance for care at a cancer center.
I have a couple of persons here now that she can call if she has a emergency.
I guess I am worried about what will happen if it is cancer and I need treatment, long term. Oh dear, that will be a problem to deal with.
I am keeping in close contact with the Lord and I hope he is hearing my prayers.
Thanks again.
Louise

Sivad, of course you should go for a follow up, especially since the requested it with registered mail. They wanted to make sure you get the letter!!
I also have a mammogram every year, this time I had to go for a follow up mammogram on the left side plus an ultrasound. There also was some suspicious shadow etc. A biopsy came out positive, breast cancer.

I'm a senior and have annual mammograms for the last 30 years, once in a great while I had to go back for a follow up and it always turned out to be nothing. But this year......

So don't delay, go for your follow up.
Laura:nono:

Thank you Laura,

I guess that could happen to me. I am also a "senior". I am going, my kids also laid down the law to me.
I just don't see how inching and burning could be cancer. I always thought that they said cancer has not pain or feeling.
Looks like a lot for me to learn. You all on the board are sure helping. I appreciate it.
Louise

Hi Louise,

I also had itching a year before I found a lump. I thought it was an irritation that resulted from my running. The itching subsided so I did nothing. Plus I religiously went for mammograms since I was 40 and nothing was uncovered. Then I found the lump. Ultrasound and mammograms still showed nothing! Only the biopsy did. I had an MRI after that and ultimately had a bilateral mastectomy and have just finished 6 rounds of chemotherapy. I will always wonder what would have been, if I would have followed up on the itching or if the mammogram would have showed something. They say that by the time you actually feel something, it could have been growing for 5-10 years! Good Luck to you, and I am so glad you are going to get it checked out. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

Terry

Oh Terry, and everyone..
I had a lady tell me today to be realistic. Thank you Terry, that could not have been easy to write, but you are helping me to at least consider that I may indeed have breast cancer. Why did you decide on double surgery, if I may ask? If you don't want to say that is fine, I understand.
I am so worried and yet must keep busy. Mom fell today and hurt her arm, not bad. She said she had not slept much last night was wobbly. I must look out for her, but what can I say she knows already.
I wish I knew what, when, how and where, but must wait until next Monday.
Thanks again so much for your post.
Louise

Sivad, I don't know about the burning, but I had lots of itching in my younger years. I use to wear padded bras, and I found out that I was very allergic to some of the material they padded the bras with. I often could not wait until I got home from work to tear off that bra. It never itched the first thing in the morning, but it got bad later in the day. I finally realized I had an allergy to the paddings, and out they went. Even though I don't wear padded bras anymore, I still get itchy some time. It is that rubber material band which is on the inside on the bottom of the bra, I still get allergic to that, sometime when I come home and take the bra off, I have like a red itchy streak on the bottom of my bobs (sp-english is not my native language).
So, you may have the same problem .
Laura

HI Louise,

I don't mind discussing my situation at all. My breast cancer was identified finally in my right breast. That was where the itching began, but itching also occurred in my left breast, later. I also had alot of tingling sensations in both breasts. I had two biopsies on my right breast. They found a second spot after an ultrasound. But the real test that showed what was going on was the MRI. Cancer shows up as white spots on the image. I had three cancer spots in my right breast (they never showed up on a mammogram). But my left breast showed alot of white areas which were not identified as cancer - but changing. From my view, it looked no different than the right breast and felt exactly the same. My surgeon believed we would need to keep close watch on that left side, if I did nothing. I did not want that ticking time bomb. I have a 10 year old son and two daughters in college. My breast surgeon - a wonderful woman friend, said she would have done the same. My cancer was estrogen and progesteron positive, which basically means I had too much estrogren in my system. With outside influences of estrogen (foods we eat - especially soy) as well as menopausal symptoms (some hot flashes and infrequent periods) - my body reacted. I was also having some stomach and digestion problems in my early 40s which I still wonder if they don't relate somehow. I am hopeful with some diet changes and continued exercise (I have always been a runner) - I will be ok. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I would be happy to try and help if I can.
Take Care,
Terry

Terry, bless your heart. Thank you for the detailed message. I can see from your tests that if they do not schedule an mri, I will request it. Maybe I better ask for both breasts?? I was so surprised to hear you had stomach problems. I have had on going, off and on problems for the past year. You know I just blame it on getting old. LOL.
We will leave Sunday morning for the 6 hour drive up north to that famous medical center everyone knows. Since we originally lived in Minnesota, it was our place to go. I have complete trust that if they say I am ok, I am ok, and if they say it is breast cancer, then it is. Oh, I wish it were all that simple. It wont be it sounds like.
I have a couple of friends who are on call for my Mom if she needs them while I am gone. I should be home by next weekend. Then the worrying will be over by then or really just getting started.
You are so brave and doing everything right now. I just know you will continue to be well.
Thanks again,
Louise

Hi Louise,

Wow! I wonder how many other women with breast cancer have had some stomach problems! I felt the same as you about the stomach issues....just getting old, menapause coming...etc. But now I am finding out things such as - if you don't digest food and waste properly, there is estrogen that stays in your system to cause more problems! That was enough for me to start eating more bran cereal and taking more flax! It seems to help, at least for now.

But I will be thinking and praying for you next week Louise. I hope it will all go well. :angel:

Take Care,
Terry

Hi Terry,

I am really in the healthy eating and taking the necessary vitamins. I take flax oil capsules 1200mg. twice daily, C 500mg 1 time day, D 1000u. 2 per day, 1 multivitamin/multimineral daily. Plus I take acidophilus, l capsule daily.

My diet is very low fat and high fruit (every meal) and high vegetables. Organic. Most we grow our selves and preserve. I have been eating this way since 2000, but did not add the flax oil capsules until 2 years ago. I also take thyroid medication daily, 5mg of blood pressure medicine to keep it in the under 120 range and Lipitor 10mg. My blood work looks extremely good.

Is all of this going to make a difference? Who know how long the mass has been there since they could not see it on mammo?

I am going up tomorrow. I will try to post while I am there, but do not have a laptop and will have to wait for a computer at the patient communication center.
I appreciate so much your help and those of others who have added to the conversation. God Bless You and all of us on this journey.
Louise

Hi there, I would definitely follow through with a biopsy, just to rule out breast cancer. I was 32 years old and woke up in the middle of the night with a 'deep' itch on the side of my right breast. This itch actually woke me up, I scratched it and felt a lump. A mammogram and ultra sound showed nothing in my breast, but I was suspicious and had a biopsy - it was invasive cancer. The pathology report after my mastecomy showed a second tumor in the right breast that was unrelated to the first tumor. The oncologist suggested a mastecomy on my left breast and I agreed. There was also cancer in four of my lymph nodes so I went through six months of chemotherapy. If I had not followed through on my hunch, I would not be here 19 years later. I will pray for you. Hang in there and best wishes.

Hello Everyone:
I am back from the famous medical center in minnesota. I am healthy, no breast cancer. I took my last three mammograms up and my ultrasound. They said the films were of good quality and had the breast radiologists study them. First my Dr. Stan, did the most different kind of clinical breast exam I had ever had. She told me she felt no mass or lump. About 5 hours later, when they paged me back, she said the radiologists agreed 100% that all the ultrasound showed was extremely dense breast tissue. She felt my radiologist in our little hospital here probably don't see this kind of ultrasound but rarely and therefore did not want to take a chance. She said they see about a 1000 or more of this kind. Apparently extremely dense breast tissue is fairly unusual in someone who is 69.
Now for the future. I still have two strong risk factors for BC. She told me to start doing BSE every month and follow up with tests.
My husband has a life threatening health condition they are monitoring (an aneurysm) and we go up every 6 months. In the future, I will schedule my Mammogram up there to go along with his visits and then I can automatically have an ultrasound too.
Thanks to everyone for their prayers and advice and council. It helped me so much. I dodged the big one this time, but must stay on guard.
Louise