MRI Guided Biopsy--how does it work?

[bull379]

I have had two mammograms, a ultrasound and a MRI. They found a 1 cm mass at the 10 o'clock and 11 o'clock positions. I went to the surgeon today and had to wait to schedule my surgery. I had my tests done at an outside facility (not at the hospital affilliated facility). When my surgeon tried to schedule the biopsy at the hospital, they told him that their radiologist would have to read the films first. The surgeon hand delivered them to the hospital. After the radiologist read them, the suggested a MRI Guided Biopsy. How does this work? Also, they said the reason they recommended this was because they could not pinpoint exactly where the biopsy needed to be done. My question was " How could the radiologists that read the mammograms and the MRI know where it was and they couldn't tell? So far, I've not gotten an answer on that. The surgeons office is suppose to call me back tomorrow. If they do the MRI guided biopsy and it does turn out to be something, then I'll have to have the lumpectomy. Sounds like a lot of extra surgery. I'm really confused right now so this might now have made a lot of sense. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[PHYL45]

iI HAD A MAMMOGRAM AND THEN AN ULTRA SOUND BIOPSY AND THEN AN MRI THEY SAW EXTRA SPOTS BUT WERE SO SMALL THEY DID A MRI BIOPSY..ITS VERY SIMPLE YOU LAY ON THE TABLE ON YOUR STOMACH AND THEY NUMB YOUR BREAST THEN THEY GO INTO THE BREAST AND TAKE OUT SAMPLES ..THE HARDEST THING WAS LAYING STILL FOR 45 MIN. BUT I TOOK A XANAX BEFORE I WENT AND IT HELPED ME RELAX..SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD A LUMPECTUMY ON AUGUST 22 AND THEN I HAD THE MAMMOSITE PUT IN FOR 5 DAYS OF RADIATION TWICE A DAY I AM NOW ON ARIMIDEX FOR FIVE YEARS AND WILL HAVE A MAMMAGRAM TWICE A YEAR AN MRI ONCE A YEARI HAD THE BRACA I AND II TEST DONE I DO NOT CARRY THE CANCER GENE I KNOW IT ALL SEEMS OVER WHELMING BUT IT WILL BE OK JUST TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME..ALSO DURING THIS I HAD CATARAC SURGERY DONE ON BOTH OF MY EYES 2 WEEKS APART SO YOU CAN DO IT...IT SEEMS LIKE ITS MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE..BUT WITH THE HELP OF GOD WE ALL GETTHROUGH IT SOMEHOW..GOOD LUCK AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU MAKE OUT

[ellemae11]

My question was " How could the radiologists that read the mammograms and the MRI know where it was and they couldn't tell?


This has in the past been a concern. MRI could show cancers so small that mammography/ultrasound didn't pick them up. In the past there was no way to get them until they grew larger. Now that MRI biopsy is available the doctors can go in and get the very tiny cancers.That doesn't mean what you have is a cancer, just that what they are seeing must be very small.

[PHYL45]

yES THATS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME I HAD INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA SO WHEN THEY DID THE MRI THEY SAW A COUPLE OTHER SPOTS SO I HAD AN MRI BIOPSY ON THEM FORTUNATLY THE OTHER SPOTS WERE NOT CANCER BUT THEY PUT MARKERS THERE SO WHEN I HAVE FUTURE MAMMOGRAMS THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE..I AM VERY THANKFUL THEY DID FIND THE OTHER SPOTS AND DID A BIOPSY ..BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW..

[bull379]

Thank you for the information. Now, my surgeon is sending me to have a digital mammogram. The local hospital will not schedule the biopsy without their own films. However, they don't do digital mammograms and they can't pinpoint the spots from my original mammogram and MRI. The place where I'm going to have the digital has orders to do what ever addtional testing needs to be done that day. They may even be able to do a core biopsy the same day if needed. Or so I was told. I'm really getting frustrated. I had my first mammogram at the end of September. So I have been dealing with this for over 2 months.
I guess what makes me so mad is when I talked to the hospital, they admitted that the reason for them not doing the biopsy is because I didn't have my mammogram and MRI done there. When my doctor had tried to schedule the MRI they couldn't get me in as soon as they wanted so that is why they sent me somewhere else. Even if these tests were done somewhere else, four radiologist have read them. The only ones that could seem to tell where the spots were located are the ones at the local hospital. It was even in the written reports exactly where they where and how big.
Anyway, I have the digital done next Wednesday. This waiting is driving me out of my mind. Not only am I having to deal with this, I'm still trying to deal with losing my dad in March and being in his hospital room with him when he took his last breath. I cannot wait for this year to be over and hopefully start 2008 off with some good news.