Rollercoaster

Hi Bramble22

just thought i would say hi - i was in a similar position to you last year. I had mri and was called back 2 days later as they had found 2 further areas of suspicion. That was quite possibly the absolute lowest i sank. Total meltdown. 

I went for the biopsy- one area was so small they couldn’t find it on the ultrasound and they took a biopsy of the other area. I was told it looked highly suspicious- turned out it was a harmless fibroadenoma. 

My breast consultant had warned me that there are very high levels of false positives in breast mri as it is so sensitive. 

Thinking of you....let us know how you go x x 

Thank you for that Helsjw!! Makes me feel a bit better! Decided that what’s there is there and there’s nothing I can do about it...I’ll still be keeping everything crossed for Friday though!!:)

Went to see surgeon today. After looking over my MRI scan they now want me to go for a Tomosynthesis Mammogram on the other breast on Thursday...anyone had this? Meeting Oncologist on Thursday too to set start of chemo...FEC-D. So probably won’t start that for another 3 weeks or so!! The wait drags on!

No, and never heard of it, but found this:

www.youtube.com/watch

Thanks for that Londonmum!:)

Hi @Bramble22,

Yes, I had a tomosynthesis mammogram right at the start of my diagnosis - in fact it was at the one-stop breast clinic appointment.  I had the normal mammogram of both breasts first, then the tomosynthesis one of the breast with the lump.  I was told by the radiographer that it gives a 3D picture and that it helps to show the underlying structures of the breast more clearly.  The procedure was the same as for a normal mammogram, just with a different machine.  I then had a breast MRI before chemo started and after the insertion of a titanium marker, plus another breast MRI after my first two EC cycles before moving on to docetaxel/Herceptin/Perjeta.  I understand from my oncologist that the tomosynthesis mammogram and the MRI complement each other in the diagnostic information they provide, and that the reason to have both is so that the fullest picture is available for the treatment team.  

I am sorry that this extra procedure is prolonging your wait for chemo to start, but hopefully you will get a date soon.  I definitely found it a relief to have the first treatment date arranged and to make some practical preparations for chemo, as then I felt something was being done.   I am HER2+ and had to wait for a week to get that result, but my timescale was still quite quick - 4 weeks from one-stop breast clinic to first chemo.

Blackcat xx

Thanks Blackcat, with this find in the other breast and having the Tomosynthesis I will probably be about 7 weeks from my one stop breast clinic until the start of chemo, (if they don’t find something else in the meantime) feels like forever! Hopefully whatever they have found in the other breast is nothing, if it is cancer it will be the genetics lab for me too!

I’d never heard of Tomosynthesis before today ( yesterday), it’s a new one on me and something my surgeon didn’t really want done but the radiologist insisted on. 

Thanks again for the info Blackcat, much appreciated! Hope you have a goodnight...same for everyone else too!! x