Dense breast tissue and annual MRI

I don’t think you are over reacting and you may need to fight for what you need. Is there a PALS at the hospital you can contact for advice?   I have experienced being sent away and told I just have dense breast tissue when it was cancer and I didn’t know enough and just trusted them. 5 months later …….  After a mastectomy and full axillary clearance I am part way through chemo with radio to come ….. the other breast is also dense but I am going to be a total pain about it now if I have any concerns.  PALS might be able to advise.  You could also research any examples of best practices so you are “armed” - can you ask for a second opinion from another hospital?

I don’t know what my annual follow up will be but as I’ve had a mastectomy a mammogram wouldn’t work so I can’t help you there. 

Hello and I understand how you are feeling.  I was diagnosed with DCIS as microcalcifications on mammogram followed by stereotactic biopsy. Then came the ultrasound which was negative in both breasts.  Had MRI to both breasts and there was a couple hot spots noted in other breast..  They couldn’t do the biopsy under MRI so surgeon did an open surgical biopsy and I had stage 1 invasive ductal cancer in that one.  No lump and nothing on mammogram or ultrasound.  Tumor was 3 mm and surgeon got it out with 3 mm margins so that was all the surgery I needed on that side.  It made me very concerned because it would not have been found except for MRI. I was 72 at the time so also post menopausal with heterogeneous dense breasts. Had lumpectomy on right breast for DCIS.   Saw my breast surgeon a few weeks ago and plan going forward is annual mammograms, no MRI.  He told me my breasts were not excessively dense but I still am a little concerned but know he is very knowledgeable.

Saw my Medical oncologist and we talked about it and he really irritated me.  I told him how thankful I was to have had the MRI and he told me well if you hadn’t had MRI it would have been found on mammogram in a few years.  Yes and a bigger tumor too. He told me that my cancers were treated aggressively and I guess he saw me as an older woman with silver hair etc but didn’t take into account that I am healthy and don’t want to have a breast cancer diagnosis again.  I see him for my anastrazole once a year and don’t look forward to it.  Told him that the anastrazole caused severe dry mouth at night and he said that he didn’tthink it was from that pill.  We are not getting it on too well. Well that is enough of my complaints and I am going to see if I can find any research on our issue.  I even thought maybe an MRI every 3 years or so.  
I will keep on searching as we need to be proactive.

Barbara

I asked about annual MRIs too as my original lump was found by me (too young to have mammograms) but when I went to the breast cancer clinic, the mammogram didn't detect it, though the ultrasound did.

When I brought up whether I could trust annual mammograms, the BCN said that those are really only meant as a catch all and that I should be regularly checking everything myself. She seemed to indicate that there shouldn't really be any surprises at the annual mammogram. 

If I had any worries, I should raise them. I did find a lump near my scar and went to the GP the same day and was having an ultrasound that afternoon, so I think once you've had breast cancer, they take any worries very seriously. Luckily, it just turned out to be scar tissue but it was good to have the scan done.

I had my first annual mammogram after diagnosis and talked to the radiographer about not finding the lump. She said it is unusual to have that happen again. She also said they have records now of what everything looks like for me, and what normal is, so can spot changes more easily.

I may be slightly different as I had dense tissue as I was pre-menopausal but I'm now post-menopausal on the drugs so my breasts should start to get less dense.

I'm going to be asking my Specialist the same.A bit of background......  I'm post meno, Grade 3 invasive with lymph involvement and little dude on my rib. Currently on Chemo pending surgery.  80% dense breasts with long history of cysts.  Cyst/Mastitis showed on Mammogram/Ultrasound but no Cancer detected.  Radiographer noted on report about a swollen lymph node but likely from infection, no malignancy detected (oddly Radiographer changed the report after I went back for lymphy biopsie later - gee it isn't going to change my prognosis!).  Then back to Specialist as infection/ cyst not resolving post aspiration (at this stage I'm thinking I'm having the cyst surgically removed), he did multiple core biopsies instead - voila aggressive cancer.  Lots of tests and I have micro-calcification and Fibrocystic mass in "good" breast.  But am wondering if I have both off and insist on MRI's annually. Or have one on and same MRI schedule given dense breasts and history.  It seems all Specialists have differing views.... I don't think you're overreacting.  I think the queues for treatment can be long and the testing expensive.  I've got private medical, so will see if that has a different outcome!!