ask: To Anon: Breast Cyst with Debris
Hi Anon!
Your question was read, answered, posted and then accidentally deleted - our apologies and please repost!
~Susan
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Hi!
I think I'm the person who asked the question, but it was today, not 11 hours ago. I had a routine mammogram in February, which was normal. A follow up ultrasound revealed a cyst that was filled with both liquid and debris. The radiologist at Yale Breast Center deemed it benign, but recommended a follow up ultrasound in 6 months. My sister is currently being treated for 4th stage metestatic breast cancer. I'm worried. Should I be??
August 4, 2011 - 5:35pmThis Comment
Hi again
Thanks for the repost and we wish your sister the very best.
We can't tell you what to do in terms of a course of medical action but what we can tell you is this:
The good news is that most cysts are benign (nearly all of them are), and this cyst probably is too although there is a slightly raised risk when there is an immediate family member with a history of breast cancer which is the case with you.
Do they know that your sister has stage 4 cancer?
From a personal standpoint, I would press for more action and now - I would inform them of my sister's condition/stage and say you are very uncomfortable with a 6 month wait-and-see. That's all well and good for the radiologist to say but perhaps he/she is not aware of what's going on. I'd want this checked into now.
As to whether you should be worried - as I said, it's far more likely to be benign, but from the human aspect, this understandable worry should be put to rest sooner than later to give you peace of mind. If it's only a 6 month window - why not do it now?
I hope this gives you some guidance (my mother had terminal breast cancer in her 30s) and I veer on being proactive in situations like these rather than taking the general guidelines and standards.
Let me know what you think!
Best,
August 5, 2011 - 4:55am~Susan
Sue,
My sister gets her treatment at Yale, and the folks there are very well aware of her circumstances. She's been receiving treatment there for the last 6 years, and is a walking miracle, as she was diagnosed 6 years ago at stage 4. It was in her bones when they found it. Over the years, it's traveled to her marrow, liver, and now to her lymph nodes, but they've successfully treated it all along with oral meds, the tumors disappearing or remaining stable, the marrow and blood returning to normal... until this last PET scan revealed lymph node involvement. But they now feel that since it was caught early, they have alternatives to treat this new development in the lymph nodes. She's had genetic testing, and it was negative, but I've been advised that genetic tests are only as good as the current knowledge we have about them. My 6 month check is due next month at Yale.
I notice that my breast hurts with too much caffeine and exersize (I'm a runner), and the pain seems to come and go depending on those factors. Hope I'm not just rationalizing here.
In any case, thanks for the prompt reply. I appreciate your efforts. This site is great!
Marilyn
August 5, 2011 - 5:46am