MRI Biospy for 22 year old
December 26, 2009 - 2:26pm
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My daughter has been diagnosed with dense breast. She went in 3 months ago for a biopsy on a cyst. It can back normal. Went for a check up last week and the radiologist wanted to do a mri on her breast because they were so dense. Got a call and said the mri showed 3 questionable areas in one breast and one in the other. They are wanting to do 3 mri biopsies on one breast and an ultrasound biopsy on the other. We are going to take her records to get a second opion but wondering what to do?
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Hi Debi,
Thank you for your question and welcome!
I think you are doing exactly what you should be and that's getting a second opinion.
Also, bear in mind that the breast tissue of any 22 year old is often very dense, making them difficult to read. Having "dense breasts" is not really a diagnosis, it's just how they are in younger women and therefore can complicate the reading of a mammogram since tumors are also dense tissue.
It's good news that her cyst came back as normal (most cysts do) but a second opinion is a wise choice. You can wait for those results before proceeding with further biopsies. Is this what she plans to do or is she going ahead with the biopsies and awaiting the second opinion?
We will be waiting for the second opinion. Her biopsies are scheduled for Jan 14. It just seems funny that there are 3 questionable areas in one breast and one on the other. We really don't know what to do if the second opinion comes back waite and see. I had breast cancer 4 years ago at age 54 and I don't know if they are being overly cautious.
Debi,
I'm so glad you are getting a second opinion. If that second opinion comes back saying "wait and see," I would even consider getting a third opinion. You need as much information as you can gather with a possible diagnosis like this.
That said, there is little risk involved in biopsies, and it may ease your mind to have them done and find out for sure if anything abnormal is going on.
What's important to know here is that there is no wrong answer. What you do is get all the information you can and then make the best decision you can. You put one foot in front of the other, and just go forward. If you use the wait-and-see approach, you go back in a few months to see if anything has changed. If you use the biopsy approach, you will know something right away. Either way, don't second-guess yourself. As Susan said, you're doing exactly what you should be doing.
Hang in there, and please let us know how things develop.
Thank you Diane. We have not heard from the second opinion yet. They were saying that they may not be able to read the CD for the MRI because of software differences. Will keep you posted. Thank you.
Update. My daughter's biopsy came back negative (fibroadenoma). The radiologist wanted to do 4 biopsies in all but after my daughter saw here OB-GYN and she did a breast exam and suggested we just have the one done in the right breast. She had a biopsy on the left in June and it came back fibroadenoma and the three they saw probably the same. She will be having MRI mammagrams from now on because of her dense breast and the fibroadenomas. I think that radiologists who read these and know that the mother has had breast cancer pre or postmemonpausal are more cautious and may recommend biopsy. I feel that we have opened a can of worms, when it comes to our daughters and their mammagrams who have mother's with breast cancer.
debi,
Can you explain more what you mean when you say "you opened a can of worms" in regards to your daughter's mammograms and her family history of breast cancer?
Are you saying that you are afraid that your daughter will be subjected to too many tests that are unnecessary, because of her family history and dense breast tissue? Has she talked with her doctor about this concern?
Debi-
I'm glad to know your daughter's results were positive and, in a way, we have opened a can of worms. However, the process your daughter went through it very common for women who have dense breasts. My mother went through the same process your daughter went through and also had positive results. She was told that the biopsies and ultrasounds performed on women with dense breasts are very common when a cyst (benign or otherwise) is located because the results are more accurate.
Thank you for the update and I hope your daughter continues to have positive results.
Hi Debi - I too am unclear on what you mean by your post. Are you worried that your daughter is facing a lifetime of being in these types of situations and perhaps being subjected to too many procedures?
I believe that I'm alive today because my doctors took extra precautions due to breast cancer history in my family, as well as benefiting from advances in detection and treatment. I've had to learn a lot of information to protect my health, choose the right doctors, be knowledgeable about procedures, differentiate treatment facilities, and more. It hasn't been easy at times, especially in the early days when there were far less resources available to consumers. It's been worth it though. The more a patient understands about their condition, the more they can partner with their physicians to manage the situation. Are you concerned that this is something your daughter doesn't want to do? And is there something we can do to help you?
Please let us know. Thanks, Pat
That is my thinking. I know that it was always in the back of my mine is it going to be this time.
She wants to keep on top of this. It seems like once they know you have a family history they become overly cautious. This can be good and bad. She will be getting MRI mammograms regularly and they will keep watch on the fibroadenomas.
Thank you for all of your help. Debi
Hi Debi - It might be beneficial for your daughter to become involved in a breast cancer information group aimed at young women. I've found that the groups for young people have a very different "flavor" than traditional groups, and are more focused on living well and being informed than on dwelling on the possible end of life aspects of a serious medical condition. In many ways these groups have a much healthier approach to dealing with the concerns you've mentioned and they use peer-to-peer language that's open and reassuring.
Take care, and please keep in touch. Pat