Breast Aspiration Results

[JoniLo]

I am 52 and have two children that I breast fed for one year each.  I had a completely hysterectomy at 36 and have no ovaries, but use the Vivelle patch .075.

An abnormality was seen on my mammogram at the 9:30 position, left breast.  An ultrasound was run and the doctor aspirated the four cysts.  They collapsed and the fluid was green. She said they don't send it for anyalsis in these cases (Why?). Two months later (on recheck) they had returned.  She aspirated them again and dug around quite a bit in the process.  The fluid was somewhat bloody, but she said that would be normal on second aspiration.  A week later my breast aches. I have been instructed to return in three months.  If they have returned again, she wants to surgically biopsy them.  

My mother has fibrocystic breasts.  They biopsied them repeatedly and found nothing.  She thinks this is the same thing and that they just want to operate.  I'm pretty sure that's the case, but there's that little nagging question. Where do I go from here?

[DFW]

I had a mastectomy of my right breast for a 2" tumor and have had 9 months of chemo, 2 of radiation and tried various hormone therapies but suffered terrible side-effects from each.  Now I'm not on any drugs.  My scans and blood work have been good.  However, I do have painful cysts in my left breast.  They did show up as cysts on my most recent mammogram and ultrasound.  My surgeon seemed unconcerned by my concerns and didn't aspirate them.  Should they have been aspirated?  "Lumpy" breast tissue is new for me - the only "lump" I ever had I discovered myself 3 months after a mammogram & ultrasound.  I'm very concerned the doctors may be missing something, again.  Should I have insisted on having these cysts aspirated?  How do you live with the fear of recurrence?

[JoniLo]

Thank you for your reply.  The cysts that were seen on the mammogram were also seen on the ultrasound by a breast specialist.  She then aspirated then and they collapsed completely.  I had never had any problems previously.

Two months later, upon recheck, they had filled again (as seen in an ultrasound), and she reaspirated them.  I have to return in three more months.  She said if they return again, she will want to surgically biopsy them.

I'm frustrated that she said she did not need to sent the fluid out for examination.  Wouldn't that have possibly ruled out the need for surgical biopsy?  Do they usually do this with fibrocystic problem?

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear JoniLo, From the information presented I can't tell what the abnormality was seen on the mammogram, and did the cysts then correspond to the same area?  I'm not sure why the fluid wasn't sent except that with the several cysts they were sure that there was no infection or other abnormality, or if you've had other cysts aspirated that came back OK?

You may want to follow up with a breast specialist to review your mammograms, reports and do an exam. They can discuss with you their findings and make recommendations.  Ask questions and voice your concerns.  What has occurred with your mother does not automatically apply to what's happening with you.