Breast Biopsy Surgery

[jrclarkbutterfly]

I am a 43 year old woman who went for my yearly screening in June. My doctor took slides of my right breast discharge and scheduled me for diagnostic mammogram July 12th. My discharge come back negative but in my mammogram showed a small 1/2 mass with fingers growing and of ill defined shape. I was then sent for an Ultrasound and the Radiologist stated he didn't think it was cancer. He had a very difficult time finding it on the test. I went for a FNA and was told it was Fat Necrosis but need further investigating. I am now scheduled for surgery on Friday the 4th of August. What does the fingers mean? Very scared! Please talk with me I have no one to talk to about this. My daughters try to avoid the subject and my husband is not one to talk about illness.

[lizziecee]

As far as I understand malignant breast tumours, if it has "fingers" this is called spiculated in the UK. This usually means a malignant diagnosis. When I was first shown my tumour on an x-ray, then on ultrasound, the tumour looked like a starburst, and I knew there and then it was cancer. I can only tell you how my own experience was and hope your mass is benign.

[Under Forty Pam]

I can't comment on your fingers, not sure about that but I can tell you I have been forcing my husband to be involved in my cancer discovery throughout July.  At first I think he felt strange at the doctor appointments and by the end (ok we are not finished yet, still have more to go) I couldn't shut him up to ask questions myself.  The vows are sickness and health, now is the time to invoke the sickness part.  You need family support, just tell him how you feel.  He'll understand, you married him because you saw you shared feelings, now is the time for him to bring them out again.  

What I can tell you is find a good dedicated breast surgeon and have them look over your case.  The more experience the better.  My first one on the biopsy was dedicated to breasts for 2 yrs and the second one that did my lumpectomy has done 2000 breasts surgeries, I can tell the difference in recovery.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear jrclarkbutterfly:  "Fingers" is an non-technical term that describes the way a growth may look.  Instead of there being a perfectly "round" mass, the mass that is seen on the mammogram looks like it has finger-like growths on its surface.  There is often greater concern when the surface of the mass is irregular rather than smooth.  In general, this results in further investigation such as a biopsy or removing the whole mass.  Often the whole mass is removed to be sure nothing is missed by using a needle that only takes a small sample.