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Papable Lump
Hi! My name is Sarah and I'm 28 years old. I recently had a lump removed in my left breast in June and soon after found a lump in my right breast. I have a family history of breast cancer...my aunt passed away from it. With my first lump I went in for a mammogram and ultrasound....with both procedures you could not see the lump. My breast surgeon gave me the option of having it checked every 3-6 months or having it removed. I immediately opted to have it removed. I went and had an ultrasound on my right breast yesterday but again the lump did not show up. I think I'll be faced with the same decision as before, having it checked every 3-6 months or have it removed. Because breast cancer hits close to home I want it out of there but I do understand that having these lumps are common for my age and I do not want a ton of scars all over my breasts. But I can't help but worry. The lump removed in June was benign. I'm not sure what to do, I would like to get it removed for peace of mind but I know I can't do that with every lump I find. Any advice?
Mammograms have their limitations. Perhaps you should take your MD's advice and have it checked after a few months.
Hi,
I think that you should be pressing to have a biopsy. If the lump can be felt and it's a cyst, a needle biopsy FNA ( Fine Needle Aspiration) will make it collapse and no further treatment will be necessary.If the lump is a solid one, the needle can sample it so that the cells extracted can be examined by a pathologist .In my opinion if there's a lump there, it really doesn't matter what the mammogram or ultrasound show. A lump is a lump and needs to be either carefully watched if you and your Doctor are comfortable with that approach, or have this palpable lump biopsied.
The fact that this lump is palpable but does not show on radiology, does not make it cancerous or increase the chances of it being cancerous.
Another option would be to have an MRI test ,which is a very good tool to detect an abnormality when one has dense breast.
You may discuss with your Doctor about these different options and see what he/she recommends.
Best wishes
I think that you should be pressing to have a biopsy. If the lump can be felt and it's a cyst, a needle biopsy FNA ( Fine Needle Aspiration) will make it collapse and no further treatment will be necessary.If the lump is a solid one, the needle can sample it so that the cells extracted can be examined by a pathologist .In my opinion if there's a lump there, it really doesn't matter what the mammogram or ultrasound show. A lump is a lump and needs to be either carefully watched if you and your Doctor are comfortable with that approach, or have this palpable lump biopsied.
The fact that this lump is palpable but does not show on radiology, does not make it cancerous or increase the chances of it being cancerous.
Another option would be to have an MRI test ,which is a very good tool to detect an abnormality when one has dense breast.
You may discuss with your Doctor about these different options and see what he/she recommends.
Best wishes
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