Concerned

[jk64]

I am a 44 year old who is getting tired of worry every few years about breast cancer. I just had 3 cyst aspirated yesterday. Two in my right breast and one large one in my left breast.  The doctor said the fluid from my left breast will be sent for biopsy because it was cloudy.  In 2005 I had a cyst aspirated from the same spot on my left breast, and in 2003 I had a fibroadema removed from the same breast.  During the biopsy in 2003 the surrounding tissue came back atypical hyperplasia.  I also have very dense breast but I think I can still feel something in my left breast.  How concerned should I be, should I call the doctor or just wait for biopsy results, and how concerned should I be about the cloudy fluid?

[zouzi]

Even though you don't have breast cancer,the test for BRCA is a valuable one to have, as Sue Young suggested... just to put your mind at ease that you are not at a higher risk of developing " hereditary" breast cancer.A negative result doesn't mean that you could never develop breast cancer,but it certainly lowers your risk considerably.Some doctors don't order this test as a screening tool unless the patient has a strong family history of breast cancer,and maybe this is why your doctor wanted to know only about your mother and sister if they had cancer because that would certainly be a strong family history.As Sue Young mentioned,ask the hospital to recommend a good genetic counselor..you have nothing to lose but only to gain in knowledge.Take care..

[SueYoung55]

I would really recommend that you speak with a BRCA savvy genetic counselor. Mine asked for 3 generations. So my grandparents, my parents and me & my siblings. My sister and I had cancer. Our Mother, Maternal (ovarian) & Paternal Grandmother's died of cancer and two maternal aunts died of breast cancer. And of the family still alive they know that all the brothers of my Maternal GM died of cancers, but not sure which ones.

And there are so many related cancers ... not just breast cancer and ovarian cancer. FYI

Ask at your local hospital if they can recommend a really good genetic counselor. After speaking with them, you can decide what direction you want to go.

Best wishes :)

[zouzi]

Hi, First,thank you for posting your results.

Doctors are concerned only with immediate family with cancer history,(Mother sister) but even with a close family history that doesn't mean that you will also have cancer..only a very low percentage of very close relatives who have cancer will affect  a woman to develop cancer.Now, ADH refers to an increase number of abnormal cells within the milk duct.These off-looking cells can multiply in excessive numbers(Hyperplasia) but remain contained within the duct and are not classified as cancer.If your doctor doesn't feel concerned now,he must have told you what has to follow..like physical exams every six months,yearly mammograms because your lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is increased slightly.Most women who have Atypical Hyperplasia do not go on to develop breast cancer but have to be monitored regularly.Also if you take hormones or consider taking,talk to your doctor about it.Glad to know that you don't have cancer! What a relief huh? Take care and best wishes.

[jk64]

Well I finally got the results from my biopsy from the cyst aspiration.  The Dr. says it is showing atypical ductal hyperplasia and doesn't act to concerned.  I also found out my aunt and great aunt had breast cancer.  I knew they both died of cancer I just didn't know it was breast cancer.  Everyone on my fathers side of the family has died of cancer.  One good thing is it is usually later in there life.  My father was just diagnosed in August with bladder cancer.  Of course the doctors only want to know about mother and sisters, why is that?    

[zouzi]

Breast cysts are common and many women have them, sometimes with other fibrocystic changes.The can be tiny or several inches in diameter.Usually when cysts are painful the fluid is drained out with a fine needle or be left alone if they don't bother much.If the fluid is bloody,brown or cloudy and the cyst doesn't disappear within 3 months,the entire cyst should be removed surgically because cancer in the cyst wall,although rare,in possible.I think waiting for the biopsy result would give you more information then seeing a doctor at this time.Best wishes and good luck with the biopsy result.

[katarina777]

I am sorry you are dealing with all this and I don't blame you for feeling the way you do. It would be distressing for me, too. Very!

I would wait for the biopsy results, and about the cloudy fluid, I just don't know enough about this to advise anything.

Best, Katrin