too many test no answers

[cinwil]

I am 38 yo and went for a physical w/PCP he found a mass in my right breast. went for a mammo and u/s both were negative(NO masses or other abnormalaties). Went to GYN found same mass sent me for a MRI again nothing found in breast but did find "enhancment within multiple benign-appearing lymph nodes in the axillary portions of the breast and in both axilla" can anyone give me a clue what this means???Thank you!!!!

[cinwil]

thank you for taking the time to respond to me! Gyn said probably fibrocystic breast don't worry repeat mammo in 6 mths. I said no. Saw a breast surgeon today 07/06/2007, she said probably a fat lobule check it again in 6 months!! I said NO!!! So now I have a ultrasound guided core biopsy scheduled for Wednesday, 07/11/2007.
Thank you again,
Cindi

[lizziecee]

Not a doctor, obviously, but a 4 yr survivor of invasive breast and axillary cancer.
I live in England and I have never known anyone here having an MRI to diagnose breast cancer - in either the breast or axillary lymph nodes. Here, they do the three step consultation: mammo, ultrasound and biopsy.
"Benign appearing lymph nodes" is an oxymoron, quite contradictory - no GYN/PCP/radiologist doctor can tell if masses or lymph nodes are benign or malignant without a biopsy. Only the pathologist, looking at tissue/cells from the biopsy can give a definitive diagnosis as to whether cancer is present or not.

However, being only 38 yrs old, you probably have dense fibrous breast tissue,
which can present as a lump or mass. I would be worried about the report stating axillary involvement. I have a friend in the US whose breast cancer was found by a lump in her armpit aka axilla. I would seriously question why the report states "benign appearing" - sounds as if they don't know what they are doing.  And, what on earth do they mean by enhancement? I can read a path report now like the alphabet, and it does make me wonder if they are covering themselves because they don't have a definitive diagnosis. I would suggest you ask for a referral to a breast cancer surgeon. It may not be anything but fibrous tissue, but in your shoes, I would not take that chance that everything is benign

Please be proactive, if only for peace of mind.
Take care,
Liz..

[relax100]

You may want to talk to a breast cancer surgeon to go over the results.