prophylactic mastectomy

[ChrisMM]

I am a 40 y/o female with strong family history of Breast Cancer, mother, grandmother and 3 aunts have died from this desease.  I have been getting yearly mammos since age 33 and this yrs found microcalcification presumed to be of a blood vessel due to linear positioning of the calcif.  My breast specialist ordered an MRI to make sure everythg was ok.  This MRI found one nodule in each breast, each approx 3mm in size, Left one loceted in lower outer quadrant and Right located in poterior center of right breast.  I have long been considering a prophylactic mastect and these findings have finalized my decision.  I will undergo the Bilateral mast on Sept 5th, 2006.  I am very worried about cancer showing up in the biopsies of excised breast tissue and the sentinel nodes.  I am worried that since the nodules are so small that they won't be found by the pathologist.  The doctor told me that the breasts are anylized in "loafed "sections and that the oper report that goes to path w the breast will have an ATTENTION" note to the areas of interest.  Is it possible that the path can miss these nodules, or microcalc?

[ChrisMM]

Nodules, i understand are lumps found by mammo or other diagnastiuc test.  From wht i underst it would be the technical word for lump.  I was told to biopsy but since i was going to get the prophylactic mastectomy this winter anyway my doctyor suggested why dont we just do the mastect and the tissues will be biopsied whn the breasts are removed.  I have a very strong family history of BrCa and i am of the age whn this happens to the women in my family.

[healthcareguerilla]

Would you please explain just what you mean by 'nodules'.  Are we talking benign here?  If not, why wouldn't they be biopsied?

[ChrisMM]

Thank you Carme for your input.  What were your nodules like, small like i described?  You are right, you really have to stay on top of the details bec even if the doctors are great, unfortunately those of us with family histories have learned a lot thru the events that have taken the lives before us.  thanks for mentioning the num of slices , i asked my surgeon and she was unsure. Did yours turn out benign? Thanks for your help.

[carme]

I have same family history, so when a nodule was visible on MRI, I chose bilateral mastectomies. The path report was very detailed with the 12 -13 slices (loaf) from each breast. Stay on top of everything, ask questions, don't let anyone put you off. You have a right to know. My 40 year old cousin died 2 weeks ago from this horrific disease. We have to find a cure. Good luck.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear chrisMM:  If the pathologist is instructed as to an area of abnormality, it should then be analyzed appropriately.  However, if you are concerned you might discuss with your surgeon whether placing a wire in the spot(s) before surgery is an option.