LibraryLover Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I had a scary first read,. It ended up being OK. However, the mammogram folks said to wait 6 weeks to do another mammo. I could not do that. I asked my PCP to schedule an ultrasound and she did. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Can you ask for a PET scan? The neat thing about PET scans is that 1. they are not as harmful as CT scans 2. the tech can see if this lump consumes an inordinate amount of sugar (you will be prepped for this, of course. I think you you have to take some contrast fluids.) 3. If it shows that "sugar consumption" is much higher around the lump, it could be cancerous, if it does not show any increases whatsoever, it is usually a sign that it is not cancerous. Needle biopsies can help cells escape (if it were cancerous, you'd like to avoid that, of course but you won't know until the lab from the biopsy comes back) and CT scans emit harmful rays that are considered dangerous by many naturopaths, a mammogram may not show anything conclusive either. I think, I would go this route were I in your shoes. PET scans are rather expensive so many insurance companies deny them or discourage them and push for biopsies or CT scans. Just to prepare you that you may have to fight a bit. It is also helpful to get a like-minded physician on your side. Have a consult with your doc and feel him/her out as to what he/she thinks about recommending you for a PET scan. PET scans are very expensive. Did you ever know an insurance company to pay for one in this situation? They can be hard to get once you already have a diagnosis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 PET scans are very expensive. Did you ever know an insurance company to pay for one in this situation? They can be hard to get once you already have a diagnosis. Depends on the insurance. Our very crappy insurance will pay for these yet try and get a ct scan approved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Isn't this the truth?! You just never know until you try. I'd say it's always worth a try. What have we got to lose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Okay, so this afternoon the tech came back and said I should have a mammo (I've never had one because I've been pregnant or breastfeeding since 1989) as soon as I can to see what if anything shows up. I understand that is mostly to look for other masses because ultrasound is usually better at distinguishing between cysts and tumors. But chances are there is nothing to worry about and that I should come back in 6 months for another ultrasound. So I just googled breast lump not seen on ultrasound (I know, I know) and the results are scaring me. I'm glad to hear you had a similar experience with a better outcome. The hits are coming up on beast cancer sites, so of course the stories are going to be terrifying. So I suppose I should keep pushing for further diagnostics instead of waiting? If you can feel a lump, and it's not seen on ultrasound, you are probably not in the category of scary stories you are googling. i agree with Denise. Quit the googling or google "benign lumps" or something like that! :tongue_smilie:. Here's a quote from a hospital medical site: "Sometimes a palpable lump can not be seen on either the mammogram or ultrasound. This suggests that the lump may be a "pseudo lump" formed by normal breast tissue. " Given that you've been pregnant and breastfeeding, you may have had some changes in your tissue structure. If you are worried, get a diagnostic mammogram, and if you are super worried, get a needle-biopsy. Go to a good hospital to get it done so you don't wait forever and you know that whoever is reading the result is good at what they do. (For most teaching hospitals, you'll get the mammo results before you leave. You'll also get someone very experienced conducting or supervising the exam and reading the results.) There are so many benign things it can be. Did a tech do the ultrasound and a radiologist read it or did a radiologist do the ultrasound? If a radiologist didn't actually do it, you may want to get one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 If you can feel a lump, and it's not seen on ultrasound, you are probably not in the category of scary stories you are googling. i agree with Denise. Quit the googling or google "benign lumps" or something like that! :tongue_smilie:. Here's a quote from a hospital medical site: "Sometimes a palpable lump can not be seen on either the mammogram or ultrasound. This suggests that the lump may be a "pseudo lump" formed by normal breast tissue. " Given that you've been pregnant and breastfeeding, you may have had some changes in your tissue structure. If you are worried, get a diagnostic mammogram, and if you are super worried, get a needle-biopsy. Go to a good hospital to get it done so you don't wait forever and you know that whoever is reading the result is good at what they do. (For most teaching hospitals, you'll get the mammo results before you leave. You'll also get someone very experienced conducting or supervising the exam and reading the results.) There are so many benign things it can be. Did a tech do the ultrasound and a radiologist read it or did a radiologist do the ultrasound? If a radiologist didn't actually do it, you may want to get one. Laurie, thank you for that quote and all the good advice. The scary results I'm getting are from people who had a palpable lump that didn't show up, pushed for more testing, and wound up with cancer. But these are people who hang out on cancer boards, so the results are heavily skewed. I know that, but I'm also having trouble finding anything encouraging. Probably because those people don't hang around the internet talking about their close calls that turned out to be nothing to worry about :D Oh, to answer your question, it was the tech who did the ultrasound. I never saw the radiologist. He/she read it and the tech reported back. Okay, I'm going to make some calls tomorrow. I'm off to google for teaching hospitals and breast surgeons just to be prepared. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Laurie, thank you for that quote and all the good advice. The scary results I'm getting are from people who had a palpable lump that didn't show up, pushed for more testing, and wound up with cancer. But these are people who hang out on cancer boards, so the results are heavily skewed. I know that, but I'm also having trouble finding anything encouraging. Probably because those people don't hang around the internet talking about their close calls that turned out to be nothing to worry about :D Oh, to answer your question, it was the tech who did the ultrasound. I never saw the radiologist. He/she read it and the tech reported back. Okay, I'm going to make some calls tomorrow. I'm off to google for teaching hospitals and breast surgeons just to be prepared. Thanks again. Exactly, about the bolded. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Where was yours located? Pretty much in the middle on the underside of my breast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2boysmom Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) I had a similar experience. 2cm lump I found in my breast. The Dr. couldn't give me a definite 100% after doing that thing where they take some fluid out. I decided to have it removed to biospy it. (My mom has bc in the past) so I wanted to be 100% sure. It was a long 3 weeks, but it came back clear. A relief for sure. It was a relatively minor procedure, I was awake and was given a local anthesitic. It was over in about 30 minutes. I think it was very worth it. Anyway, not all lumps (even large ones) turn out to be cancer. Praying for you, because I know how it feels. I would encourage you though, to be pro-active. If you want it out to be 100% sure, get it out. Don't wait and see IMO. Alot of Drs. will say come back in 6 mths. and we'll check it then. It's YOUR BODY and for your piece of mind I would not wait. :grouphug: Edited October 23, 2012 by 2boysmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.