← Return to Palpable Lump not visible on scans..what now?

Discussion
tracestew avatar

Palpable Lump not visible on scans..what now?

Breast Cancer | Last Active: Apr 30 6:31am | Replies (56)

Comment receiving replies
Profile picture for eddyscissors @eddyscissors

Hoping to get some of you chime in in September I felt a lump. I have pash so this is pretty normal for me they did mammogram showed up on mammogram as a 3 cm irregular focal asymmetry with an indistinct margin in the right axilla. So we go to ultrasound, shows nothing. Then they order MRI only shows skin thickening. Area also has discoloration. 3 months later another mammogram can still see area but they say no change, go to ultrasound still can’t see anything. Saw breast surgeon they told me they think it’s scar tissue I’ve never had a surgery there or an injury didn’t make sense to me they said another 6 month mammogram. 2 days ago washing my armpits I noticed the lump was bigger and much harder so I call pcp to feel it cause I feel like I’m going crazy she agrees and feels it orders ultrasound I had ultrasound this morning still shows nothing, but radiologist says again he can feel it and see it. So I’m having a biopsy tomorrow morning but we are doing it by feel because we can’t see it by ultrasound and mammogram isn’t option due to axillary location. Has anyone seen or heard of this? He thinks it’s fat necrosis but again no reason to have that and from what I’ve read it shows up on ultrasound. ILC seems more likely based on mammogram image comparison and with skin thickening discoloration and irregular periods. Would love to see if anyone has been through something similar.

Jump to this post


Replies to "Hoping to get some of you chime in in September I felt a lump. I have..."

@eddyscissors very many of us have unfortunately had a very similar experience. It feels like getting diagnosed is way too hard when you “do” have breast cancer.
I had multiple mammograms, multiple ultrasounds, and even two biopsies, and I kept getting told there was something there but it wasn’t important, and I was too young to have breast cancer. 🙄
When the most amazing surgeon said he would just feel better if he cut it out and sent it to the lab. I jumped at the chance, and sure enough it was a really aggressive form of IDC.
There is no way to know for sure until a biopsy or a lumpectomy tells you for sure if it is cancer and what kind of cancer it is, but don’t quit until you feel you have the answers you need.
Are you having a needle biopsy, or an excision biopsy? Will you come back and let us know what you find out?