Ultrasound showed taller than wide lesion, and I'm worried

Posted by jessicat099 @jessicat099, 2 days ago

Ultrasound showed a 0.6 x 0.7 x 0.6 cm hypoechoic lesion slightly irregular and taller than wide. Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy is recommended. So now I am very worried, especially about the taller than wide part. They can't do my biopsy for over 3 weeks (I'm on cancellation list) Is that too long to wait? This all started last year when they found a suspicious cyst? at 10:00, did a follow up six months later and saw nothing, now 6 months later they see this. And report shows a "new" oval shape at 10:00. Not sure what that's about either. My anxiety is through the roof about the wait. Seems like if the lesion wasn't there 6 months ago, but now is that is quick growing. Dr mentioned (I think) that they were only really checking the 10:00 spot 6 months ago as a recheck....

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Rubyslippers | @triciaot | 2 days ago

I understand your worry. It’s possible that it is not growing fast. The size is small and may just recently been more clearly visible on the scan. Evidently the average size lesion found during mammogram is 1.1 centimeters. That doesn’t mean yours isn’t important, because it definitely is! It’s great that it was found at that size, and maybe a more positive sign.

My mammogram with a concerning spot was in April (consistent with what was imaged a year before), biopsy in June, surgery at end of August. End result was no larger than originally found, actually smaller (measurement on mammogram is often different than final pathology size) even though it was intermediate grade.
More detail: the radiologist’s report, in April, said my 1.6 lesion appeared to be a folded lymph node, consistent with a spot seen the year before. Come back in 6 months. My doctor pushed forward with an US guided core needle biopsy. It took until June to get it done. It was dcis. It had been there for a year, at least.
2 weeks later I was re-scanned (MG, US, MRI) at a comprehensive cancer center 3 hours away. Final pathology was a .7 cm dcis; surgery was done at end of August. Smaller than the measurement from the mammogram. The cancer center said my intermediate grade cancer had probably been growing for 6 years until it got to the size that it could be identified on a scan.
Protocols are changing. My DCIS found in 2022, may not have been recommended for surgery in 2026. Surgery is not always part of the treatment for early breast cancer now.

As you’ve probably read, there is a 70-80% chance that a lesion found by mammogram is benign. But your concern is real, normal, and understood by all of us here! Hoping for good results!

Some respected articles report that a 14-28 day wait is typical between mammogram and needle biopsy. Recommended to be done within 30 days, gold standard is one week.

Side note: The local facility, part of a highly recognized medical system, finally called me in July (after the positive result biopsy in June) and said they were ready to schedule me to see a breast specialist. Really? Gee thanks! I already had a surgery date at the cancer center. The original radiologist had to amend her mammogram report to try to explain the “it’s a lymph node consistent with what was seen last year”.