Was your breast cancer misdiagnosed by a radiologist?

It would seem an easy thing. But apparently sometimes, the medical establishment is more about covering their tracks and dealing with what insurance companies will cover rather than the good of the patient.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer 1992. A routine mammo showed calcifications. Biopsy showed cancer. Because of the size I had a mastectomy and chemo. No lymph nodes. I was supposed to return the mammograms to the radiologist and decided to take a look first. What shocked me was the report from previous mammo 15 months earlier stated all normal, but this one compared the calcifications to the ones on previous mammogram. In other words, it was there more than a year earlier. The surgeon agreed with my findings.
I have been fine and no recurrence. However, I realize now how the chemotherapy affected my health. I got chemo brain- foggy etc. I was also very susceptible to infections. 20 years later I was diagnosed with autoimmune gastrointestinal inflammation, caused by severe GI reaction I had to chemo. I had this for years before diagnosis- I finally got treated with immunosuppressant medication and it’s gone. However, I’m exhausted, brain fatigue etc.
My point is- a missed diagnosis follows you- even though I have been cancer free my health has suffered.

Sorry for your hard experience. It’s true we are still plagued years later by the standard protocol from the medical community. I asked my Natureopath yesterday why aren’t they focused on why we have cancer so we can get to the root of the problem. There lies the cure! It’s probably all related to gut flora which controls the absorbing of key nutrients which allows your body to fight the abnormal cell production.

@trivia
In my view, researchers are totally focused on causes (which appear to be numerous). Following genetic testing (which was free of known genes which cause breast cancer and others), with no family history of breast cancer, and with my level of physical fitness, my oncologist (who is well-connected to the major medical research organizations) concluded that the cause of my breast cancer was prior years on hormone replacement therapy for menopause... which makes complete sense for my situation. Each of us has different factors at play.

Drugs approved by the FDA are simply taking a natural substance and patent a portion of it for financial gain. No matter what caused your cancer, our bodies made it. It’s part of us. Now take that information and see what you can do about it. You are your best defense against disease.

@elizm - I also had no family history of breast cancer- or any cancer. I was also physically fit, had a good diet. Only risk factors I can think of was living close to a golf course in the 70s- while they still used dangerous toxins on the grass. Many women living in same area developed breast cancer and men other cancers. It was still not thought to be a hot spot. I also worked many years in a building where same happened. I worked there when I was diagnosed. Department of Health investigated- nothing.

@ astaingegerdm
Today, researchers know that environmental factors are a HUGE cause of cancers... but too late for many of us living among/with them for years. I despair of the Feds cutting back on clean air and water standards, and on the pesticides and other toxins which eventually seep into our water tables and wells. The U.S. has poisoned its nest, I fear.

@elizm - You are right about the water. We never thought of risks drinking groundwater then. We stopped at once and never drink tap water.

Yes...I had a 3D mammogram and 2 months later I felt a lump that was a 2CM adeno squamous metaplastic carcinoma. Apparently this cancer is difficult to read.

I was misdiagnosed by radiologist and gyn. Gyn said on two separate visits, nine months apart that my breast was grainy and just changing with age as is normal. No lump felt first time, second time absolutely felt lump. Gyn said no lump just aging. I insisted on mam. ,which led to immediate ultrasound . Radiologist said I had a rather large fibro abnoma, never cancer. I was told to just get my yearly mam and do monthly checks and come back in a year. I went for second opinion in larger well known hospital where doctor almost did not do check up because of confidence of radiologist sent me to breast cancer surgeon. Had MRI and ultra sound and Biopsy, stage 2 b breast cancer, mastectomy which lab found a second cancer in other breast stage 1, it was never picked up and I could not feel a lump. Not a spread just bi-lateral breast cancer. Thank God for second opinions. I wish I had gone sooner. Neither doctors or technology is perfect so be your own advocate. Surgeon said if I had listened to the other doctors I would not have survived but had 2 lymph nodes and my tumor was 4cm so there is always a risk of recurrence.