Questions to ask during biopsy and diagnosis?

Posted by bowling1 @bowling1, May 19, 2023

On May 3rd I had my first mammogram = small 7mm module on left breast, medial periareolar area
On May 5th I had my second mammogram and ultrasound = small 7mm module confirmed
On May 15th I had a needle biopsy = Inconclusive, Atypical pre-cancerous

The surgeon is getting me in on May 22nd to discuss surgical incision biopsy. I'm doing research, but was wondering what are some questions that I should ask.

Thank you for your time, input and guidance 🙂

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

Laurie, Volunteer Mentor | @roch | May 20, 2023

bowling1 @bowling1
Check out this web site, it has documents you can print with list of questions on various topics.
https://www.komen.org/support-resources/tools/questions-to-ask-your-doctor/
It is a good starting point. If possible, take someone with, another set of ears helps.

Laurie

bowling1 | @bowling1 | May 21, 2023

In reply to @roch "bowling1 @bowling1 Check out this web site, it has documents you can print with list of..." + (show)

Thank you for the website and suggestions. My husband is definitely going with me, as an extra set of ears can never hurt.

bpknitter53 | @bpknitter53 | May 22, 2023

Besides the second set of ears - someone take notes and don't hesitate to ask them to clarify information they give you or ask if you can call later if more questions arise. I created a document (on my PC) with my medical history, medications I'm taking, people I talk to (company, phone number and position - Surgeon, oncologist, even the insurance company). If your journey ends and nothing further needs to happen after the meeting with the surgeon - then your document is short and sweet. But if your journey continues - I found it really helpful to create a timeline of everything. My journey started September 2021 when I initially found my lump and I've had scans (MRI, PET/CT, ultrasound); needle biopsy, port implant for chemo; chemo, bilateral mastectomy, and radiation and I can find who I talked to and what my questions were and my understanding of their answers for everything. I felt it was a way for me to take charge of this journey I was going on. Since I'm BRCA2+ it will also be great information for my children to have. My son is also BRCA2+, but fortunately my daughter is not. The decision for the treatment I was going to have was mine and mine alone. I discussed with my husband what were my options and what I planned to have done - but in the end it is my body and the decision is mine. I was also extremely fortunate - my only side effect of chemo was hair loss; my only side effect of bilateral is - I'm not as flat as I had hoped (I'm staying flat); and the only thing with the radiation was the aquaphor stains on a couple tops. When I look at what this does to reduce my recurrence - those all were temporary inconveniences.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | May 29, 2023

@bowling1, how are you doing? Do you have a diagnosis?

bowling1 | @bowling1 | May 31, 2023

In reply to @colleenyoung "@bowling1, how are you doing? Do you have a diagnosis?" + (show)

I do. The biopsy was sent to two different pathologist (local and Weill Cornell Medicine) and both come up with "Atypical papillary neoplasm", i.e. atypical ductal hyperplasia involving an intraductal papillary neoplasm. I am schedule for breast lumpectomy on June 15th.

Have both results and now that I really read them....it is in a foreign language :). "There is sclerosing entrapment of lesional glands at the perimeter of the lesion. The papillary lesion involves multiple cores wherein it maximally spans 0.5cm".

The surgeon did state that, if it is cancer, it was caught very early and it is not involved with the lymph nodes. Now just a wait and be patient for the next 2 weeks.