Suspicious area Bi-rad 2 or 3: Do I advocate for a biopsy or wait?

Posted by whitney2326 @whitney2326, Nov 2, 2022

hello
i a new to this group so pardon me if i am not in the proper forum ! i am so confused by the random assortment of tests i have had an ZERO real answers. i have decided im going to have to be my own advocate. 6 months ago i went to the doctor complaining of a strange feeling in my left breast ..she ordered a diagnostic mammogram which came back with Bi-Rad 2 (which i only found out reading my own report)..no worries in her part no follow up despite my nagging feeling .. Last week I went for my annual mammogram ,got a call back for a suspicious area on the same left side of my breast ..another mammogram ,ultra sound and then mri ...still pretty inconclusive but now graded a Bi-Rd 3 ...do i have the right to push for a biopsy /have it taken out ? i have a gut feeling ..and waiting 6 more months to "watch " seems like bs to me . should i bother going to a bigger breast center rather than all these random doctors in my home town ?Bi-Rad 3 can be cancer correct ? i am of course grateful my lymph nodes are clear but does this mean that im all good ? i am meeting with a surgeon monday ...womdering hat i can say to advocate for myself .the wait and see game doesnt sound great consdering the change in 6 months . thank you or your insight

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trixie1313 | @trixie1313 | Nov 3, 2022

@whitney2326, @colleenyoung
Looking back on a prior mammograms was birad3. However, the one I had when I found the actual lump was birads5. I wish I had asked for a biopsy at birad3 - it might have been a game changer. The one thing I was happy about was that I pushed for an MRI of the breasts which also noted a second tumor in the same breast but the opposite side.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 3, 2022

Hi @whitney2326, welcome. I've learned in life to trust my gut feelings. I think your gut feeling is telling you to get better information and clarification about your options and why. So let's see if I can bring in some other members and offer a bit of info to help prepare you for your upcoming meeting with the surgeon.

I find this clear explanation about the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System or BI-RADS from the American Cancer Society helpful.
– What is a BI-RADS assessment category? https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/mammograms/understanding-your-mammogram-report.html

Fellow members @katrina123 @trixie1313 @danielle0313 and others have also seen BI_RADS 3 on their pathology reports and share their thoughts with you. In the meantime, you might want to review this related discussion:
- BI-RADS 3 Question https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/birads-3-question/

BI-RADS 3 means "A finding in this category has a very low (no more than 2%) chance of being cancer. It is not expected to change over time. But since it’s not proven to be benign, it’s helpful to be extra safe and see if the area in question does change over time."

So the recommendation to wait may be a reasonable approach. Your questions are the right ones to better understand your risk and what approach - wait and monitor or biopsy - is best at this time. That said, getting a second opinion from a cancer center is also a good idea. Have you come up with additional questions to ask?