mammogram ultrasound additional mammogram pics

@anatomary
Is that of any cancer or just breast?

The 20%? Just BC. I would imagine there is a specific high risk bar for all cancers though. Also FYI - and for others who might be reading this, there is a current modification before the US House of Representatives to specifically state "alternative" flat closure (already includes flat closure) as a form of reconstructive surgery. The language shift is considered very important to ensure insurance companies recognize AFC as a form of reconstructive surgery and are required to pay for additional follow up procedures (removal of dog ears, fat explants for concavity, change my mind and would like implants). Insurances are required to cover reconstructive care for mastectomy under the US Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act 1998 and the revision is called the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Modernization Act 2025. Here is a link to that petition NotPuttingonaShirt.org/Petition

@anatomary
Oh I was wondering what they considered higher risk? say breast cancer familial risk is “unknown”. However you know that both your parents and an aunt had lung cancer. Does that change that risk factor?

I believe all those things should be part of the surgery. It’s not like women want breast cancer so they can get a boob job. Or the revisions that are necessary.

If I remember correctly when I met with the genetic counselor (after receiving the lumpectomy path back with a double diagnosis) she collected my family history - I had to think about which relatives had what. My moms side is huge because she was one of eleven. Her side had a lot of repro cancers (fellas had prostate and several gals had breast and/or uterine or ovarian - and bone) and some of them did have lung cancer. I was unsure whether their lung cancer was metastatic or not because some of them smoked; and when you are a kid you don't necessary take note when the family is discussing what this and that person had or died from. So lung cancer could be part of the equation - but it seems it would only count if it were metastatic from BC. However, it seems possible that a person could have BC, not know, and be diagnosed with lung cancer first- and maybe never get an official BC diagnosis, or get a very late diagnosis of BC and chose not to treat. And then everyone thinks they died of lung cancer...

There are a couple of "tools" that can be used to assess your familial cancer risk. Basically your list of relatives effected, and what kind of cancer they had, are plugged into an algorithm and it calculates your familial -and personal risk. I'm not sure if genetic counselors at Breast Centers only work with people who are suspect to be high risk (my circumstance due to two types of pre-cancer) or if they will talk to anyone with BC. You could ask whoever you see next if they would calculate your familial and personal risk. You can find the risk calculators on line but you might want to have a health care professional, and specifically a genetic counselor, calculate the risk and interpret the score. Trust me, it's nice to have someone physically there who can immediately answer questions; no need to go off the deep end due to misinterpreting numbers - or the relevance of the numbers!

Also, when I agreed to have my genome ran I was asked whether I wanted just to run BC or a panel of cancers. I went with the panel because I figured why not...and this way my whole family (including cousins, nieces, nephews) will know possible challenges they may face. My insurance paid my cost because I was high risk from path results but I learned most of the medical genetic profiling companies have programs that waive the fee - and if I remember correctly the American Cancer Society will also help people pay for genetic testing.

@anatomary
Oh that’s good to know. I will ask some relevant questions at my appointment. I did ask my primary some things. She told me what she thought than said I should ask the doctors at Roswell as well. So I will definitely do that. I started a list.
I saw a few things on line that said one place or another would help with bills etc. if you are actively being treated.
Hard to know what’s true or not in the internet though.

@mswendeu you'll get good information here. I think someone had posted several links to free support on Mayo - it was after I needed help so I didn't check out the links. Maybe the moderator will repost? The not putting on a shirt website had a link to another group - Fierce, Flat, and ??? Facebook group. They also have information for additional free support. There is a STOMP group - sisterhood of the traveling mastectomy ?project. Gals post items (surgical bras, mastectomy pillows, etc) they no longer need - and you message them if you need. Sometimes they ask you pay shipping, but they will send them. We typically use products for a short period of time; it makes sense to pass it on.

@anatomary
What do you think of this?
They did it like I asked for a second opinion which I did not. They decided based on their mammogram pictures and ultrasound that I in fact did not need a biopsy. Now I am worried because I didn't ask for a second opinion and what if they are wrong? Don't get me wrong I would love for it to truly be benign but, I feel short changed that they didn't do the biopsy to be absolutely positive.
I mean my thyroid grew back for God sakes. I don't believe this is benign. Maybe I am making too much of it. I feel crazy like why am I being so morbid over not getting a biopsy done?
I should have said no like Sharon did.
So now I have to figure out how to get my biopsy done, or an MRI or I don't know what... Or just be happy with the answer I received from the "second opinion" I didn't ask for.

I know when I had my colonoscopy a couple of my polyps were adenoma's which benign can later become cancer. So here again... the lady who had a benign thyroid, that grew back as "ectopic thyroid tissue" started at the base of my tongue where all thyroids begin in utero and grew all the way down to my hyoid bone. 6 + cm's the size of one lobe of my original thyroid.
When my brother was like 6 weeks old my mom had a breast thing. She didn't do doctors and refused to do anything that wasn't an emergency. That was in 1985-1986, in April of 2014 she was diagnosed with lung cancer. No one ever told me the type, and I would remember that. I often wondered in all that time if it was really metastatic BC?
Since my aunt (her sister) had non-small cell adenocarcinoma in her left lung. The name of that cancer is forever seared into my brain. She lived with it, with treatment for 4 or 5 yrs before she passed away.

They (radiologists) might have decided they wanted an ultrasound to rule out a solid mass. Your ultrasound probably evidenced the mass was a fluid-filled cyst and was unlikely to be malignant. Ultrasound can be used (and is possibly used more in other countries since it is less expensive than MRI, etc for social medicine plans) to rule out nature of a mass before proceeding to biopsy. I would imagine you are safe. But for your own piece of mind you might want to ask the radiologist if they will biopsy anyway to be sure there is no cancer since in any diagnostic there is a margin of error- or get a second opinion. You don't need their permission for a second opinion. You could find another radiologist/surgeon in your area, contact them to set up an appointment - and then ask your documents (tests results, notes, and images) are sent to the other office. This can be done over the phone or requested in "my chart" . Tell the first office you don't mean to offend them but given your family and personal history, and unknowns about the family history, you would like more than an ultrasound to be certain. You can also tell them you neglected to ask during the appointment because you were stressed out. If you do not advocate for yourself, no will one...

If you don't want to call, somewhere in the "my chart" menu you can request documents and when you complete the request can you send them to the other office. Probably best to ask the second office if there is someone who you should send your previous (first office) information to - sometimes they have a person who specifically manages incoming documents, sometimes not. Also, ask the second office for fax number to send the documents. I don't quite understand all medical office policies but a fax is considered a secure method for transfer of medical information. Also, you might want to ask persons (start a new topic?) for a recommendation for a radiologist, maybe a breast center, in your area - that way you know someone had good treatment and wouldn't expect otherwise. I hope you can relax and enjoy some quality down time with friends and family over the holiday; the waiting game is terrible and we need to make certain we have some joy in our lives! I wish you luck with your journey and prognosis.