Breast lump for 5 years & it's not a cyst?

I was told 5 years ago that a lump in my breast was a cyst (by my family doctor at the time). I recently started having some discomfort in the area %26amp; had it examined by my new doctor. Had a mammogram (which didn't show anything) %26amp; an ultrasound which showed something that they were unable to determine what it was. She said it's not fluid filled %26amp; it could be a fibradrenoma (I think I spelt that wrong). Going for a biopsy. My question is, could I have had a lump all this time that just recently turned cancerous? I figured if it was cancerous to begin with I wouldn't have lived this long, right?

Breast lump for 5 years %26amp; it's not a cyst?
A benign lump or mass (a cyst or fibroadenoma) does not magically turn into a cancer. A benign mass is a benign mass...period. I also agree that a mass which has not grown at all or very little is not a cancer. Cancer grows and becomes larger.





What type of breast biopsy are you having? Have you considered an ultrasound guided core biopsy? Since this mass is not highly suspicious for a cancer, I would not have an open biopsy. An open biopsy is expensive, requires anethesia, substancial recovery time, and scarring. After an open biopsy, you are left with an internal scar which looks very much like a cancer on your future mammograms. An ultrasound guided biopsy is highly accurate without so much trauma. Please read about them.





On one of my other answers, I said this:





In the case of ultrasound guided core biopsies, we can actually see the needle enter the mass, so we know the samples are accurate. The pathologist receives only the area of interest, so the results are much more accurate than an open biopsy, where there is a large tissue sample. The pathologist cannot look at every single cell in a sample, so the less tissue, the more likely he will have accurate results. It is like finding a needle in a ball of yarn compared to a haystack!





A core biopsy is very cost effective. An open biopsy requires a hospital OR bill, an anesthesiologist bill and a surgeon bill. Considering only about 15% of all breast biopsies turn out to be cancer, an open biopsy can be very expensive.





A core biopsy does not leave a scar. And I am not just talking about aesthetics here. An open biopsy leaves an internal scar, which looks much like a breast cancer on mammographic films.





When doing a core biopsy, we numb the area that is being biopsied. We usually use Lidocaine, like your dentist. You know how that stings for the first 5 or so seconds that it is introduced. After that, there should not be pain. And, other than the occasional drama queen, I have not heard patients complain about pain. I have assisted the radiologist in many of these procedures (if I had to come up with a number, a conservative number would be 500 procedures). Post procedure, you are able to get back to your normal lifestyle. We ask patients to take it easy the rest of the day (ie, no vacuuming or lifting weights), but after that, there are no restrictions.





Best wishes....





More info on these biopsies here:





http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm...





http://www.washingtonradiology.com/exams...
Reply:I hope your biopsy goes well, and you end up with a benign result. Let me know, if you can! Report It

Reply:If the lump you had looked at 5yrs old an it hasn't grown I would doubt it is cancer. Good you are going for a biopsy, but what ever it is get it removed. Just having a lump is gives one anxiety.


Fatty tissue lumps usually can be aspirated with a needle and they can tell what it is but as you said the doctor said it wasn't fluid. Good luck