roll call for BC not found by reg mamo's till 2cm or lgr

[Kimberly Lewis]

I know I am still angry that I did everything I could - yrly mamo's and didn't discover my cancer untill it was 5cm in size. I am just wondering how many others suffered this shock?

DCIS, inv Ductal and inv Lobular with 7 nodes involved.

[MJo]

I am interested in this topic, although it doesn't apply to me. My boss was diagnosed with B/C and it was 2 cm with no lymph nodes. An acquaintance was diagnosed with B/C and it was >2cm with 3 lymph nodes pos. Both had clear mammograms the year before. Both were Her2 pos. I was diagnosed with .55 cm tumor with no lymph nodes. Grade 2 tumor. Her 2++. I was five months late for my mammogram and rushed to get it when my boss was diagnosed. I am wondering if it was a matter of timing. If I had gotten the mammo five months earlier, the tumor might not have shown up and it would have had a whole year (or more) to grow.

[Audrey]

My tumor was 15 cm (!) and NOT detected by mammogram, ultrasound or by my breast surgeon. I went to the doctor due to a bloody nipple discharge. I had a mammo, ultrasound, etc., but everything was inconclusive--Apparently, my breasts were very dense (36 yrs. old at the time)...So I had a nipple biopsy which showed atypical cells, decided on a mastectomy, and the pathology report surprised us all with the huge invasive tumor. Had lymph node involvement, too. Fortunately, this was in July 2001 and after chemo, rads and HERCEPTIN I am doing fine--celebrating 5 year survival this summer. Oh, getting back to the tumor--it wasn't a big mass, more like a slender snake was the way they described it...

[SandyR]

Kimberly, I had a similar experience. My regular doctor had done a breast exam mid March of last year and then I discovered the lump in June. I was due for my mammo in April and put it off a couple of months (I am a teacher). When I went back to my regular doc, she about fell over! She measured the lump and it was (according to her) 8 cm! My onc said it was more like 5 cm and then I had chemo prior to a lumpectomy. I think HER2 can do that....I too had had yearly mammograms with nothing EVER detected! But my tumor also had "a complete clinical response" to the chemo, meaning it disappeared....with clear margins and no evidence of cancer left (pathology report). I think that this is the nature of HER2 and why it is so scary!

SandyR.

[dberg]

Yep, me too. Yearly mammos. One day I was toweling off, looked in the mirror and noticed something poking out above my nipple. Radiologist and surgeon both thought it was smaller, but it ended up being 5cm.

That's why I have mammos AND an MRI now.

[Yorkiegirl]

I have had yearly Mammo's ever since I was 37. Mine didn't show up on Mammo or ultrasound. What they said was it was fluid filled cyst, this was last year when I was 49.

I also didn't really feel anything, but went with my gut and had a biopsey and SHOCK I had a 5cm tumor. Went back for the mastectomy as the surgeon said there was another one, and this measured 6cm, I had 5 postive nodes of 16 removed.

Also had a simple mastectomy on my left side this past January as my Mammo showed increased micro-calcifications as I wasn't going thru this again.


Vicki

[bonnie]

The tumor was not found on the mamo and it was done after the doctor felt my 3.8 cm tumor at my annual exam and he sent me for followup.

[Quiltlady]

I had a 3 cm. tumor and 8 positive nodes. Not detected by mammogram and clinical exam a year previously. Stage III, grade III, er-/pr-. HER2 +++

[margaret]

I had a 9cm by 6cm by 4cm that was not detected by mammogram. I was 38 years old at the time (4 and a half years ago). My mammo was take 7 months before my mastectomy. I had felt a huge lump and then went to the doctor. They said my mammo didn't show anything but later we were able to access the mammogram and it was very clear even with an untrained eye that there was an abnormallity. We believe that noone must have even looked at it.
I am grateful though, because I believe everything happens for a reason. Because my tumor was so large and I had 16 out of 16 nodes positive, I was given very aggressive treatment. Thank goodness for herceptin, also. I luckily was able to do a clinical trial with it. Now I feel I have the cure. I live my life forwardly and try to stay in very positive energy. It works for me to have a more positive and enjoyable life. I'm grateful.
Margaret

[Cathya]

I found my own lump ... 3 cm in the shower but had not had a mammo in almost 5 years....I am embarrassed to say. I only post now because a friend of mine who also has breast cancer (not her2+) told me the lobular cancer (like hers) is not seen on a mammogram and they are generally bigger when diagnosed but (I guess if not her2+) usually are less aggressive. I have recently read that they are more aggressive than previously thought but wonder if this is why your were not caught on the mammo?

Cathy

[Bev]

Hi all, had mammo 9/05 which was clear. Found lump 2/05. Additional mammo, u.s. and mri showed tumor to be 1.5 cm. Tumor wound up being 2.9. I have to wonder if the her+ grows much more rapidly than the others. BB

[jhandley]

According to Dr Love 25 % of lumps in younger women are not seen by mammo. due to dense breasts. I had a 4 cm x 2 cm lump didnt show up on ultrasound and only 2 tiny microcalc. on mammo. which i dont think were where the tumour was. My first tumour 2cm showed up on mammo.
Jackie

[chrislmelb]

I was about to start my yearly mammos as my mother died of BC. On my first mammo it only showed lymph nodes which were supposedly healthy. So after a while i got the "healthy lymph node" out and it was cancerous but no sign of tumor on mammo or ultrasound. My tumor turned out to be 23mm.
Just had my yearly mammo on remaining breast but am very sceptical of the 'all clear' results !
Christine

[mts]

I had a palpable mass not visible on mammo but visible on Ultra Sound. Had a lumpectomy w/cleear margins. After lumpectomy I had a breast MRI and two more tumors were found adjacent to where I had the lumpectomy. I also have dense breasts. I think anyone that has dense breasts should receive a breast MRI in conjunction w/mamo and US.
I also think that many "recurrances" are really tumors that had always been there -just not caught.
maria

[Barbara2]

According to the report my tumor was "at least" 4.5cm. Didn't show up on mammo or ultrasound. I discovered a hard lump while showering. I had noticed a thickening in the breast about 9 months prior, but was dismissed at my annual physical.

I had very dense breasts. My onc explained that with dense breasts and mammograms, it is like using a white crayon to mark and "x" on a white wall. The tumor won't show up.

Barbara

[Roz]

I also had regular mammos and I was "lucky' that the tumour turned out to be Inflammatory BC, or else it may not have been discovered. 2003 I had nipple change of colour and itching of breast. Went straight to top mammo centre. They took mammo, said all clear, but couldn't work out what itchy area was. Did an U/S which showed a 7cm tumour with poor differentiation. 12 out of 19 nodes involved. Had all the chemo. Recurrence after 10 months to skin. C/O cough-CT scan done day before scheduled for 1st Herceptin. Spread to lymph nodes,pleural effusion. Next 3 months CT scan, NED. Hallelujiah! Herceptin.

[jjfromcanada]

Mammo did not pick up my 4.5 cm tumour nor the other 1.0 cm beside it. Now I have mammos, ultarsounds AND MRIs. I have the mammo and ultrasound together the MRI 6 months later.


I have a two friends who also are in similar circumstances.

[BubblesMom]

I've had annual mammograms since my mother passed away from BC in 2000. April 2004 had a mammogram with a suspicious area. Had a 2nd mammogram to focus on that area and was given a clean bill of health. In November, I discovered a lump during self-examination in the suspicious area from April. I too have dense breast tissue. Now I get ultrasounds in lieu of mammograms. I don't have much confidence in them anymore.

[Kimberly Lewis]

Thanks everyone for the posts. I know I am not alone in the shocks and dissapointments of BC.... I just was angry that the very same mamo screen was looked at by several different folks (surgeons and radiologists) and only one saw the huge tumor. There must be better training that that one person had! It can't be Luck for crying out loud!
Thanks again, Kim

[Bev]

Hi Kim,

I'm still angry too. There has to be a better way to screen people who have dense breasts. Perhaps if you have dense breasts they should flag you for MRI's or US. If a tumor takes 6 to 10 years to grow, I know they had at least 4 opportunities to catch mine.

I posted earlier in this thread, but am still angry that I had to find a 2.9 tumor a few months after a mammogram. BB