MRI results & questions?

Chelee · 02-01-2007, 04:57 PM

I had my yearly mammo as some here know. A 0.7 cm mass was found in my left breast consistent with lymph node. Then ultrasound was done and it found TWO 0.7 & 1.5 cm hypoechoic masses with central echogenicity consistent with lymph nodes. Then also at least TWO 1.8 cm nodes in left axilla. (So that's now *four* findings in my breast & axilla.)

Followed up with MRI. Could *someone* please help me with this...I tried looking it up on google but I am still having trouble with it. It says at 2 o'clock in the left breast there is a well-defined 5 mm mass, which is of high intensity on the T2 weighted STIR image also shows relatively low level enhancement , which has mixed plateau and in some areas washed out kinetics. This apperance is consistent with a lymph node and concordant with the stable appearance on mammography as well as the US apperance.

Also in the left axilla there are benign appearing up to 1.7 cm nodes, at least two. No suspicious mass or enhancement is seen in the left breast.

The thing in question to me is the line I highlighted. Since they are saying this is benign appearing...I googled that "mixed plateau and washed out kinetics and that LEANS more towards cancer. That mixed plateau and washed out did NOT sound good.

I am still sitting here with breast & axilla pain. I was hoping my surgeon would biospy these. Does anyone here understand enough about that highlighted sentence to let me know if that means cancer. Sounds like it when I looked it up? But *some* of it is so technical for me. (If its nothing to worry about..what else could be causing all these lymph nodes to be enlarged?

Chelee

tousled1 · 02-01-2007, 06:06 PM

Chelee,

I'm no doctor and I have no idea what your MRI results translate to in layman's terms. I do think that if there were a malignancy of any sort or any question of malignancy it would clearly state that. Have you had a PET/CT scan done?

I know that my last two PET/CTs have shown a soft tissue density within the right axilla with mild FDG uptake that favors a benign process. I know I worry constantly about it wondering just what is going on. It has been recommended that I have followup PET/CTs every 2-3 months to assess if there are any changes. I'm due for my next PET/CT this month.

Becky · 02-01-2007, 06:25 PM

Chelee

You have a good report there. You have low enhancement (a sign of benign disease) and a "wash in/wash out that is not rapid and is mixed. What does this really mean? When they do an MRI, they first do it and then give contrasting agent (a dye) and do it again. The dye helps define the picture but they also measure how "structures" take up the dye (wash in) and then release the dye (wash out). Cancer has a very high kinetic rate (washes in fast, washes out fast). This concept is kind of like how a PET scan works with cancer "lighting up" because it is more rapidly growing and "takes up" the radioactivated sugar solution faster than normal cells. Your "structures" took up the dye at a even rate and at a low rate. This MRI along with the mammo and ultrasound are very good results. However, you do have pain and need to get to the bottom of it.

Do you "rub" the nodes alot? Its easy to do when you feel something - always rubbing to see if it is getting smaller and going away. You can really irritate the natural drainage of it and it won't drain and will swell even more and get very, very painful. You may need an antibiotic, a pain pill and a total hands off approach for 3-4 weeks.

No touching it now!!

Love and hugs

Chelee · 02-02-2007, 11:40 PM

Becky, You certainly know how to break things down & make it so easy to understand. What brought my attention to that one short sentence that said "mixed plateau and in some areas washed out kinetics." I could see on MY copy of this report that the onc had *underlined* that one part. I got concerned because any time something worrisome showed up on my PET/CT scan...I would ALWAYS see it lightly underlined by my onc. (It was never good when I ran across that)

As to this pain...no...I don't rub, touch, & feel it. I really have left it alone. Underneath the axilla it has a slight burn like feeling and pain. The breast pain is a constant too. Its strange how *firm* the breast tissue is. It was never that way. Even the NP that I saw mentioned it was awful firm.

There has been 3 or 4 times they didn't take my concerns serious and I ended up paying for it. I DON'T like going to the doctors..and I don't like tests and scans. I ended up in the hospital for TEN days last time they didn't listen to me. (This is frustrating.)

The ONLY thing I wonder about is my port? Its in that UPPER arm and runs up under the axilla into my chest. I *can't* help but wonder if its not causing a reaction of some kind? Maybe that could explain all these masses that are consistent with lymph nodes? As to pain pills, I take vicoden for pain and it hasn't helped. Also ibprofin on top of it.

Becky, again I want to sincerely thank you for explaining that to me. It helps lessen the stress of all this. Your awesome..what would we do without you? (Don't answer that...I don't want to find out.)

Chelee

Chelee · 02-03-2007, 12:05 AM

tousled1, I did have my last PET/CT scan 11-9-06. CT report was fine. However this last time the PET part of my scan said nothing except to "refer to CT". Which is NOT the norm here.
I had to question that & no one could answer me why it was like that? I have had TWO prior to this last one & BOTH the CT & PET has a full report with the final "impressions". The CT was correct...but the ONLY thing the PET said was "no evidence of metastatic disease". Which is good...but it still should of said more then that? Odd? (Especially when the imaging Dept, onc and no one else I asked could answer why it was like this?

My poor breast is so swollen and painful...there has to be something they are missing?

tousled1, Thanks for trying to help me out here. I so appreciate it. I certainly hope your PET/CT goes well this next time. I had one area that had the mild increased uptake mentioned on it...worried me. But now it has disappeared. So here's to your next PET/CT showing its no longer there.

Its such a relief when those things vanish.

Chelee