Oct 19 2007
If you find a lump, don’t wait
An all too common story
I just heard another, unfortunately, all too common story. A woman who has found a lump in her breast goes to her doctor. The doctor recommends a test or two, maybe even a biopsy, but tells the woman there’s no hurry, she can do it at her leisure. The woman, being very upbeat and positive, is sure that this is a sign that the doctor believes it isn’t anything serious (the doctor may have even said as much) and so waits two, three or more months. Yes, go ahead, take that vacation you planned. No, don’t worry, you can do the tests after your wedding. Meanwhile, the lump grows and, by the time she goes back to her doctor, the situation is very serious.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard this story - and it’s my story too. Luckily for me, my tumor didn’t grow that much during the two months I waited–and the only reason I returned to my doctor was because the lump in my breast really hurt (which many believe is a sign that it is NOT cancer). By that time, although my tumor was small, the cancer had migrated into my lymph nodes - two were affected. I was one of the lucky ones.
I am writing this post to both men and women. This is my opinion, and my advice to you: if you or your partner has a lump in your breast (or any other place for that matter), do not wait. You don’t need to let it throw you into a fit of worry or monopolize your life, but do not wait, regardless of your doctor’s advice. You have rights, and you can exercise them. If your doctor says you can wait, tell him or her that you want to do it now.
Many different types of tests are available
There are ultrasounds, mammograms, MRIs, CAT and PET scans used for cancer diagnosis, and probably a slew of tests I’ve never heard of. All these tests have their place but can return false positive or false negative results. After finding the lump in my breast, I was sent for every test under the sun, one after the other. Each one came back negative for breast cancer. The only one that came back positive was the biopsy. I couldn’t help thinking about all the exposure to radiation and magnetic forces that could have been avoided if I had gone straight to the biopsy. Is it possible to bypass all those preliminary tests? I would imagine that if you insisted, it would be possible. Even when my doctor finally decided to send me for a biopsy, he wanted me to do a type for which it would take at least 30 days to receive the results. Thinking that a lot can happen in 30 days, and thinking that 60 days had already passed since I first found the lump, I told him that I knew there were tests available that return results on the spot, and I insisted he send me for that type, even though I didn’t know the name. He did. It’s called an FNA–Fine Needle Aspiration, and the results are returned within a few hours–much better than waiting a month. The only reason I was able to do this type of biopsy is because I insisted on it.
Later, while having chemotherapy, I met so many other people who had similar stories. We exchanged stories freely about how either they or their doctors didn’t realize how important it was to take immediate action. How by the time they did, the cancer had spread. Some had been diagnosed and told they could wait, and some had been told they could wait to do diagnostic tests. All were sitting there with me, doing chemotherapy.
Imaginis has a great explanation of the FNA. The article includes links to explanations of two other types of biopsies.
Good health to you!