I am like @Krystal Shay - was always adamant about getting mamos and paps. @75 going on 76 soon - do not have them now. Begin lumps ever found in my mothers sister off and on, was the one reason I use to do them, and big boobs. Anyways, do not mess with the tests anymore than at my age just makes no sense to me. I am a walking miracle as it is, and never thought I would be living this long.
That’s just it! Most, not all women can have lumpy breasts or fatty tissue of some kind. It scares women half to death to be put through additional tests and worry. If they come back and say it is nothing, you are relieved! But--- THEN my mind would go to the anxiety place and wonder if it was read right. It would be on my mind all the time. And I know there is a chance the lump could be cancer too but….I just don’t know anymore about all these tests. Damned if you do, damned, if you don’t.
Yup. Needle biopsy for a lump of fat. As I often say, things were easier when you got The Croup and you either survived or you didn't. All this extra analysis, information & procedures are tough to keep in perspective. I commented a while ago that I did a web search to see if medical websites increased the incidence of hypochondria. The answer was "Yes." And the top search result was an article on WebMD. You just can't make this stuff up...
Thank the Lord regularly for my pain...I will take all to be dished out- as long as my mind still functions !
The thing about breast cancer is that it does not always present with a lump and that type can't be seen on a mammogram. Those are the most aggressive and deadly, so women should be familiar with their own bodies and discuss any changes with their doctor. (I know of 2 men with this type, so men should also be aware.) By far the most common breast cancer is IDC (Invasive ductal carcinoma) which does present with a lump, and early detection/treatment is key to survival. For years I was of the "no mammograms... they cause cancer!" group and later in life that finally caught up with me. All I can say is, you do you. If you feel the scans have value then have them. If you don't, then by all means... don't.
Do you think that mammograms would have caught your IBC (if I'm recalling that right) before it manifested itself in that rash?
No. IBC is not detected on a mammogram. Thankfully IBC is extremely rare, and most breast cancers (IDC) can easily be detected. I also had a small IDC tumor that was inconsequential once the IBC was diagnosed.