Breast Biopsy...any Advice or Info Greatly Appreciated

First things first, think positive that all will go well. You will not know the outcome until the biopsy is completed. Once the outcome is known you can deal with what next to do.

Not every lump is cancer remember that. I had one done and it was not painful. I was a little sore but that was it. Know that what you are doing is for you to stay alive and live a long and happy life.

Good luck to you.

The other S.

This is really scay, and I hope that this is nothing to worry about, and that you'll be inconvenienced, nothing more.
Having said that, my mom had an ultrasound-guided biopsy that was very painful, and bruised her extremely badly. It was shocking, and it was bad enough that I wish they would have put her under general anesthesia for the procedure. Find out from your doctor and see what your particular biopsy is going to be like, and if anesthesia is an option for you.
Having said that, it's VERY IMPORTANT for you to focus only on the information you know when you know it, and the options that are presented to you. Try not to dwell on the "what ifs" until you know more information. Right now, you know you have a "lump". That could be a lot of things, with a wide variety of treatment options. You don't have any more information, so go through all of the recommended diagnosis tools until you have a confirmed diagnosis and a recommended treatment plan. Then, do your research to find out how your particular diagnosis and treatment plan will affect you. Ask a LOT of questions of your doctors when they meet with you. Get an understanding of how your particular diagnosis works, how they came to the diagnosis, how it is differentiated from other cancers, what the treatment plan is (start to finish, duration, etc.), what the side effects are. Find out if you can reach out to support groups of people with the same diagnosis as you.
My Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer earlier this year. The worst part of the diagnosis process was how long it took to get all of her tests done to understand what type of cancer it was, how far it had spread, and what the impact of her treatment plan would be. The whole process took about 3 weeks to go from the possibility of a very, very bad disease(multiple myeloma) to her actual diagnosis. My Mom's prognosis is very optimistic with her current treatment plan. She'll have this disease for the rest of her life, but the treatment has not impacted her quality of life, and there are others who have been in this treatment for 15 years.
I hope this helps. I'm praying for you, and hoping everything turns out just fine!

First things first: MOST biopsies result in benign findings. No need to freak out over it.

I've had 2 biopsies done (one on each breast) since January of this year. The first one was a stereotatic biopsy. I drove myself there, drove myself home. It didn't hurt at all and I was washing dishes and carrying loads of laundry later that night. I played tennis the next morning.

The second was an ultrasound guided biopsy. There was a bit of discomfort after the local anesthetic wore off, but no actual pain. My poor breast was a bit bruised for a week or so.

I, too, was terrified about the biopsies. They were really no big deal.

LIDOCAINE!!! They can give you this to numb you up and I found that it does really help. I just flat out told them how afraid that I was of pain and to please give me as much as possible at the get go. Also take an ativan if you can along with a painproduct like Advil or Tylenol.

I have to say that while it is no walk in the park it is not nearly as bad as I thought that it was going to be and I am a HUGE baby. Also-please keep in mind that 80% of these are negative.

N., My mother has breast cancer. Her doctor pretty much knew it was cancer from the ultrasound, and told her so. I would say if your doc isn't bracing you for it then (hopefully) it will be ok.

Mom had two, one that went in through her nipple (that was the most painful) and a small one (that was used when they first detected her cancer) The first one she was sore for a couple days, but able to function. The second one was a bit worse, and she had to take it super easy for the next couple days.

My prayers are with you, I hope everything turns out ok. Just remember this too shall pass. :)

As someone who has been there my best advise would be to be calm, educate yourself, by asking a lot of questions and keeping a positive outlook. Stress is no ones friend, avoid it at all cost!

If they doing a needle biopsy you will not be able to tell afterwards because it is non evasive. If it is cancer find a doctor that is willing to answer all your and your family's questions.

A lot of lumps are not cancerous but those that are can be treated. Mine were and it has not slowed me down 15 year later. You can do this!!!

Lots of lumps are benign. Hold on to that hope, go into the procedure with that hope, and try not to be terrified. If you go into the surgery with a positive outlook, it will help you a lot.

Hugs to you~
Dawn

I have had a breast biopsy and so have several women of my acquaintance. Aside from one friend's mother, everyone else's has been benign, including mine.

The biopsy itself was no big deal, not particularly painful (the wait, on the other hand, was extremely annoying - about 3 hours). They frequently biopsy anything a little out of the ordinary now to err on the side of caution. I was very nervous leading up to the biopsy, I will tell you, especially since there is breast cancer in my family. But I was told right from the start that the lump was too "even" and probably wasn't cancer.

Regarding my friend's mother, she had Stage IV breast cancer, but she was successfully treated and is now still cancer-free 10 years later.

Best of luck!

You have received a lot of good answers. If you can, take someone for moral support. It helps to know you're not there alone and regardless of the news you get, someone will be there for you to share it with.

take someone who loves you with you. I didn't and it made it soooo much worse