365 days later.

I had a needle biopsy for the breast lump on 12th December, along with a physical exam and an ultrasound of it. Usually, they offer a 'one-stop shop' with the results given on the same day, but due to a meeting that the radiologist was called away to that afternoon, I had to wait 16 days to be given the biopsy results yesterday morning. The results are..."conflicting". Whilst the biopsy appears to show no abnormal cells, it turns out the consultant felt a suspicious mobile lymph node during the physical exam. He didn't tell me at the time; I only found out yesterday when the registrar giving me the results referred to "the lump in your armpit".  What!! The registrar explained that, if I had just the lump on its own, they would put it down as a fibroadenoma based on my age, the clinical signs and the biopsy result. But there shouldn't be a lump in my armpit so, given my history, they want to be on the safe side and do more tests.

So what does this mean? According to the piece of paper I was given, it means this:

USS + FNA
F34 Hx of malignant melanoma, WLE + groin dissection 4/12.
O/E R breast P3 Lump +  axcillary mobile LN.
? Recurrence

Which is doctor speak for:
Request for ultrasound scan and fine needle aspiration
Female aged 34, history of malignant melanoma, wide local excision and groin dissection in April.
On examination, right breast has a lump defined as 'uncertain' and a mobile lymph node in the armpit.
Is this is a recurrence of melanoma?

So, once more, I await tests under the two-week rule for cancer. Again, I could have had it all done the same day but again the radiologist wasn't available, this time because it's the Christmas holidays. I have a feeling, though, that this will all be fine. I've done a lot of reading, and clinically, all the signs are pointing to a fibroadenoma, or non-cancerous tumour.

On this day last year, I saw my GP who told me she would be surprised if I didn't have cancer. How ironic that I go into 2013 as I went into 2012...waiting for a biopsy to officially find out. On the up-side, since I've decided the 29th December is my official Cancerversary, I bought myself a spa treatment. And it was very pleasant indeed!