Doctors dismissing breast lumps

[Anonymous]

My SIL was just diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. She told me that she told her doctor about it a year ago, and the dr told her it was nothing without doing any testing. I have been reading that this is common. Just a PSA -- you may need to insist on getting testing like imaging or a biopsy if you have a lump. I had no idea this was happening. My SIL's prognosis would probably be very different if she were diagnosed a year earlier.

[Anonymous]

So sorry, OP.

[Anonymous]

What?? That's horrible. I'm so sorry.

[Anonymous]

Same thing happened to my SIL, who is a nurse. Luckily when it was finally diagnosed a year later, it had not progressed to an advanced stage.

[Anonymous]

This happened to my cousin. She was youngish (33-34) but her paternal grandmother died of breast cancer.

[Anonymous]

Interesting. I go to foxhall ob gyn and have always found that are insistent that every lump I have gets checked out (under forty but grandmother died of breast cancer. I am also a lawyer, which my doctor brother says could make them more skittish).

[Anonymous]

I'm so sorry OP, but breasts are lumpy by nature.

[Anonymous]

I would've gotten a 2nd opinion.

Why aren't people advocates for themselves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My SIL was just diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. She told me that she told her doctor about it a year ago, and the dr told her it was nothing without doing any testing. I have been reading that this is common. Just a PSA -- you may need to insist on getting testing like imaging or a biopsy if you have a lump. I had no idea this was happening. My SIL's prognosis would probably be very different if she were diagnosed a year earlier.

I'm so sorry OP. How old is your SIL? Was she having annual mammograms?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would've gotten a 2nd opinion.

Why aren't people advocates for themselves?

People are intimidated by doctors and lawyers.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for your replies.

I agree that a second opinion was in order and that people should advocate for themselves. I guess that's why I posted in the first place. We have to trust our doctors to some degree, so questioning their judgement does not come naturally to many people.
This was a new lump, so it needed further evaluation.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/breast-lump/art-20044839?pg=1

[Anonymous]

Yeah this happened to a friend. She has stage 4 breast cancer and a new baby. The doctors who ignored it were in DC. She went out of state (to her old doc) to get a second opinion and was promptly diagnosed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would've gotten a 2nd opinion.

Why aren't people advocates for themselves?

It happens like this: you feel a lump. You get it checked out. Doctor says it's nothing. That's what you want to hear and you dont really know the appropriate protocol anyway. You carry on thinking you've been an advocate for yourself just by getting lump checked out. Some people just ignore these things. Fast forward a year and whoops it was cancer. Hindsight is now 20/20 and all.

[Anonymous]

Very sorry about your SIL, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would've gotten a 2nd opinion.

Why aren't people advocates for themselves?

It happens like this: you feel a lump. You get it checked out. Doctor says it's nothing. That's what you want to hear and you dont really know the appropriate protocol anyway. You carry on thinking you've been an advocate for yourself just by getting lump checked out. Some people just ignore these things. Fast forward a year and whoops it was cancer. Hindsight is now 20/20 and all.

+1. I feel very bad for your SIL. Should get a second opinion.