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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, are you part of a high risk program? For me, my family has a strong history of breast cancer but we don’t have BRCA. I see the gynecologist and then the breast cancer center each year - so every six months someone is examining my breasts. I also have MRIs. If you aren’t doing this, then you should get the genetic testing. Why would you not want to manage your risk for something that if caught early, could be the difference btw. Life and death?[/quote]

This is OP.
So, my gyn always has a worried face when examining my breast.
I am supposed to do ultrasound every 6m and mammo every year; I am now 47.
Mom is a cancer survivor; one breast was removed in a developing country.  I do not know if the diagnostics there were correct. For some reason, I keep thinking what if it was just a cyst…. This was long time ago - I was in my 20s and did not dig into details and treatment — I was pretty ignorant and just kind of just financed whatever was asked…. I don’t think she had chemo/radio after the surgery.
Plus, my paternal aunt had a bad cyst removed and went through chemo here in the US.
So, based on family history, and multiple cysts identified by ultrasound, I was referred to see breast surgeon who was terrific.  At the first check up, she is like - I can drain it right now if you want! I’m like, really? Okay (because I lost my sleep after that referral and getting cystic breast diagnosis).
She drained it in two secs; there was liquid; and she said she is not gonna send it for further lab, as it’s clear water which means benign.  That cyst popped up right after painful mammo by the way…. I discussed that situation here some time ago actually (as I kept quite while the technician put too much pressure).  In any case - now I ask mammo people to ‘work with me’ as I have low tolerance for pain plus I do believe little cyst worsened after too much pressure.  That cyst was like an quail egg protruding from the side of my breast and I NEVER had anything like that visible in the mirror before mammo…

Sorry - I got carried away here…

Long story short, I had a follow up with breast surgeon, and she is like why are you here? - because my ob/gyn told me so.  Breast surgeon recommended her earlier next steps + mri:
1/ Breast MRI —- this will be my first time and scheduled this week (should give better images as I have extremely dense tissue)
2/ genetic consultation and testing (I did not do it last year - chickened out and breast surgeon was not happy about it during the follow up; she said this is what I need due to family history, so we have mite info to discuss all options; she also said it may be negative - then it’s also a really good info)
3/ continue with 1y mammo and ultrasound (I did not want every 6m ultrasound as it’s pricy)[/quote]

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