I have been diagnosed with breast cancer and have had several biopsys. When the surgeon then looks for the markers that had been inserted, they cannot find them. Has anyone else had the same problem please?
I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis and that the surgeon has now been unable to find the biopsy markers. It's understandable that you may be feeling worried about this.
I have a feeling that we have had someone post previously on the forum about the same problem but I can't find the post to share with you. Hopefully, if someone has experience with this issue they'll reply to your post to share their experiences.
If you feel that you'd like to talk things through with one of our team of nurses you're welcome to call them on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm. I'm sure they will be happy to try and offer any advice and support that they can.
Sorry to find you on here. I had two markers (I think they were magseeds) put in a few weeks apart after biopsies, earlier this year. I had two areas of calcifications that were diagnosed as IDC AND DCIS.
My surgeon never told me that the marker wasn't found, but surprisingly, when I eventually got a copy of my post op histology report I was amazed to read that the pathologist couldn't find the second biopsy site.
This really worried me and I've never really had answers. In my lowest moments I wondered if the surgeon had left the DCIS and marker in me! Surely that couldn't happen??!
I'm still worrying about it so much that I'm going privately for a second opinion.
Thanks for your reply Mary. I did mention this to one of the breast nurses who said markers were routinely placed in your breast if you had a biopsy done, so that if it was cancerous they knew where it was. She, herself never had cancer but the marker was still in her breast and said that it was harmless as it was surgical material. The trouble is, I have now had THREE markers placed inside, that they can't find, so they don't know exactly where the cancer now is :-(
I really feel for you Jane-Doe. I thought the markers were located during surgery using a special scanner. They're supposed to be more accurate than the wire previously used which could move apparently. Did they tell you what sort of marker was used?
When I had mine put in they checked the position with a mammogram and it could be seen, even though I have dense breasts.
I hope you manage to get some answers and that things progress well for you.
Thanks Mary, yes apparently they are supposed to be located before surgery. Each time I go in a couple of days prior to the operation to be told they can't find it. I also have to have a wire placed in the morning of the operation, unfortunately I don't know what type of marker was used. They did admit that i had severe bruising still on the breast several weeks after, and initially this was the reason they could not find the first one....but not sure where the latest two are !!
I'm reading your post as I am due to have Magseed markers inserted next week in advance of surgery (although I don't have a date for the surgery yet, it will be in a few weeks.) Rather worrying to read your post, I see that this was some time ago and wondered how you are, and if you had any resolution with this?
Hi Sunlover, yes fortunately all now over and done with. It seems mine was in a very unusual place, with the first biopsy that was done bursting a blood vessel, which is also very rare. Please don't worry, I'm sure it will all be plain sailing for you, as my main problem they told me afterwards was my fear of enclosed spaces, so I would not go in a MRI for the scan, where as others do. Good luck, but you probably won't need it xx
Thanks for getting back so quickly, and glad that your issue seems to be resolved now. There are so many things to worry about with this game isn't there! Neither of my two cancerous lumps showed up on mammogram, only on ultrasound, then I had a suspicious area on MRI scan which they went to biopsy, but it had disappeared! So who knows.
I'm due to go on holiday for a few days between having this magseed inserted and the surgrey, flying overseas and they said that was ok. I'm hoping so, anyway!
I did have a biopsy on another lump, which came back non cancerous. I think you can get so many different 'lumps' this one was a fluid build up, and I did have something else that they took out, but I didn't know that until the day or the surgery, which was good. They also told me that it would be a big lump and alter my cup size, which has not differed, so they don't always get that right!
Go and enjoy your holiday, we flew two weeks after surgery and after I had booked it found that I should of waited a bit longer. Then got myself worried as I'm 67 and and should of waited longer because of DVT. No problems though.
