My tumor has a tail!

I logged on to my Southwest Medical file today to see how far booked my general doctor is (for asthma and dermatitis) and notice I have a new piece of paper in my medical record. It’s the results from my MRI findings. I click on it and discover. MY TUMOR HAS A TAIL! I didn’t realize tumors could get tails, but mine does. To give you an example of what I’m trying to decipher, this is my medical findings:

At the 4 o clock position anteriorly in the left breast there is a 2.6 x 2.2 x 3.3 cm (1.02in x .86in x 1.29in) lobulated mass. Multi-nodular stranding to the nipple present. There is posterior stranding also present creating a tail that extends posteriorly over a length of approx. 2CM (1.2in) with a total length of the mass from tumor to tail posteriorly of approximately 5cm (1.96in). Medial to the primary tumor in the central inferior retoareolar aspect of the left breast are several nodular enhancing elements, the largest with a length of approximately 16mm (.62 in). There are also some linear and nodular strand like areas of enhancement in the left breast at the 8 to 9 position. No mass or suspicious enhancement in the right breast. Several nonspecific auxiliary lymph nodes bilaterally more so on the left. Most prominent lymph node left extra region with a short axis dimension of 11mm (.43 in).

Impression:

1.       The bulk of the previously biopsied left breast cancer is at the 4clock position with a maximum dimension of 3.3CM (1.29in) however there is stranding anteriorly to the nipple and a posterior tail that extends over 5cm (1.96in). Multifocal nodular areas of enhancement also present medial to the tumor in the left lower inner quadrant suspicious for multiple foci of tumor. BI-RADS 6.

2.       Prominent left auxiliary lymph nodes, suspicious.

3.       No suspicious lesions detected in the right breast.

So what does this all mean? Well let me retype it with all the stuff I researched from google. Now, don’t hold me to this because the internet is the internet but….

At the 4 o clock position (look at your nipple like a clock in the mirror) in the front of the left breast near the surface is a tumor a little over 1 ¼ in by 1in. The tumor has changed the tissue around it, almost like creating roots of a tree. It’s starting to infect the surrounding tissue in “stands”. The strands are starting to create “nodules” or baby tumors. The largest of these strands is 1.96inches and the largest  of these baby tumors is .62 inches. The largest baby tumor is behind the nipple way beneath the surface where I can’t feel it (central inferior retoareolar). There is more stranding to the 8 and 9 oclock positions. There are several lymphnodes in my arm pit (auxiliary means armpit) that they looked at and the most prominent one was .43 in wide (side note: most lymph nodes are ¼ of an inch to ¾ inch) so while it falls in normal range, it’s still swollen compared to the other lymph nodes around it.

….so moral of the story is, I guess it’s a good thing I’m having the bi-lateral. It sounds like the tumor has gone from just being a small tumor to stranding off and trying to create baby tumors all over my breast tissue so I’m not sure saving my breast would have been an option even if I wanted it.