Toni Knew Something Was Wrong

Toni's experience with breast cancer screening began long before she ever felt a lump. In 1994, Toni underwent treatment for thyroid cancer. Not long after radiation treatment, Toni's regular mammogram showed that she had developed microcalcifications in both her breasts, possibly related to the treatment. Toni and her doctor resolved to watch these carefully, since the radiation therapy she received placed her at a higher risk for breast cancer.

After Toni underwent thyroid cancer treatment again in 1996, she noticed a change in her left breast. Six weeks after a normal mammogram, she could feel a lump in her left breast. In three weeks time, this lump transformed from "nothing" into a 2 cm malignant tumor, about the size of a grape. After biopsy showed this tumor to be malignant, Toni underwent a lumpectomy, lymph node removal, and chemotherapy to treat her cancer.

Toni remained diligent in monitoring her own breast health. In 2001 she immediately noticed when a similar change occurred in her right breast. Toni could feel a lump and went immediately for a mammogram.

The mammogram revealed nothing new, even though Toni could feel the lump. Overall, she was not feeling well and was experiencing some itching in her right arm that further reinforced her belief that something was wrong. Toni proceeded to have an ultrasound, which did not uncover what she felt. She assisted the technicians in positioning the detector to help them find what she knew was there. Doctors did not believe that the 8 mm spot was anything to worry about and told Toni not to be concerned.

Toni believed there had to be another method available to help confirm her suspicions. She searched the Internet until she found Dilon. Clinical trials for BSGI with the Dilon 6800® camera were underway at Johns Hopkins and George Washington University hospitals. Toni insisted that she participate in these studies. When she finally had BSGI, her suspicions were confirmed. The lump she felt was suspicious in the BSGI procedure and subsequent biopsy showed it was indeed cancer. "I was relieved to find out, and began treatment right away," she said.

Toni immediately received treatment, and underwent another lumpectomy and lymph node removal. Toni was relieved to have found her cancer, but was also disappointed in the limitations of mammogram and ultrasound. "If I had not taken the initiative to find another way to test, this tumor could have grown for three more years before it was detectable with a mammogram," Toni said.

Not all calcifications are related to malignancy and you should see your doctor if you have concerns. In addition, as mentioned in the previous section on imaging technologies, no test detects 100 percent of cancers. There can be both false-negative and false-positive findings with BSGI.