Don't ignore possible breast cancer, go get another opinion

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 58-year-old widow. Recently, my doctor told me that he found a lump in my breast and asked me if I had felt it during my self-exams. I hadn’t. He sent me to get the mammogram, but nothing was found, so I was then sent for an ultrasound. Again, nothing was found, and the technician also did a manual exam and found nothing. When I returned to the doctor, he said I needed further testing, and, when I asked why, he said, “Because I definitely feel a pea-size lump, and it needs to be taken care of.�

My insurance has paid only one-third of the costs incurred, and I cannot afford any more tests at this time. Why would my doctor want me to have more tests when I, both tests and the sonogram tech can’t find anything abnormal? This has been a scary and costly experience. What should I do?

DEAR READER: You are in a bind. On one hand, you may have early breast cancer. But on the other, you may not and will have wasted a significant amount of money. I take breast cancer very seriously. One reason is that the disease usually responds well to therapy if diagnosed in its early stages.

Your best course of action is to obtain a second opinion from a surgeon who is especially experienced in treating breast lesions. If the surgeon cannot feel the breast lump, he or she may suggest holding off and retesting you in three or six months. If everything continues to appear normal, resume your yearly mammograms and follow your doctor’s suggestions.

Peter Gott practiced medicine in Lakeville for 40 years.