I am a 51 year old- NOT nursing woman. Three days later, I developed Mastitis of the right breast. I do have inverted nipples- all of my life. I was treated with antibiotics and the Mastitis seems to be resolving- although it still seems more lumpy than usual. After 5 days of treatment with the antibiotics, I was seen again and a repeat sonogram was done. The nurse seemed concerned because there were dark masses and that she was not sure if they were cancer or not. I was told to finish the first round of antibiotics and then start a second round of a different antibiotics and to return to see her in 2 weeks time. I talked to the nurse and said that given my mammograms and sonograms from 10 days ago were fine- how could it be possible that now it could be cancer. I am also mystified how I developed Mastitis 3 days after the sonogram. Any opinions would be welcome. The nurse did say that she wants to keep following me to make sure that it is not cancer.
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Q: I just had a mammogram and sonogram to both breasts and was told everything was fine.
Although it is unusual, sometimes non-nursing women do develop mastitis. However, when a non-nursing woman has apparent mastitis, an alert doctor also needs to consider the possibility of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Currently best practices call for a biopsy to rule out IBC if one round of antibiotics does not resolve the mastitis. You are in an in-between situation because your symptoms responded to the antibiotic, which theoretically does not happen with cancer. However, I have been in contact with women over the years who had a partial response to antibiotics, who were eventually diagnosed with IBC. Although mammograms for IBC patients often show skin thickening, increased density, or changes in symmetry, because most IBC patients don't have a lump, it is hard to diagnose IBC from mammograms or ultrasounds.
In addition to the basic article about IBC linked above, here is a link to my personal IBC story. Read more about IBC and see if your symptoms and experience match up. If so, ask for a referral to a breast specialist to see if you need a biopsy right away, or if you can wait to see what happens with the second antibiotic. IBC is rare, but please be proactive about getting a proper diagnosis.
I don't have any ideas about whether there is a connection between the mammogram/ultrasound and your mastitis symptoms. Maybe some of our other readers have had a similar experience.
Dear Phyllis,
I am the 51 year old who developed Mastitis and have been corresponding with you over the weekend. Thank you for your valuable information on Inflammatory Breast Cancer. I am just finishing my first antibiotic and was to see the nurse on Dec. 21st. The Mastitis seems to be resolving- although I continue to have an area about 2" by 2" that looks slightly bruised about 2 o"clock around my nipple, that area feels warmer and my breast does seem to feel lumpier. After reviewing all your recommended readings, I have decided to contact the Breast Center to try and speed up my appointment if possible. It sounds like even if the Mastitis does clear up- I have still the question- how did it develop in the first place? Since this cancer is fast growing, I want to try and see if I can have a biopsy now rather than wait until the second antibiotic is finished. I hope this is a good course of action. Thanks again for your insights.
That sounds like a good action plan. While it's good that your symptoms are improving on the antibiotic, many doctors recommend a biopsy if a first round of antibiotics does not completely clear up mastitis-like symptoms in a non-lactating woman. I hope you get good news. You are doing a good job of being proactive about your health.
Dear Phyllis, Sorry for the delay in my reply. Despite frequent attempts, I could not get on the website to check this section for over a week. Finally, today I was able to get back on. I am not sure if it was my computer that was the problem. Anyways, back to my situation.
The previous week, I was told by a nurse who was treating me for Mastitis that she wanted to prescribe a second antibiotic and then see me in two weeks " to make sure that there was not any cancer present." Therefore I was to be seen on Dec. 23rd. I decided that I could not wait that long- I was very anxious and worried since she mentioned that there was a possibility of cancer.
Fortunately, my primary physician was able to call and get me an earlier appointment.
I did get in to see my Dr.- the Breast Cancer specialist on Tuesday, Dec. 15th. He did a repeat "sonogram" and stated that he did not see any symptoms of breast cancer and that the mastitis was resolving with the antibiotics. He suggested that they would continue to see me over the next couple of months, to be seen every couple of weeks to keep an eye on everything. He did not recommend a biopsy at this time- did not feel that it was indicated with no physical evidence of cancer. I shared my concerns about inflammatory breast cancer and he stated that sometimes cancer can be hidden but at the moment, he did not see any indications of cancer being present. So I plan to follow up with his office to keep an eye on everything. I just completed my second round of antibiotics today and it seems that the mastitis has cleared up. I will plan to follow- up with his office to keep an eye on everything. No one has given me an answer about how I managed to contract the mastitis in the first place, three days after having the original mammogram and sonogram. It is a mystery.
I'm glad that you were able to see the doctor sooner and that the mastitis is clearing up and that the doctor will follow you closely to make sure no other symptoms develop. It may always remain a mystery as to whether there was any kind of connection between the mammogram and the mastitis. Now you can relax and enjoy the holiday.
Dear Phyllis, Thank you for your informative replies and I hope that you had a great holiday time with your family. I do have another question for you. At the Breast Centre where I have been having my mammograms done, I had been seen several times over the past 3 years by the specialist nurse and always found her to be very caring and compassionate. However, on the day that she was doing a recheck on my mastitis- 5 days after starting the antibiotics-it was Dec. 9th and then she mentioned that she wanted me to take a second antibiotic and then to come back in two weeks "to make sure that it wasn't cancer". My response was one of shock. It ended up getting sorted out because I came back sooner because I was so upset and worried about the possibility of cancer and saw the Breast Center Specialist Doctor who told me that he did not see any signs of cancer. I have the following concerns: I find that I am reluctant to want to see that nurse again- since she told me " come back in two weeks to make sure it wasn't cancer" when I just thought I was dealing with an infection. I have thought about writing her a note to let her know how upset and worried I was when she gave me that information and then told me that I had to wait 2 more weeks to see her. I felt quite traumatized by the whole sitution. I have also thought that maybe that day she just had an off day- because usually I had found her to be very caring and thoughtful- such as calling my home and cell phone that day after my original mammogram on Nov. 30 to let me know that everything was fine. I realize that we are all human and mistakes can happen. Should I just let it pass or do you think it would be worthwhile to write a calm letter just making her aware of how her comment had affected me. Any suggestions?
In addition to being a part of HealthCentral for the last two years, I've been a mailing list member with two groups of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) patients, survivors, and caregivers since my diagnosis with IBC eleven years ago. Many people on those sites are unhappy with their medical folks for not letting them know that their symptoms could be cancer and for not being more proactive in getting their mastitis-like symptoms diagnosed properly. So that's the perspective I have when I say that I think your nurse did exactly the right thing. She let you know that you needed to be sure to do all the follow-up tests. You suffered some anxiety that you could have avoided if she hadn't mentioned the possibility of cancer, but you had the good fortune of ultimately receiving a diagnosis of mastitis. You also are now educated about inflammatory breast cancer, and may be able to save a friend's life by encouraging her to see a doctor even if she does not have a lump. You have three years experience knowing that this nurse is a compassionate person, so while you may disagree with her actions and wish she kept quiet about the possibility of cancer, I'd give her the benefit of trusting that she is trying to make decisions in your best interest.
Thank you for your reply. You are probably right that given that I have found that the nurse's past compassionate experiences with me, on this occasion, she was being proactive and cautious rather just trying to gloss over the potential for a future problem. I am more knowledgeable now and will be more attuned to any possible problems that may develop but that will hopefully not develop.
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Thank you for your reply. Your answer helps me understand how I could have had a clear Mammogram and sonograms prior to developing Mastitis. I am hopeful that the antibiotics will resolve the problem. On the other hand, if this is IBC- then the sooner we get treatment- the better. I will be seeing the nurse at a Breast Care clinic on Dec. 21st. I am praying for an "all clear" opinion for an early Christmas present. Still-have you ever heard of someone developing mastitis 3 days after having mammograms and sonograms? I still find the timing unusual.
Thank you also for the information about your situation. I am glad that you have had a successful response to treatment. That is encouraging news. I will keep you posted on any future developments.