Topic: Stereotactic Biopsy

Good Morning Chiefs mom,

I had calcifacations and had to have stereotatic biopsy. Not all calcifacations are cancer.

Take one step at a time, one breath, one day at a time.

I know the waiting is the worst thing of all.

You will be in my thoughts and prayer.

If you would like to pm me I would be glad to answer questions on a personal level.

Have a peaceful day.

Hugs

Nan

Of course you are scared. Anyone in your shoes would be scared. As Fitchik said, its always scary for anyone to consider the possibility they have cancer.

I had calcifications and a stereotactic biopsy, and I had an unusual finding that puts me at higher risk for breast cancer, but is still considered benign. As Fitchik said, 80% of biopsies in the US turn out to be benign.

Its so easy to be scared. I was terrified and cried at work and at home. If you feel comfortable doing this, it may help to explain to the tech that does your next procedure that it is very hard for you. They can try to give you extra emotional support.

Breathing abdominally (so your stomach sticks out instead of your shoulders moving) can help calm.
As both posters above said, try to take one step at a time.

I had a sterotactic bx last year in my "good" breast, also for calcifications, it turned out fine.  I'm hoping yours does too!!

g

I had a stero biopsy Feb 2005 for calcifications in the left breast - b9

I had a stero biopsy Aug 2006 for calcifications in the right breast - b9

I had a stero biopsy April 2007 for calcifications in the right breast - DCIS

Can anyone say 'ground hog day'

The odds on calcifications are that 80% of the time they are b9.

Sheila

I really know how you are feeling right now.I just had a stereotactic biopsy last week for calcifactions and I am scared everytime the phone rings.They were located just beneath the skin but prior to this (my first mamo was 12-07)I had never even heared of calcifications before.I am trying to take one breath at a time and it is the most difficult thing I've ever been through.I'm praying for you Chiefs Mom.And I thank everyone for your words of support.

Marianna, do you have an appointment to get your results? How painful was it to do the biopsy? Do they send the sample to x-ray to be sure they have the right spot? I'm freaking because none of the x-ray mammography departments want to answer my endless questions. I guess it sounds like I am telling them how to do their job but it is MY breast they are poking around with and I want to be sure they are getting the right spot. I read they are supposed to put a marker there at the biopsy site but in Canada no one seems to have heard of this??

Hi Sheila

Well the fact that I was sobbing so badly that I couldn't speak likely didn't help matters but yes, I think they know how scared I am. Is the prone table easier than the sitting up one? I asked for relaxing meds but my doctor keeps telling me there is nothing to worry about...I felt like asking if they stuck needles in his private part and yanked stuff out, how would he feel?!! For the spot compression tests which I still don't have results for 2 weeks later I cried and yelled so much and the technician kept telling me she was a woman too and that it didn't hurt that bad.....for what it is worth, I am actually a very physically strong person and I'm only a wimp "emotionally" and not physically. My breast actually did hurt already from the previous mammo and I got a bruise on each breast from the spot compression. I guess I will go back to my doc and insist upon some relaxing meds or I will be a wreck. Incidently, they don't do x-ray of samples here or put a marker from what I can gather which has me so worried....what happens after a diagnosis....do they just schedule surgery or do you see an oncologist....I know something is wrong because my right breast is so tender in the spot where the calcifications are....I'm extremely intuitive....and neurotic....thanks for your response

They have the prone table at the hospital where my sterotactic biopsies were done. As Blinx said demand something for the anxiety. My first stero biopsy done in jan. 2005 was done without the valium and you have to be still for 45 minutes to an hour and by the time I was able to get up, my nerves were shot. Because of a spine problem, it is hard for me to lay on my belly for any lenght of time and I was hurting down my legs and up my neck. The second one fall 2006 was more bearable because of the valium, the last one last April was no big deal (ground hog day). I was glad that he realized that you need the meds to deal with the trama of the procedure.

btw - the first two biopsies I had were b-9 ADH, the last was early DCIS.

Sheila

I had a sterotactic biopsy of my right breast last August because of calcifications and yes, 80% are benign but that won't matter until you get your peace of mind and your results are known. I am 42 with no history of breast cancer, but now lung cancer has been diagnosed in my mom Jan. 8th with a good prognosis. Calcifications are common in women my age and yours.

Please know you are in my thoughts. Also, just had my 6 month follow up Tuesday and I am good to go until my yearly time in August.

Karen

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I am surprised how many people's lives this nasty disease touches and how brave everyone seems. I find myself regretting drinking red wine and worrying that I have caused this somehow. I am in Ontario, Canada and wonder who should I ask to call me with the results?? The lab? Karen, I am so very happy for you that your results were good...I sure hope mine are too...although I'm not very hopeful because they are a cluster of fine microcalcifications which are definitely the bad kind to have. Here, the doctors minimize everything. He told me after my last mammo that I needed a follow up in six months but he didn't tell me there was something abnormal. Stupidly, I paid no attention and because I had a year of personal problems with a relationship break-up I didn't go at all for a mammo. This was only my second mammo. I had spot compression stuff done 2 weeks ago and still don't even have those results. Doctors here are very vague and they placate you and tell you not to worry....well I am very very worried sick in fact. Thanks again to those who have responded with kind words and support. I would like to know who I can ask to call for results...the lab or the surgeon?

Hi Otter

Thanks for that. I will ask the radiologist who does the procedure to call me...hopefully they will do that here. I also want my results in private so that in the event of bad news I can prepare myself emotionally to go to the surgeon again. I don't need to get results sitting in front of someone so that I can break down. I'd rather fall apart privately. I hope they will do this for me....

Hi Sheila

I am so sorry....none of this is easy...and honestly...it seems that a b9 result once is just borrowed time...sure seems like eventually these calcifications turn into something bad....I cried reading your comment....I hope your husband was supportive...I have a boyfriend who won't marry me but no husband...guess he'll never marry me now. I would still prefer to have my results at home in private. At least I'm fortunate in that I can work from home and since I sell real estate I don't always see the same people. Apart from this network of wonderful people and my boyfriend I haven't told a soul....oddly, I feel ashamed, as if I have done something wrong to deserve this. To make things worse, I just found out my family doctor is retiring in a month (and I live in a very small town). I've pretty much diagnosed myself with non-invasive breast cancer...I can just tell something is different, I've been tired all of the time for the past few years now and I always just attributed it to getting older (49), and I've never had kids which puts me at higher risk. I have no family so I'm pretty much on my own with this. I'm not even sure I'll tell my boyfriend....thanks again to everyone who has offered advice/comments.....I sure wish that none of us had to go through this at all.

Thanks Sheila...I know I am getting way ahead of myself...I'm just preparing for the worst so that if it is good news I can be thankful. If they say it is maligant, what is the next step? Who decides upon surgery and how....at what point do you see an oncologist? I was just sent to a general surgeon. When do they determine how serious it is....and Sheila, are you saying even if caught early mastectomies are the treatment? I think I would only consider this if I did the immediate recon operation.....but the thought is devastating. Sounds like you have a great husband....they are quite hard to come by these days and definitely something to be treasured. I'm happy for you that you have him. Do you have children too?

chiefsmom,

It may be different at different facilities here in Ontario, but I've had biopsies done at several facilities and it's always my doctor who calls me with the results.  At least at the facilities that I've been to, the radiologist and the lab itself are not allowed to release results to patients.  I'd suggest that you call the office of the doctor who ordered the biopsy and ask them how you will get the results (from the surgeon?  by phone or do you need to schedule an appointment?) and when you can expect to hear. 

As for your fear about the calcifications, here are some things to remember:

• Approx. 60% of women get calcifications.
• 90%+ of calcifications are benign.
• Only suspicious looking calcifications (clustered microcalcifications or microcalcs that are in a linear formation) are sent for biopsy, and of these, approx. 80% turn out to be benign.
• Once a cluster of calcifications has been tested to be benign, it will always stay benign.  Calcifications don't change and become cancerous.  You need to watch for new calcifications, of course, but the ones that were tested don't need to be checked again.

I know that you are nervous, but please don't get ahead of yourself.  As someone else on this board often says, "don't borrow trouble".   You've said that you feel your doctor is placating you by telling you not to worry.  Maybe he's telling you not to worry because he knows that the odds are very much in your favour that these calcifications will be harmless.  Maybe he simply doesn't want you to worry needlessly. 

Lastly, to your comment "sure seems like eventually these calcifications turn into something bad"  please please remember that this is a breast cancer discussion forum.  That means that most of us who hang out here were diagnosed with breast cancer.  So of course it appears that calcifications always end up with a breast cancer diagnosis. For us, they did.  But we are the minority.  A small minority.  All those other women who had biopsies for calcifications that turned out to be benign don't hang out on this board.  Hopefully you'll be in that group. 

Hi,

I've been reading your posts, and my heart is going out to you.

I had the Stereotactic needle core biopsy on Monday 2/18. In fact it was the night before that I put my post on this site, I was in terror and needed help.

I have panic attacks in medical settings, and I just knew I'd have one either before or during the biopsy. I was so scared!!!!  I can tell you this, it was not really as scary as my mind made it. I had the prone method. Ok, I lay face turned to the side on my stomach. That wasn't so bad. The nurse stood near me positioned so I could see her. The doctor and Pit crew were underneath...which was good because I couldn't see what was going on and  frighten my self more. They talked to me the whole time, and I never felt the injection of anesthetic , and the pressure wasn't really that noticable.

I had a uterine biopsy several years ago, and THAT HURT.

Every step of the way they are using x ray and I was told, some form of GPS to make sure they are on target. Thats why it runs about 40 min. The actual removal of the tissue is pretty fast, just a few minutes.

My doctor called the next morning with the results...I cried when I was told it isn't cancer....

I can really relate to the feelings you are describing, and I know that if I need to do this again, I won't be  afraid of the test.