4mm irregular mass

Hi,

I had a 3D mammo and they found a 4mm irregular mass in the middle lower base. They said because of insurance reasons I have to wait for a diagnostic mammo and ultrasound. I am losing my mind. She said try not to worry because the mass didn’t show up on one view and she said that’s common with dense breast tissue. Does anyone here know about this? If you Google irregular breast mass it sounds like you pretty much have CA. Not sure how I’m going to get through this weekend.

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Comments

  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 5,302

    kmom80,

    Unfortunately, a screening mammo is just that…screening. A diagnostic mammo is needed to determine if it’s something of concern , which would then still need a biopsy for confirmation, or nothing to worry about. If, and that’s a big if, you have breast cancer it is not an emergency situation. Breast cancer is slow growing and almost never an emergency so time is not a critical issue. The waiting is very difficult but rest assured that waiting will not compromise your situation. Lastly, Dr. Google is a terrible diagnostician and whatever he presents to you says almost nothing about your situation. Stay away from Dr. Google for diagnostic purposes. Take care.

  • purplecat
    purplecat Member Posts: 227

    It's definitely not always cancer. Most of the time it's something benign. Think about all the different things that can show up on your skin: pimples, warts, moles, bug bites, scratches, freckles, and I'm sure a dermatologist could list dozens of additional skin oddities that aren't cancer. But unlike skin, where the thing is right out in the open and the doctor can tell at a glance what it is, screening mammograms can only tell you that there's something in the breast, and they need a closer look with a diagnostic mammo to be more sure what it is. Even if it does turn out to be cancer, 4 millimeters is teeny tiny and likely very early stage. The waiting is awful, though - try to stay busy and distracted with things you enjoy.

  • moderators
    moderators Posts: 8,651

    We're so sorry you're here and experiencing this worry, @kmom80. We know it's hard not to worry and immediately imagine the worst-case scenario, but as both @exbrnxgrl and @purplecat mentioned, it's definitely not always cancer - in the majority of cases, even with diagnostic mammograms, turn out to be benign. The waiting is so very hard though, we know. We hope your able to get scheduled soon!

    The Mods

  • kmom80
    kmom80 Member Posts: 2

    I appreciate the time you all took to respond to me. Your words bring me more comfort that you know. My family is not affectionate at all. My mother had breast cancer around my age and I thought she would at least call me to give me some encouragement and insight and all I got was a text of a heart emoji. I am scheduled Monday morning for the diagnostic and will update.