Concerns about microcalcification cluster ignored by doctors for over a year

janehicks

Hi there,

I'm roughly 18 months out from my original diagnosis of IDC Grade 1, Stage (Onco 9) and have some concerns.

My initial biopsy was for a group of microcalcifications (turned out benign) and architechtural distortion (maligant).

However, during this initial the biopsy, the radiologist found a second set of microcalcifications that were never addressed. (No biopsy, no spot imaging) I kept asking about this group of calcifications to nurses, surgeons, etc but no one seemed concerned.

So this year at my diagnostic mammogram, I asked again for this "never addressed" group of microcalcifications to be examined and it turned out they are Birad-3 and never should have been ignored. The radiologist said I could wait six months to see if there are changes or get a biopsy now.

My questions are:

1. Should I go with the biopsy to save my sanity?
2. If there are multiple clusters of microcalcifications, do doctors typically only biopsy one?
3. If these do prove to be maligant, would it be possible to get a second lumpectomy or am I looking at a masectomy? (I had a lumpectomy, 16 rounds of rads, on tamoxifen.)
4. I've had an CE-MRI and PET Scan over the past year and nothing lit up so could that rule out that this never addressed set of calcifications is malignant?

Thank you kindly for your imput in advance.

maggie15

Hi @janehicks, I'm sorry that your medical team dropped the ball on your follow up. Imaging is useful but only a biopsy can tell whether something is malignant. I'd go ahead with it to save your sanity even though the negative scans are a good sign. If there are multiple sets of suspicious calcifications in different areas they will biopsy all. Since the initial area of microcalcifications turned out to be benign that would probably not be biopsied again unless there was a negative change in their appearance.

Usually a second lumpectomy can't be done because there is a limit on the amount of radiation your breast tissue can be exposed to. I know of someone who had a second lumpectomy 20 years later but that was an unusual situation. If you need a mastectomy and want reconstruction look into autologous flaps since implants are problematic with radiated skin. Hopefully the calcifications will be benign and you can just get on with your life.

janehicks

maggie15,

Thanks so much for your response and suggestions! Also hoping they are benign.