Microcalcifications
Here is my diagnostic mammogram report
Left breast Fine pleomorphic calcifications in a linear distribution at 11 oclock, 7 cm from the nipple measuring 17 mm. RECOMMENDATION Stereotactic Core Biopsy of the left breast. These findings and recommendations have been discussed with the patient. The patient will be sent a written report. BIRAD 4 Suspicious
I had a papilloma with calcifications removed in the left breast in 2019 with PROLIFERATIVE FIBROCYSTIC CHANGE WITH MICROCALCIFICATIONS. SCLEROSING ADENOSIS.
The radiologist verbally said it was 50 50 that the new calcifications are benign. I called for the stereotactic biopsy appointment which is scheduled on September 23rd. Over a month away
I have anxiety previously and really upped it with the waiting. Should I call and ask to be placed on a cancellation list?
Thank you for reading
Cindy
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I forgot to add that I am struggling with severe anxiety with the unknown and the wait. My husband has stage 4 kidney disease and we have a 37 year old daughter on the autism spectrum. I worry about them as well. Thank you for listening.
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If you were me, I would definitely call and request to be put on a cancellation list. What a lot to go through! Your anxiety is totally valid.
You don't have to have any special diagnosis to request to be put on a cancellation list. Maybe some places have cancellation agendas, but it certainly doesn't hurt to try. Having severe anxiety and knowing you would feel better if you got an earlier appointment is plenty enough of a reason. Obviously, you may have short notice if a cancellation occurs; some people have to cancel with just a few hours' notice. When someone cancels, the schedulers will be going down a list of people on a cancellation list to call. If they call you, you can either accept the date and time or decline.
I had my first stereotactic biopsy, showing a higher risk diagnosis (of LCIS) more than 20 years ago. (LCIS - lobular cancinoma in situ - is a misnomer, and is considered as benign, although most people consider it a marker of higher breast cancer risk. It is also unusual, so not much is known about it.) Just last Friday, I 'won' (as my dear departed friend put it) another stereotactic biopsy for suspicious calcifications on Sept 9. I have had more biopsies and excisions and lumpectomies than I can count, and so far have never been diagnosed (breast wise) with anything worse than LCIS. I have multiple traumas. So, while the details of our trauma may be different, I can certainly understand your anxiety.
Its very, very common for people, especially people who post here, to be very, very anxious. If a person wasn't anxious, they would be less likely to post here. You are not alone.
When you do have your stereotactic biopsy, I would recommend telling the people that you are extremely anxious. This will hopefully let your doctors and nurses be more attentive to you, so you are not alone in this process. If I did it over again, I would try to communicate better with my caregivers about my emotional condition.
We are here. No matter what happens, you will not be alone.
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leaf , that is spot on. Op, Call tomorrow and get on waitlist. Call each Monday and check status. I did this and got off waitlist. My biopsy was aborted due to small breasts. I was moved to top of list for marker placement… From start to finish , bad mammo to results today was 5 weeks. I had out of network surgeon remove the calcifications. Women are waiting too much. It is unacceptable. Mental Health concern. I did not expect being incapacitated by this stress but that is what it does. 4b birads benign. I know I need to be diligent here. I have been. I just did not expect the overwhelming trauma and stress. I knew not alone because of these threads… keep us posted.
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How completely horrible that your biopsy was aborted for small breasts!! They need protocols for biopsy for all people. I am so happy that you got benign results.
Any person can get breast cancer, which includes women (of course); men, transgender people, women who have had total or radical mastectomies and children, though the latter people get breast cancer rarely or very, very rarely, sometimes with only one or two known instances. (If you have had total or radical mastectomies surgeons still can't remove every breast cell, and the surgery itself can move breast cells.) This is not meant to scare you. However, as you no doubt notice, this list includes people with small breasts.
Only a pathologist can definitely diagnose a person with breast cancer. A pathologist needs a sample to look at under the microscope to diagnose, which of course, means a biopsy of some sort. After the biopsy, you need to wait until the breast sample is prepared so its hard enough to slice thinly without distortion of the tissue, yet is thin enough it can be seen under the microscope. (They have to dehydrate the sample slowly to help prevent cell distortion and embed it into (normally) paraffin, then slice the sample so thin its about 1 cell thick.) This can take many days. You do not want the pathologist to make a mistake.
Waiting is horrible. It is unfortunately so normal to go to the worst case scenario. Parts of us include frightened little children, at least those of us with trauma as a child. Children want certainty. Unfortunately, that is not what the real world can provide. We as adults have to live with uncertainty.
I like them to say things like 'I am sorry this happened to you.' But I want to hear the evidence-based truth. That's what creates trust for me.
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I did get a cancellation and had stereotactic biopsy yesterday on September 2nd. Today I received the news that I have DCIS grade 2 triple positive. I am getting a referral to a great oncology surgeon and thinking about having a mastectomy. Any thoughts on that route?
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I'm sorry you are going through this.
Since I have neither had DCIS nor a uni- or bilateral mastectomy, I cannot opine. I'm glad it looks like you are posting on the 'in treatment' forums to get more input from people who have more experience with this.
When people are first diagnosed, often the initial reaction is to do the 'most aggressive' treatment. Some people's diagnosis changes after a larger excision or surgery. You may or may not want the 'most aggressive' treatment. Mastectomy may or may not be the most aggressive treatment. I would recommend looking at all your options, and carefully examine your feelings about each option.
The people in other forums will help you see that you are not alone. Wishing you all the best in your decision.
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