'Your breast imaging exam from 9-9-26 shows the need for further evaluation' <post stereotactic bio

leaf

I will probably get the results before anybody here responds, but I am just really puzzled, so here goes.

I just had my stereotactic (mammogram guided) breast biopsy for suspicious calcifications yesterday afternoon. They got some samples of the calcifications and some from the non-calcifications (I assume nearby,) The message says 'your breast imaging exam from 9-9-26 shows the need for further evaluation. Contact your health provider, may require additional authorization from your health insurance. ' Note it says breast imaging. I emailed my healthcare provider.

It hasn't even been 24 hours since my breast biopsy, and it says imaging, so there is no way this can be the results of the biopsy samples. Those slides take days to prepare. Of course, its only the pathologist that can finally diagnose you with breast cancer (except maybe in IBC, which I am not worried about.)

I just got my routine breast mammogram on 7-24-26 and my callback mammogram on 8-21-26. What in the world would they be seeing on a mammogram on 9-9-26 that they didn't see on the routine mammogram on 7-24-26 or the callback (diagnostic) mammogram on 8-21-26? The report says I do NOT have dense breasts.

My history: I was first diagnosed with LCIS over 20 years ago and have had countless mammograms, breast MRIs, biopsies, and excisions. I am not BRCA positive. Nothing so far has been worse than classic LCIS. I have more than 1800 posts over the years in bc.org, so this is not my first walk around the block. I would make a guess that there are few other posters here that have posted over 1800 posts over 20 years who just has a benign diagnosis, not BRCA positive.

I know no one knows the answer, and maybe its a typo or something. Asking for speculation. How can they see such different things in mammograms 2-4 weeks apart? ? That can't even wait for the results of the biopsy?

maggie15

Hi @leaf, That report does sound confusing. Along with taking biopsy samples the radiologist generates procedural/imaging notes reporting on the area targeted, the locations of the biopsy samples and the placement of the marker clip. Insurance requires some kind of documentation to pay for the procedure and use of the mammography equipment.The pathology report, what you are really interested in, takes several days to a week.

I was sent for a stereotactic biopsy but the radiologist told me it was inappropriate since I had a palpable lump along with the calcifications. She had to account for the appointment so I was charged for a radiology consult. A couple of weeks later I had an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy which generated an ultrasound report as well as the biopsy procedure details. Right after the biopsy I had a mammogram to ensure that the clip was in the place where the biopsy was done; that generated another mammogram report.

The report was probably issued for medical record and insurance requirements. It sounds like someone entered the wrong CPT code which is why the message makes no sense. I hope your biopsy turns out to be benign.

leaf

Thank you so much maggie15! I really appreciate sharing your experience and guessing what may have happened. Perhaps, since there are two samples - one containing calcified tissue and one not containing calcified tissue - that the radiologist needed to justify why she took the uncalcified sample to the insurance company.

I knew that someone in the bc.org community would 'step up to the plate' and take a guess. I am so grateful you did this. It helps so much in this age of mistrust and misinformation. I will post again if and when I get more information. Thank you also for your wishes my biopsy turns out to be benign.

In the meantime, please know I am so grateful there are people in this world that try to make sense out of chaos. Thank you again. I hope you are doing as well as you can.

leaf

Dx: Nothing worse than LCIS. I have had this diagnosis multiple times before (though maybe not in this breast.) This is no surprise because in the 1990s, when they routinely did bilateral mastectomies on LCIS (and nothing worse) patients, they found usually there were multiple spots of LCIS in a breast, and often it was in both breasts.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised when my caregivers are kind of at a loss. At one point I calculated that my mamography center, which is within 10 miles of a major metropolitan area, might have 5 LCIS (and nothing worse) diagnoses per year. (My initial diagnosis, in 2005, by a radiologist, went: 'You have LCIS. Do you know what that is?' I replied, 'I sure do. I've been on breastcancer.org.')

I will see a new breast surgeon to see if she wants to do an excision. New because my previous breast surgeons have either retired or left. One of them was ridiculous (20 years ago). So I'm glad to get a new one.

Thank you again, especially to maggie15, for being so kind to share her concern and knowledge, especially to those of us who have less severe diagnoses that you have.