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3049976 tn?1340140508

Calcifications - 33yr old - other history of ?'s

Main question is how common are microcalcifications in the breasts in the early 30's?


History Personal:
-33yr old female.
-Low platelets since 2004 (idiopathic thrombocytopenia not immune thrombocytopenia)- #'s used to be around 100 now are around 70 with dips down into the 30's. - No treatment protocols.
-Iron Deficiency Anemia now showing in blood iron but on Bone Marrow Biopsy last year showed "zero stainable iron" and "significantly decreased iron stores". Now on Iron supplements.
-Slight b12 anemia. Take a shot once a month.
-borderline/pre diabetes a1c of 5.8 now was 6.0 a year ago. On metformin which has also helped with a bleeding issue.
-bleeding issue - until starting metformin in 2011 generally bled every if not close to every day for months and at times for over a year at a time since 2004. With metformin will last a couple weeks but rarely more than three weeks at a time.

History Family:
-Sister just died on June 6th at the age of 52 in part from Breast Cancer she was 52 when the diagnosis of possible stage 4 was made but mammograms from 2006-2009 (dont have records of 2010 or 2011) showed "benign" microcalcifications.
-Paternal grandmother died in part from breast cancer (over the age of 70).
-Paternal uncle died from non-Hodgkins lymphoma
-Three maternal aunts have had breast cancer. One died from bone cancer
-Four maternal cousins have had either breast cancer or other tumors. One had breast cancer at the age of 31/32.
-Other family history of diabetes, fibroid tumors, cysts, lupus, etc.
-Genetic testing showed Fact 2, Factor 4, and MTHFR gene all as inherited genetic lines from both parents.
Best Answer
25201 tn?1255580836
Calcifications in the breast tissue are rather common in women 30 and over; sometimes even earlier BUT these are not necessarily a matter of concern. It's only when they are observed in groups or clusters that they raise suspicion and are biopsied. You stated that in your Sister's case the mammogram showed "benign" .... unless there was no finding at all a mammogram cannot diagnose a finding as "benign". Only a biopsy of some type could do this. If however there was absolutely nothing on her Mammograms then and only then could they be reported as "benign" but I would think the term in that case would be "negative". Calcifications as I stated are fairly common scattered about in the breast tissue and appear as tiny white dots on film. With your family history I truly hope that you are having Diagnostic Mammograms yearly as well as clinical breast exams by your Physician or even a Breast Specialist. Please accept my sympathy for the loss of your Sister. Kindest regards ....
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25201 tn?1255580836
In regards to the Diag. Mammogram you might contact the Susan Komen Foundation .... they fund some testing for under or uninsured women. Just a thought ... I have worked with them and also been the recipient of some funding. Never hurts to investigate. Good luck and best wishes with your other procedures.   Regards ....
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3049976 tn?1340140508
So... not going to update this again unless needed. Found the journal thing on the profile and will put questions, events, and such there.
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3049976 tn?1340140508
Well.....

Sometime in the next six months I have to get the diagnostic mammogram with ultrasound - gotta figure out the price and if I have the $$ for that.

On July 10th I go in for a uterine/endometrial biopsy along with ultrasounds.

The doctor really wants to do the Hysteroscopy with DNC but I don't have the money for it.
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25201 tn?1255580836
If you haven't seen a Breast Specialist I suggest that you do so ..... I think someone who deals specifically with breast issues would be helpful in your case. This way there would be more attention paid to breast issues and this would result in more specific answers for you.
If you are positive that your Sister had mammography in the "missing years" then the reports might be of some value when it comes to "answers". If she didn't then you would just have to chalk it up to an aggressive type of cancer which by the way can even occur in the year between exams and often does. Women with dense breast tissue (lumpy breasts) often require Breast MRI for a good evaluation since Mammograms fall short when it comes to "seeing" through this dense tissue. Once again this is where a Breast Specialist would certainly be an asset. I have always been a firm believer in reports or films being exlained in detail to a patient rather than just a piece of paper being mailed to them.
As far as your other medical problems, I can't really address them since we deal with only BC issues but I wish you well in understanding your own health problems as well as coming to come closure regarding the loss of your Sister.    Kindest regards ....
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3049976 tn?1340140508
Looking at her reports that I have - 2007, 2008, 2009 that all occurred in July/August dates for the most part... they each state benign findings, microcalcifications in both breasts, and ACR category 2. The 2008 specifically stated scattered microcalcifications. A 2004 one that they refer to did not have any calcifications according to one report that I saw.
Now I do not see any mammograms for 2010 or 2011 but it was in Nov. 2011 when she got a pimple that at the start of 2012 became an open ulcer and in April was the diagnosis of breast cancer though one report does state there was an earlier DCIS but I can't find that report and until my niece becomes executer of her moms estate we can't get the missing reports. The one doctor had given her 2years not 3weeks but there are issues about her death. As to the spread of her cancer it was in the right lymph nodes near her arm and maybe liver but the didn't do a biopsy and the other places with the hypermetabolisms were also places of her pronounced osteoarthritis.

Glad to hear they are common in the 30's it was one of the things I wasn't finding other than they appear on up to 50%+ for those over age 50 and at a rate of about 1 in 10 for those between 40 and 50.

On my "summary report" the words checked off are Birads 2 (which I believe from reading is the same as ACR 2), benign findings, calcifications, and predominantly fatty tissue.

In a sense though I do not expect to hear anything more specific as my history is full o unknown, this doesn't make sense, and "don't know"'s.
With the unknown cause of low platelets going back to 2004 they have ruled out a lot of causes and the bone marrow biopsy didn't rule out immune but also didn't quite support it especially with my mpv values. At the same time other than when the numbers really drop the only place I really get the petechia rashes are on my breasts.

The menorrhagia with no cause since the same time the gyns through the years say the low platelets but my platelets are never low enough to cause it. Finally I have a good gyn but I can't afford the hysteroscopy he wants to do to see if he can locate any problems that the ultrasounds are not picking up.

The Iron deficiency showed up first in my bone marrow a year ago and points to a long standing deficiency with the "zero stainable iron" and other indicators but until a few weeks ago my blood levels of iron were just inside normal limits.

The b12 deficiency is very slight and the shots work with that - no weirdness in one area hehe.


Sorry for the long post.... most of the time I try to not think about medical stuff because the unknowns are aggravating but with my sisters death and all the new info. my mind isn't quite ready to go back into passive wait and see mode just yet. I do think I need the diagnostic mammogram and one that will actually be the standard summary of observations and impression not just a sheet of paper with a couple checks next to single words.
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3049976 tn?1340140508
Slight typo - Family genes: Factor 2, Factor 5, and MTHFR
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