Clustered Microcalcification

[mel43]

I'm very new at this, on July 26th I had a mammogram & was called back for a magnified mommogram. I have been called and told I need to see the surgeon on Aug. 8th to schedule a biopsy. My report read, Clustered Microcalcification of the left breast at 1:00 outer BIRAD-4. So I'm in panic mode, I live in a very Rural area, I'm 43 this is my second mammogram. I'm scared to death, not sure what to expect or what the statistics are. I have had no symtoms until I had the magnified test now my breast is sore and has a burning sensation. Is this normal??
I have very small breast, what should I expect in the up coming weeks. I need help, I'm still trying to understand all of this. Now every ache & pain I feel through out my body I panic. There is no history of breast cancer in my family. There isn't really anyone to talk to here, and the doctors office people don't seem to be the compassionate type of people. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

[Under Forty Pam]

I don't suppose you are very near St. Louis.  I found this place.  Washington University School of Medicine
Siteman Cancer Center - Clincal Cancer Center
600 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[mel43]

We live in the very Northern part of Missouri. Not many doctors around here. St. Louis is 5-6 hours away I travel there often because I take my daughter down there to Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital. St. Louis has very good doctors, it's just getting off work to go, I was just there a couple of weeks ago to take my daughter down. So if I would have known this then I could of seen someone, but as it turned out they called me when I got back from St. Louis. Kirksville is the nearest facility and there isn't no specialist there, just common doctors,we live in a very remote area and that is why everyone travels miles to doctors.

Melanie

[mel43]

My appointment Tuesday is to discuss the biopsy, thanks for giving me some good questions to ask him. I know this surgeon he repaired my hernia and he does have a good bedside manner. I'm just so worried, scared and nervous wreck and so on... I think it wouldn't have bothered me so much if it hadn't been so long since my last mammogram. I have always put my daughter as top priority and doing so I haven't kept up with my check-ups. Now I'm very scared about everything.

[smbclifton]

mel, if it's any help here, I went through this  in 9/2003. my microcalcs were DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ)- if you are going to have BC, it's the one to have.
mine is in full remission-it had not spread and I only had surgery (mastectomy) and take pills for 5 years.

try to calm yourself. easier said than done. this is not a death sentence. There is a wonderful site www.breastcancer.org
that is informative and so helpful.
-sheila

[mel43]

Can you all give me advice on what kind of questions I need to ask? My mind is still digesting all of this, as for the radiologist they have never spoken or contacted me about anything. I do have their reports, but I had the doctors office fax them to me. Thanks Montanagirl for calming me down on the biopsy part.

[Montana girl 06]

Since you're talking about a biopsy for calcifications and a wire I'm guessing they're talking about a needle (wire) directed (or needle localized) biopsy. I had one a few years ago. They numb the appropriate area of your breast, put your breast in the mammogram machine and try to make you comfortable since you'll have a number a mammograms over a period of 30-60 min. as I remember. They had me sit. They don't use as much pressure as for a normal mammo. Then the radiologist inserted a wire into the tissue to locate the area for the surgeon to remove, taking another mammo every so often to make sure the wire is heading to the correct place. I had two wires inserted. Before you leave they snip the loose end of the wires and tape the ends to your skin. (The wires are really long and at first I thought I'd have them sticking out of my blouse when I left.) The procedure is kind of wierd, (wierd as in I felt like an alien with wires sticking out of me) but not bad. They took a ton of mammograms to get the wires inserted properly. I think they may have somehow marked the area with dye too, I can't remember. It wasn't bad and not painful. Then I went to the surgeon who numbed the area some more, made a small incision and removed the areas. It's amazing how small they made the incision. (one incision about 1" long to remove 2 areas) I sensed a lot of tugging and pulling but not in a way that hurt since I was numb. I was told the numbing medicine I was given tends to make people a little shaky and jittery which was true for me. I've had 3 biopsies and the scars are barely noticeable. I have some scar tissue I can feel, but my breasts don't seem smaller or deformed. (I have fairly small breasts also.) Because a needle directed biopsy involves two proceedures, it took about 2 hours (1 hour for each proceedure) plus a little waiting time in-between, but it's still not bad. I had my husband drive me the 3 blocks between the radiologists office for the first part, and the surgeons office for the surgery. Then you have your husband and family pamper you for the rest of the day while you put your feet up and watch TV or sleep. I can't emphasize enough that just because they sent you to a surgeon right away does NOT mean you have cancer. (Look at me, I've been sent immediately to a surgeon 3 times - all benign.) It just means they need to check out a suspicious area. Remember, most biopsies are benign. It sounds like you're meeting with your surgeon this week. Be sure to write down all your questions. They're usually great about making sure they answer questions. From experience I have found that radiologists tend to scare me half to death with their reports, but then my surgeon puts it in perspective and I feel much better after that apointment. Let us know how it goes.