Clustered Microcalcifications

[sammiejoe]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site, new to calcifications and BIRAD ratings and everything. I am 41 years of age and have recently been diagnosed as having clustered microcalcifications in right breast . After my mammogram I was immediately referred to BS who told me that we could wait 6 months and see again but, in his opinion it was better to do a biopsy now. I had surgical biopsy under general anaes and am waiting for the results. I am in Rhodes, Greece and all biopsy are sent to Athens and 20 days is the waiting time. My BS after the procedure told me that 95% it wasnt cancer. I want to know, what tests to biopsy pass through as I read here that clustered calcifications with abnormal shapes and sizes can be both benign or malignant, is it possible that my surgeon can give this 95% opinion before the biopsy has been seen by the biopsy. As with all the other women who write on the site I am really scared but, also want to get on with my life, good or bad results I just want to know my next steps so that I can stop living in this limbo and if I can take my BS opinion on the 95%.

[zouzi]

Hi and welcome to our Forum.
Calcifications are a normal part of the aging process. If the calcifications are numerous, scattered throughout the breast, or large there tends to be less concern.  However, when calcifications are clustered and small, the concern arises as to whether they are forming around an abnormality.If these calcifications are suspicious a biopsy is usually recommended.Many clustered calcifications return a benign finding though...even with a category 4.

When your surgeon recommended a 6 months follow-up,it meant that your calcification was not that suspicious and your mammogram films was ,in my opinion, considered probably benign and given a category 3 score.If the category score was a 4,a biopsy would have,no doubt, been recommended by your surgeon and not only by your choice.It's a good thing though that you decided to have it done, instead of waiting and worry for 6 months.
BIRADS is a system that radiologists/Sugeons use to give their opinion after viewing the films on mammograms/Ultrasounds,about the breast health.

Radiologist/surgeon,if experienced can have a pretty good idea when viewing the imagery seen on mammograms and I am sure that they wouldn't say anything to the patient if in doubt.Of course,as you well know, only the pathologist report can say for sure if the finding is benign or not.
The waiting is the worst part for all of us..but I hope that after this long wait, you'll have a very favorable result.
Best wishes..

[japdip]

Many biopsies done for calcifications do indeed come back with a benign result. There is no positive way to tell whether this will be true until the Pathologic examination of the specimen has been completed. Many Surgeons may have an opinion based on their past experience and the "looks" of a specimen but it still remains with the Pathology results. Being scared at this point is a normal human reaction under these circumstances but the waiting is still required. The 20 day wait is too bad but it's much better than waiting 6 months to do a re-check. Some women here in the U.S. complain about a 4 to 7 day wait for results. Tolerate the wait for your results as best you can and don't dwell on things that haven'e happened yet. Take care and please return with any concerns you have when you do receive your biopsy results......