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Microcalcifications

Hello,
I had a mammogram in November of 2005 and it came back a class 4. I guess that means it is probably very suspicious. I have three microcalcifications on my left breast. I am having a stereotatic biopsy on December 19th. I know from reading in this forum that 80 perecent come back benign. I am really nervous, I am only 45. My two older sisters also went through the same procedure and everything worked out okay for them. I guess I am just pretty scared. Thank you for your help.

Terry
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A related discussion, breast calcifications was started.
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A related discussion, Breast Microcalcification surgery was started.
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I had a routine mammogram April 11 And was called back for an ultrasound and another nano on my left breast.  The radiology report indicates I have a 4cm mass and rated it highly suspicious. I have an apt to see an oncologist on may 9th.  Is this a large mass and does highly suspicious usually mean cancer??
Kathy
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A related discussion, microcalcifications was started.
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I was diagnosed two years ago with breast cancer on the left side.  Had a partial mastectomy, radiation and chemo.  Recently had a mamio and they found calcifications on the right side now. I am going for a biopsy next week and am scared beyond belief.
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Avatar universal
Hi to all...Just had a surgical biopsy done on a "couple" of microcalcifications.  My left breast has numerous clusters, but they were all too close to the skin to do the needle biopsy on, so my surgeon recommended the surgical route.  I have a small incision about an inch across and never needed a pain pill for it. Have to wait until Wednesday for the results, but the surgeon said the ones he removed looked "unsuspicious" because the tissue around the area was very healthy.  Still...I am anxious to know.  The doctor did say the if they came back as malignant, I would have to have a total mastectomy since there are so many clusters.  But, if they come back as being benign, then the others will have to be monitored carefully.  The radiologist wanted the surgeon to remove more than he did, but I agree with the surgeon's theory.  With me luck!
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Avatar universal
I have been trying to absorb so much information in the past few days and then I found this forum.  
My situation is unique as I am not the patient, my husband is.  He has been living with a noticable lump for the past 8 to 10 months.  He neglected to tell me about it.  I saw him rubbing his breast and he came clean.  I felt and saw the lump; the afflicted breast differs in shape and size to the other one.  And it is very tender.
I made an appointment right away with our family Doctor.  He scheduled a mammogram last week.  This morning we heard that there was calcification, possibly from an old injury.  We have an appointment scheduled Feb. 21st, with a surgeon, for a biopsy.  
My huband is 42 years old.  Is anyone aware of men who have been diagnosed with this, or been through this?  I would appreciate any input.  This is going to be a very long next couple of weeks for us.
Thank you all in advance and best of luck to you with your own procedures.
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Hi Everyone,
Iam 35 years old and my husband and i are trying for our first child. I decided to have a mammogram just cause i thought i'd get it out of the way. Well, i did & they caleld me back to tell me they had to do an xray on my left breast again cause they found calcifications. I went in even though i had the cad done and they said i have to come back in 6 months. they said its not cancerous but i was reading on line and they said that califications come in 2. Macro& micro? Should i ask my doctor which kind of calcification i have? They said its hard to read cause i'm young. The other thing too is that if i get pregnant now i can't go back in 6mths. i have to wait 9 mths. Should i be worried, which iam. My mom said not to be that its normal.I am nervous but this is new to me what should i think?? if anyone can give me advice that would be great? What about a Biopsy in 6mths,when i'm pregnant? Is that a needle thing there?
thanks
preston1
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apz
Biopsy came back benign.  I go back in 6 months for mammogram.  Thanks for comments and advice.  Good luck to you all.  
Angie
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If they are beign, then they should not be a problem. They probably should be removed if precancerous or DCIS. Consider the rest of your treatment carefully. The jury is still out (at least in some medical circles) about what should be done next. Good luck to you as there are choices and not everyone will agree with everyone else. Choose for yourself and your comfort level...
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Just wanted to get back to everyone.

I got the results of my biopsy.. negative for an cancer...

I was very concerned,  I think even my Doctor expected there to be something there, because when he looked at the biopsy report he appeared  surprised. Guess this just shows that even the best Doctors can't tell anything before the results from the biopsy are in.

BTW before the biopsy he told me something that made me feel alot better and maybe some of you ladies will feel better also about the calcifications , I had a small grouping of calcifiactions , and  he said that if he did find something there at this stage it is usually 100% curable...

Thank you all for your advice, help and support it made the wait alot more bearable... Take care
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apz
Thank you all for posting such informative information regarding your situations.  I am 33 and have history of bc in family - mother diagnosed at 39.  I had a mammogram at 30 which was normal.  Had a baby just over 2 years ago and breastfed her for 18 months.  Had my second mammogram 3 weeks ago and went back last Thursday for digital diagnostic mammogram.  Radiologists saw cluster of microcalcs on rt breast which she felt warented a stereotactic biopsy this Monday.  I know I need to wait for biopsy results before making myself too crazy, but could these microcalcs, whether benign or precancerous, be removed regardless?  Has anyone had these removed with laser?  Thanks again for all posts - very helpful for me as I have had only about a week to digest my own situation.
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Avatar universal
Hi Everyone.

Four years ago I was dignosed with DCIS. It was a terrible shock. I was 46. I guess the thing I really want to say is that everyone should read-up on the treatment and make a decision for themselves. I decided not to have radiation after my two surgeries-one to remove the DCIS and the second, to clear the margins. There are things that may not be clear when it comes to treatment. What I discovered thru the internet and my doctors was that radiation changes the breast tissue and can make it impossible or nearly so to have reconstructive surgery later if an aggressive cancer returns. Since DCIS may or may not become agressive and some women live with it their whole lives without problems, I was very comfortable doing the most important thing, surgery, but didn't want to overtreat something that has a lot of controversy attached to it. Apparently the medical community isn't quite sure of the best way to treat DCIS and so they take a shotgun approach and treat it like stage 1 breast cancer.

Please understand that this decision was the right one for me and certainly may not be the right one for you. Just please consider all of your options, weigh the facts and lastly, know that for yourself, you've chosen the right treatment path; one that you can live with. Ask your doctor to be honest with you about the side effects as sometimes they gloss over them. It's your body and breast and some of these other treatments carry lifelong effects with them.

Good luck to everyone. I know it's scary, but one day you will be sitting years away from this unsettling time.

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Your surgeon is removing your calcifications? Mine are not clustered they are scattered so I was told to just leave them alone and we'll just ensure that they don't cluster (clusters are the scary pre-cancerous ones). They also told me they have never seen a case of scattered calcifications that move together, and that mine are probably caused from a breast-reduction surgery that I had  12 years ago. Ugh. If I would have known it caused that, I wouldn't have done it.
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I think even though the "microcalsification shock" gets to all of us and the waiting is the worst thing I've ever experienced. I think we are all actually better off finding the micro's early, having them removed, getting early treatment and staying on top of the situation. Even if we are DCIS or level 4 these stages are apparently pre-cancer and manageable. Having this group to talk with is very helpful.  Five years ago when I was told about my situation I couldn't find anyone who had ever heard of microcalsifications.  My dear friend(53) who has never had micro's, never had a bad mammo and has been on the phone with me for hours while waiting for "my microcalsifications" findings,just recently had a lump "appear", and has been diagnosised with "a rare aggressive carcinoma". This stuff is nuts!
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Avatar universal
Hi,

Hope everyone is doing well.  I spoke with my surgeon a week after my lumpectomy.  There is some difference in the grade of the lumpectomy sample and the biopsy sample.  My stereostatic was Grade III/III, my lumpectomy is II/III, so the surgeon wants to really get some good opinions from several folks.  It could be that the biopsy area was grade III and that what was ever left for the lumpectomy is grade III.  I think it probably makes treatment decisions a little different.  I meet with my oncology team Feb 1.  Wish it would all go away :)
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Does anyone know anything about the link between microcalcifications and heart disease? I am 30 yrs. old, and recently had a mammogram (after detecting lumps in right breast), I was told I have scattered microcalcifications and to go back in a year for another check up...just to be safe they tell me. Turns out the lumpy tissue I was feeling was just that, alot of glandular fat. But, if I hadn't gone in for that, I would never have known about the calcifications. Recently I went to see a cardiologist and had a heart monitor and an echocardiogram for a rapid heartbeat and skips. My echo came back fantastic, with a normal study, but my monitor indicates I have sinus tachyardia. I am high-anxiety with occasionaly panic attacks (might be casuing the tachy). But, read in an article that there isa link between calcifications and heart disease. I am only 30, what's the risk? CAn anyone tell me anything?
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Avatar universal
It seems like these microcalcifications are a new thing.  I've frankly never heard of them before.  I stupidly waited seven years since my last mammo and this one last week shows multiple new microcalcs in the retroareolar area of my left breast...spot compressions in the morning.  I'm terrified.  I wonder, though, if since I've never had the CAD device mammo, that they're just now picking them up and they're really not new.  I am a VERY anxious person and don't handle this waiting very well.  Good luck to everyone.
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Hi: I know four  woman who have been through this calcification stuff 2 or 3 times already, going for the biopsy than going back for there mammo six months later  and finding more calcifications and than  getting biopsed again .

I guess it is a good thing that they can find
things so early but it sure does put us through alot , two of the woman I mentioned  have not gone back for there 6 month mammo because they can't take the stress again, which is really a bad thing to do but lets face it I can  understand why they are doing it.

It is really a shame that there is not a faster way of finding out the results of the biopsy, ideally the biopsy should be done the next day and the preliminary results given right than. My biggest concern used to be waiting for the results of the mammo, but I found a Doctor who gives me the results in about 20 minutes.  

I happy that you don't need a biopsy this time...... Take care
Mary
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Avatar universal
I had a biopsy for microcalsifications 5 years ago.  My surgeon said I could choose the needle biopsy or surgery to remove the whole area. He explained that if he did a needle biopsy and found something positive he would then need to go back in and remove the whole area... so I just had the whole area removed. I was lucky and everything was negative.  Now, I'm on another 6 month check-up routine because new micocalsifications showed up on my last mammo(a month ago). My surgeon said that the new digital mammo's are showing more than ever before and that the new microcalsifications could have been there before. My films have been read by three specialist (one from Moffitt Cancer Center) and they all agree that a biopsy is not needed at this time but a 6 month digital mammo must be done. This stuff wears you out but you just have to stay on top of it!!  Good luck!  
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Avatar universal
Hello everyone, glad this board is here.
Been a good couple of years for me.  I underwent weight loss surgery so that I could have the hip replacement surgery I needed to correct deformities from birth.  worked very well.  I have had both hips replaced and one redone.  So, I'm thin for the first time in my life and I have two good hips to get around on!!!  My husband and I got custody of our granddaughter last year.  she is 18 mos old and a wonderful kid.  Who could ask for anything more.  Life is good.  Then the mammogram............  A cluster of microcalcifications in the left breast.  A 3 to 4 cm lump that was not found during my physical in October.  A stereotactic biopsy to be done on 1/12/06.  It's a scary thing.  I can't help but wonder if things were just going too good for me.  Maybe I wasn't thankful enough.  Gosh, the things that go through your head while you're waiting.  So, how long after the biopsy do they usually tell you something?  I don't know how much more waiting I can take.
Thanks, it does help to hear so many different people are going through the same thing and with good results.
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Hi: I just got my appointment for a biopsy for the calcifications. The appointment is January 18. My Doctor gave me a choice of how the biopsy would be done,I chose surgery.The Doctor said that would be fine and he would have more control over the biopsy that way.  I am hoping I made the right choice. Has anyone opted for surgery over the needle type biopsy?

The Doctor said that the area is small and that if there is anything there is should be 90% curable at this stage, that made me feel better.

Does anyone know when the surgery is done can a Doctor tell anything by looking at the area taken, or is the only way to know anything is by waiting for the results of the biopsy?

Thanks
Mary
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I just received my call for my surgery under local anaesthetic. It will be January 26th. Waiting is the worst. I then see my Doctor february 14th for the results. Quite a procedure... Is the waiting period normally this long. The Doctor says it is fine and my dcis is very small, Don't you have to wait until they tell you what type of cells there are? Please respond
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Hi Everyone,

Had my lumpectomy on Friday. I won't know the results until later this week.  However, the procedure went well. The most uncomfortable part for me was having the guide wire put in place.  The surgery was fine, I was given a sedative and local.  I was sore over the weekend, but feeling better today.
Anxious to talk to the Dr. Thursday to get every sorted out.

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