What are Microcalcifications and What does BIRADS Mean?

[Jettalove]

I have been diagnosed with BIRADS 3 FIBRO ADENOMA 5MM IN SIZE, HAD 2 MAMMOGRAMS AND SONOGRAM in my left breast.. They are watching this with further sonogram in 3 to 4 months.  I am concerned with this, but not overly anxious.  However, in my right breast I have been diagnosed with Suspicious BIRADS 4, PLEOMORPHIC MICROCALCIFICATIONS CLUSTER and I feel like I just might lose my mind.  I am sick about it.  I have seen the Breast specialist.  She is cool and aloof and does not believe in discussion until after the biopsy.  Making me wait 10 days for the biopsy, then, an additional 3 days, to CALL me and give me the results.  This is pure torture!  I am weak and faint.  I break down several times a day and scream.  I wake up through the night sobbing and praying!  All I can say to God is, PLEASE?!!!  I need HOPE!  Please, someone, anyone, that can give me advice, I need help.  If you are advising me to stay calm, then give me the information I need to do so.  Don't just tell me to wait, and stay calm!  I am feeling the need to be hospitalized because I can't stand this!



This discussion is related to treating pleomorphic calcifications.

[kristy12]

> If you are advising me to stay calm, then give me the information I need to
> do so

BIRADS 4 means 30% chance of having breast cancer. Then the survival rate of breast cancer is about 70%. The probability of staying alive is still about 91%. I think you are in a comfortable situation which means you can stay calm.

[japdip]

First I think you should consult your Family Physician and ask for something to help calm your highly stressful reaction to this biopsy and what might follow. This would not be an unusual request as I'm sure your personal Physician would certainly understand that you may be the type of person who stresses easily. NOW ... calcifications are tiny dots of calcium that show up on film ... they can be quite normal when scattered about within the tissue but they can also be an alert to something that isn't right by clustering in certain patterns ... this does NOT necessarily mean that the cause will be cancer !  It may indicate any abnormality. The BIRADS is a scoring system to indicate what the films suggest or what needs to be done about the findings. A BIRADS 4 means that there is some suspicion about what is seen on film and a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis. The scoring system goes from 0 which means further investigation (more or different film studies) are needed, to a 5 which is highly suggestive of a malignancy. So your score of 4 means that it can't be determined by any other method than a biopsy. When there is anything seen on film that is not 100% normal things progress by whatever method is appropriate to determine with 100% accuracy the cause of the abnormality. You will have to wait of course for your final answer but please do talk to your own Dr. for something to help you through this stressful time. There is no reason that you should have to suffer what you have described in your post.  Regards ..