how to understand mammo results

[2010delia]

I recently (last week) had a mammogram, I get them yearly and have had a benign lump removed. They called me back the same day and asked me to come back in the next day, to folllow up. I have mammos every year now, reduced from my every 6 mo previously. This time the radiologist said I have two areas @ 12 and 3 oclock rt breast of persistent tightly clustered heterogeneous microcalcifications/ rated it a Birad 4.  I am 44 yrs old have fibrocystic small breasts (like a-.  ;) and they recommended a stereoactic biopsy for the 10th of next month. My question is: what does heterogeneous mean in relation to all this? and does this normally turn out to be benign since ive already had a benign lump removed? I'm not really concerned too much, whatever will happen will happen, but i just want to understand what is going on in my body.

[2010delia]

thank you for the clarification, i guess i'll just have to wait and see. I just wish I could get this done and over with. I think it's the waiting and seeing that stresses you out a bit, but then again it could be nothing and I'll just feel like an idiot for giving myself these headaches.

[japdip]

Heterogeneous .... something containing many parts and all are different. Homogeneous .... something containing many parts but all are identical. Whether or not this will result in a benign conclusion is impossible to say but the word heterogeneous does raise suspicion enough to require a biopsy when homogeneous might only have required closer than normal observation.   Regards .....