Don't like this feeling of Deja Vu!

momzr

I had an episode of DCIS in my left breast almost three years to the day in the summer of '08 discovered from a digital mammogram that showed a cluster of microcalcifications (about a 4mm area).  I had a lumpectomy which removed all the DCIS (1.6mm) and had no further treatment at the time.  I have been very diligent about screening and follow up since that time with MRI's as well as mammograms.

I went in last week for 'annual screening' and they are again seeing microcalc's (this time about a 9 mm area and they are a little spread throughout those 9 mm) in that left breast.  It is in a different area than they were three years ago, but are again suggesting a surgical excision/biopsy to check them out.  The radiologist as well as the mamm tech were very apologetic that this was what they were recommending and I was not getting a warm fuzzy vibe from them that they thought this was nothing although I think that may have been because they were suggesting it would have to be a wire-guided biopsy rather than a stereotactic as I am just too small for a stereotactic to work. 

I go next week to meet with surgeon who did my surgical excision/lumpectomy three summers ago to schedule another go-round.  My fear is that being as small busted as I am (not even an A cup) he might say that another lumpectomy would leave me with nothing and might suggest mastectomy - which I would have a really hard time wanting to consider when I don't even know that these microcalc's are 'anything' at this point.  I am really just borrowing trouble and speculating, but I do know he had said three years ago he did not want to go back in for a re-excision as there was nothing more he could take. 

I am basically just angry right now and don't know what to do with all these angry feelings!  Anyone have microcalc's recurrence after their first diagnosis and have them be 'nothing' the second time around?

Beesie

If these new calcs are in a different area of your breast then I don't think there is any reason to believe that they are any more likely to be cancerous than with any other calcs - i.e. there's about a 20% chance that they might be cancer, and an 80% chance that they aren't.  

Are you worried that your surgeon might suggest a mastectomy before even doing the excisional biopsy, or as a way to do the biopsy?  I can't imagine that any surgeon would do that.  And if yours does, then find yourself another surgeon.

I never had the same situation as you but at the time of my diagnosis, I had calcs found in both breasts.  The calcs in my right breast were DCIS (with a microinvasion of IDC) but the calcs in my left breast were biopsied and found to be benign.  So I can tell you with certainty that it possible for one person to have cancerous calcs and benign calcs.  And I know that there have been women who've been through the board who've had biopsies done after their BC surgery and the results have been benign.  

Good luck!  Hoping for benign results for you. 

momzr

Hi Beesie -- thanks for a quick reply!  I am worrying that he will suggest it even before a biopsy just because I am so small.  Since my first round of microcalc's were around 4 mm and at the time I had that excision he had commented he wouldn't want to go back in to do re-excision (because I had one margin that was 'clear', but quite 'close') I am just speculating he might have this opinion (with microcalc area being closer to 9 mm this time).  I even asked the mamm tech if there was a different surgeon she might recommend, but she had said there was no reason to think that this first surgeon I had (whom I was referred to due to insurance coverage,and he IS a director of a Cancer Institute and does many breast surgeries) did not get what he should have three years ago.  This is in a totally different area (although not super far from original site that I could tell).  Just worrying.  I know I will know more when I meet with him on Wednesday this week.  It is reassuring to hear from you that you had two areas of calc's and one of them WAS completely benign.  The radiologist just made the comment, too, though, that since I had DCIS three years ago he feels these microcalc's might be 'more suspicious'.  Grrr!