Question on Ultrasound Report

TwelvePaws

Hello -

And thank you in advance to anyone who might provide some clarity. I can interpret the below report except for one line, but will provide the entire paragraph for context:

I had an annual screening 3D mammo which showed an area of increasing nodularity in the lateral upper left breast. No suspicious masses or calcifications are seen.

"...demonstrates a hypoechoic solid mass at the 1 - 00 position, 3cm from the nipple which is taller than wide measuring 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.7cm. There is an adjacent crossing vessel. There is no definate internal vascularity. There is mild tissue stiffening. No suspicious solid or cystic masses are seen in the retroareolar left breast. There are no morphologically suspicious appearing axillary lymph nodes.

Impression: Category 4 - Suspicious Abnormality" Recommends biopsy with ultrasound.

Questions please - define adjacent crossing vessel; what would the normal next step be? Could an MRI be appropriate. Full disclosure, while this was found during my annual exam, I did have some scant, spontaneous slightly bloody discharge several months ago (from this breast only) which is now clear, but infrequent. There was slight clear discharge during the 3D during compression. No lump can be felt, there is no pain whatsoever.

57, no family history, NCI Lifetime 9.8%. The screening hospital wants a biopsy. I have my annual exam tomorrow with my lovely GP whose wife has had recurring breast cancer so is familiar but I would like to be able to discuss this with him with full information.

A close friend also has breast cancer and I have been to all of her amazing Dr's with her and after meeting with my own GP, may make an appoint to see her surgeon for his opinion.

Would you jump to a biopsy?

So grateful for any opinion from those with more experience.

Thank you!

Anonymous

Hello 12paws.

Firstly,

Sorry you are going through the anxiety of tests and the unknown.

Could it be veins re 'crossing vessel'?

I think the most important thing here is yes...

1/Have the biopsy

2/ Don't overthink it

3/ Trust the experience of professionals and experts in the field with years of experience.

Best of luck

Let's hope for a good result for you.

TwelvePaws

So adjacent crossing vessel is indeed blood flow to the nodule? I'd really like to know the definition.

Thank you so much.

Anonymous

reading again,

it looks like they are saying there is no evidence of it's own blood supply. (the suspect mass)

however, there is a blood supply adjacent to it.

unclear if it is supplying suspected nodule or not...nothing 'definite'

thus biopsy will help clarify and identify.

hope that helps a bit.

djmammo

TwelvePaws

A solid hypoechoic mass that is described as "taller than wide" requires a biopsy to exclude cancer as this is one of the classic descriptions of a suspicious lesion.

The finding of "adjacent crossing vessel" is likely to explain that they feel the Doppler signal detected in the area is not feeding the mass since no signal is seen in the mass itself. If it were related to the mass they would not have described it as they did. In light of the appearance of the mass, this finding is incidental.

TwelvePaws

Thank you so much for the explanation!