How To Read A Mammogram: Part 2

djmammo

Since I issued Part 1 of this topic I have seen member's posts where they have drawn conclusions regarding their reports based on only one or two of an abnormality's features listed in the report.

There are a finite number of features we look for in mammography and US to evaluate a mass. These include but are not limited to overall shape, margin, echogenicity, posterior shadowing vs through transmission, vascularity, etc. It is the relative combination of all these findings that leads us to a conclusion.

I think I have come up with a reasonable (?) analogy regarding the interpretation of a mammogram and in particular the method used in trying to decide whether a mass is more likely benign or malignant. I call it the "Taco Bell Analogy".

Mexican fast food is made of the same half dozen or so ingredients: corn in the form of a wrapper or shell, flour, lettuce, cheese, beans of one kind or another, ground beef, chicken, seasonings etc. So in light of this fact what makes a taco different from a burrito? An enchilada different from a chalupa? Its the presence and the ratio of the above ingredients.

You can't classify a mass using just one or two features just as you can't identify a Taco Bell menu item just by saying "it has cheese".

Additions and modifications to this "analogy" are welcome.

edj3

Using your analogy (which btw I love), are there any ingredients in our Mexican fast food that really truly should not be in there?

Spoonie77

I soooo love this analogy! Thanks DJmammo

TB90

Not a mammogram, but similar features that raise concern. I had a Tirads 5 for my thyroid. I studied this system extensively. Biopsy could not confirm cancer, but a very concerning combination of features highly suggestive of cancer led to a total thyroidectomy. Benign! Odds of benign were so slim. There is no way to rule in or out a dx completely by imaging such as mammograms and ultrasounds. The weight applied to one concerning feature is amplified by certain combinations of features. It is so complex. Radiologists follow these guidelines and have very high rates of successful dx. But science is not exact, as much as I so want it to be. But I so appreciate the research that has gone into decomposing a taco and the ongoing research that may definitely differentiate a taco from a burrito.

pancakes_tx

Thanks for sharing djmammo, this really helps!