Biopsy of calcifications benign, but must return in 6 months

Jossy2

Hi Everyone,

I posted here several times a few weeks ago as I was called back for a diagnostic mammogram and then scheduled for a biopsy. the biopsy was Monday and I got the good news yesterday that the biopsy was benign.

I am assuming there was some cellular abnormality or they would not have asked me to return in 6 months for another mammogram. I will discuss the specific findings with my doc next week.

I just wanted to say I was in a very terrible way waiting for both the biopsy and the results. Because of this community I did so much research regarding treatments and even doctors. i contacted various people for advice and referrals, and by the time that dread phone call came I was ready for whatever the results were because I had information and some rudimentary plans.

I received support, inspiration and logic from you and I appreciate it so very much!

Thank you!!

Jossy

Beesie

"I am assuming there was some cellular abnormality or they would not have asked me to return in 6 months for another mammogram."

Most likely not. A 6 month follow-up is very common after a benign biopsy. A needle biopsy only retrieves a sample of the suspicious tissue. The 6 month follow-up is just a double check that nothing else is going on and that everything looks stable, as expected.

If abnormal cells had been found that increase your cancer risk, something like ADH or ALH, the follow-up would not be a mammo in 6 months but would be a surgical biopsy now to remove the entire suspicious area to ensure that nothing more serious is going on.

Aviva92

I think that unless you get an excisional biopsy as the type of biopsy, there is always a 6 month follow-up. I had a 6 month follow-up when I had calcifications determined to be benign with a needle biopsy in 2018. This year I had an excisional biopsy for another finding which turned out to be benign. Since they removed the entire thing, I can wait a year and do my regular screening. With the 6 months follow-up though, I think that as long as the biopsy results were concordant, the follow-up screening is almost always fine too.