Awaiting Biopsy

Hi all,

I'm looking for some common knowledge info about the process on behalf of my mother. She tends to not ask questions at the doctor and has a bit of a wait ahead of her. Getting info is a bit like pulling teeth but this is what I've got.

She's mid-60s and has dense tissue. She had a mammogram recently and was called a couple of days later to go to the breast center clinic for an ultrasound as something new showed up that wasn't there last year. They did an ultrasound, called her back in from the waiting room and did another ultrasound. They pointed out micro-calcifications to her which they described as "like sprinkled from a salt shaker." I asked her if they looked clumped or were in lines. She said she could see a shadow and implied there may have been a clump but was then unsure.

They scheduled a stereotactic biopsy for seven days out, and scheduled an appointment with the surgeon for 13 days later to discuss the results. She said it would take 7 days for the results to come back, which seemed extreme to me, and even with the 4th of July holiday that seemed a bit far out. Her appointment card said the appointment was with the nurse practitioner however, so I'm not sure if she misunderstood.

She's a bit nervous not knowing for up to three weeks what the results are. I am hopeful that if it is good news they will call sooner but am not clear on her policy. I'm going to take her to her next two appointments, but just speaking generally, is there a rule of thumb for micro-calcifications a year after a clear mammogram? Worst case scenario, is this generally considered "catching it early?"

Many thanks!