Radiologist response

at diagnostic mammogram the radiologist said several times that she saw a suspicious area. Then she told me that unfortunately she believed it to be malignant. I went back the next day for biopsy (they did a quick pathology). She was right.

I am not sure if all radiologists give their thoughts at the time, but I’m glad mine did. I would rather know what she thought it was My surgeon told me she should not have said anything until after pathology.

I was told after my ultra sound so schedule a biopsy.

My radiologist did not say she suspected malignancy after the diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound but said I should have a stereotactic biopsy. The radiologist who did the biopsy told me the mass was irregular before during the biopsy. When I said "That's not good" his response was "Let's not go there yet" so I was hoping there might be good news (previous biopsy on other breast was benign so I had been there before). Well, we did go there. I've had two post treatment mammos and ultrasounds and both times the radiologist (same facility, two different radiologists) reported the findings to me before I left the exam room. I'm very grateful for their caring and support.

I had been getting diagnostic mammograms every 6 months to keep an eye on some calcifications in my right breast. Because of this, I was always scheduled for a 3D mammogram on a day when there was a radiologist on site to read my films. Ironically, at my last mammogram, they told me that I could go back to annual mammograms on the right, but there was something that needed investigation on the other side. The radiologist she didn't know what it was, so wanted to do a needle biopsy. The ultrasound tech said she's a known for being cautious doctor. I'm grateful to her for finding my cancer at an early stage!In your case, jp18, I wonder if there wasn't a radiologist on site during your appointment? When they first found my calcifications, I got a phone call a few days later to say the radiologist reviewed my films and wanted me to come back for additional views.

I’ve been to 2 different hospitals/breast centers for diagnostic mammograms and diagnostic ultrasounds. The policy at each location was that you don’t leave without your results. One time I was told benign findings (lump was determined to be an island of breast tissue - got 2nd opinion and both agreed). And another time the radiologist told me another mass was ‘slightly’ suspicious and gave me the choice to wait 6 months or to schedule an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy. All of this information was told to me at my imaging appt’s. A screening mammo is different. You have to wait for your results as a radiologist isn’t reading your images immediately. Whatever you find out, do yourself a favor and get a copy of the radiologist’s report. Read it and ask questions if need be. And get a 2nd opinion if you’re not comfortable with the answers you receive!

After I had the mammogram, I got a letter and a call that I needed an ultrasound and, if necessary, a biopsy the same day. The breast center made the appointment for me, and the ultrasound tech immediately gave the results to the radiologist, and they did the biopsy then and there. It seemed to be standard procedure at this center.

I wish they had been able to do the biopsies the same day but I had to wait 2 weeks for the biopsies (they did both the needle by ultrasound and the stero by mammogram the same day). Then more than 2 weeks later they did the lumpectomy. All of the waiting is so stressful. Best wishes to everyone dealing with this now. For me, it was the worst part of the ordeal. Waiting for pathology and onco results was also stressful. I tend to get anxious....patience is not one of my virtues.

We need to ask direct questions of the techs, and ask for our reports in writing, and ask to speak to the physicians at the imaging places if we want not to wait in suspense every time-- otherwise, we're just *hoping* people will talk to us about what they see, passively. We're aren't little kids, and they are scanning OUR bodies. I find it so patronizing that they do not say obvious things. The angriest I have felt is over lengthy waits to find out conclusions that were *obvious* to the naked eye of the MD or tech. If there's something unclear, they could say that too.

My Radiologist told me immediately that he was 99% certain my huge tumor was malignant, but I didn't believe him. Certainly, he was right.

Two years later, another Radiologist at the same hospital did the biopsy on my mom. She pulled us into her office and told us she was 95% sure

my mom's small lump was malignant and to give us time to prepare because we had been through a lot with my case.

Then less than 9 months after that, another Radiologist, same facility, told my sister he did not think hers was malignant, but going to do a biopsy because of our family history. Thank goodness he did - dense breast tissue - Stage 3C.

vlnrph - he was absolutely correct on both counts. He told you the statistics (which are correct) to help you with the freaking out part. Most don't do that, you had a nice one.

jp18, to sum it up, if the radiologist comes out to talk to you after reviewing your mammo, s@it is about to hit the fan.

If they don't, means it's ok, at least for the moment. It's up to your PCP to order follow-ups depending on what's on the report.

I go out of state (6 hour drive one way) for my yearly mammograms (long story) and after a screening mammogram in 2017, the radiologist told me it was cancer. It was calcifications comprising less than 1 cm and could not be felt so it may seem odd that he was so sure but he has been reading my "film" for almost 20 years. He is in private practice with 20 odd radiologists so is able to concentrate on mammography. He is excellent. I never doubted that he was right and was annoyed I had to have a biopsy -- I wanted surgery because I didn't understand how the biopsy aids the surgery! I came back to my home state and had the stereotactic biopsy and surgery. After that I had my yearly followup mammo in 2018 at the hospital where I had surgery and the radiologist talked to me that day because he found a suspicious area - BiRad 4. My surgeon (who does the biopsies rather than the radiologist) is in private practice but her office is in the same building so I could have had a biopsy that day. The surgeon was convinced it was scar tissue so I opted to wait 6 months. At that followup mammo 6 months later, radiologist did not talk to me (I was not pleased about that) but I met with the surgeon immediately who told me the earlier "suspicious area" was "nothing" as she had thought it would be but the radiologist had found a new area of suspicion. Idea was that I would have biopsy that day but I opted again to refuse. But after I got home I decided to go ahead and do the biopsy because the new calcifications were in a row indicating they were in a duct. It was benign. So that was 2 false positives in 6 months. I am going to talk with the surgeon before the next mammo and see if eliminating the 3D part of the imaging is the way to go or maybe a second opinion on the mammo. If nothing else I will hit the road again at mammo time. Polly

Well, I have never had a diagnostic mammogram that didn’t need a biopsy, so...I have no experience to share there, sadly.

All of the times when my mammogram/ultrasound showed something that needed a biopsy involved the radiologist coming in to talk to me. The radiologist told me he would have been “shocked” if it wasn’t cancer this last time. He was right, it was. I was angry at the time for him throwing that out there but in the long run I’m glad I had that little bit of extra warning.

I started out at a large academic cancer center. They follow up positive mammos with MRI because it can find things that don't show up on mammos sometimes. Some insurers may balk at that because of expense.

I had a mammogram and ultrasound on Monday for a lump that I felt on my right breast. After the ultrasound, the radiologist came into the room and said, "It doesn't look good." The rest of what she said is hazy, but here is what I remember. She said, I'm not going to sugar coat it. It is (or maybe she added a probably) cancer and you have one, only one, lymph node that is scanning abnormal. That was supposed to make me feel better, I think. She said you need to have a biopsy. We can't do it today because we need preauthorizations, but we'll get you in tomorrow or Wednesday.I had the biopsy yesterday and should have the results on Thursday or Friday. She also said something like no cancer is the same and the biopsy will guide us on the treatment. She also said to stay of the internet.

The radiologist that did the biopsy seemed to not want to give me too much information. I asked about next steps and he reluctantly said we'll talk to your referring doctor (an ob/gyn who I had only seen once). My ob/gyn had told me that if they found anything the radiologist would take over referrals and I wouldn't see her again. He told me that they like to consult with the referring doctor and then will refer to a surgeon.

That being said, has anyone heard of a radiologist making a diagnosis of cancer after a mammogram and ultrasound that turned out to be benign after the biopsy? My head is telling me that it is cancer because why would the radiologist have said anything if she wasn't 100% sure of what she saw on the scans. My heart is telling me - how would she know just from the scans?

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!