Bumping this thread for Janet -- can any members weigh in with their education or experience in this issue?

Janet, sending big hugs while you wait for answers! Please keep us posted!

--The Mods

Welcome Janet! I hope you're doing what you can to calm and distract until your biopsy... waiting is so difficult as you've likely seen on others' posts by now. Please let us know how the biopsy went once you've had it and then results once you have those...

Ah, okay, you have 3 findings.

The first, the calcs, appear to be a mix, with some clearly benign and some that are amorphous. Given the mix, I suspect the risk is very low but biopsies are recommended for anything that has a risk greater than 2%.

"Amorphous calcifications, previously known as indistinct calcifications, are a morphological descriptor for breast calcification that are small and/or hazy such that no clearly defined shape/form can be ascribed.

Pathology

Many benign and malignant conditions may be seen in association with these calcifications.

• benign: ~60%
  • fibrocystic change
  • fibroadenoma
  • sclerosing adenosis
  • papilloma
• high risk lesions: ~20%
  • atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH)
  • atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH)
  • lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
• malignant: ~20%
  • low grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
  • invasive ductal carcinoma ~10%: usually has an accompanying mass"

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/amorphous-calcifications-breast

The second finding sounds to be a complex cyst, with a combination of cystic and solid components. The risk of cancer is low, but this might be the highest risk of the three findings. "Well circumscribed" is good, vascularity less so, but some benign lesions have vascularity.

The third finding is a complicated cyst, which usually has a very small risk (much less than the 2% required for a biopsy) and generally warrants a 6-month follow-up screening.

None of these findings are particularly ominous but the first two would usually be biopsied. So are you having a biopsy done on the first two areas of concern?

Yup, I've had a few stereotactic biopsies. There are two ways to do them, one with the patient sitting in a chair and the other with the patient lying face down on a table. I'm in Ontario and it seems that most places here use the chair method - that's what I've had done. But I think it's more common in the U.S. to use the table method.

Your breast will be numbed - you will feel that needle but shouldn't feel anything after that. If you do, say something! From my experience with seated biopsies, the position is awkward but not overly uncomfortable but you have to hold very still, which can be challenging. I've always found that the nurses are great and talk you through it, or talk about other things so that you are not thinking about what's going on. Most people here who've described the experience say the same thing. The one warning is the noise. A core needle, when it goes in to collect the sample, sounds like a loud staple gun. Be prepared for that!

What does a stereotactic breast biopsy involve?

Good luck! On average BIRADs 4 biopsies come back approx. 75% benign and 25% malignant. If I were to guess from the descriptions in your report, I'd say you fall right around that risk level. So the odds are certainly in your favor that this will turn out to be benign!

Sorry to hear the results of your biopsy! You will get through this.... Please reach out as you take these next steps. This part is the most difficult part as many others have said. Once you have been through these tests, initial appointments, make some decisions and then get a surgery date it's just about walking that path - much easier. Hopefully those initial steps don't take too long for you....

I had this done. Honestly I was more upset by the fact I had to wear ear plugs - I have inner ear issues and vertigo and just didn't want any messing with my ears at all. It is loud, as MRI's tend to be, so I also understand... it is a different loud noise than the typical MRI - at least I thought so.... It's another "on your belly" test, like stereotactic biopsies and you have to remain still. If you have a way of zoning out/going into a meditative state use that or see if you can find something to focus on. My head was not in a machine though facing down. There was a sensation when the contrast was put in though it passed before long. The test was not a comfortable experience though keep perspective on it.... it's important, provides helpful information and will end.... stay focused on each "section" - they will let you know the length of time for each area they are looking at - focus on getting through that time frame... Another reason (smaller reason for sure) I was glad to have a BMX - no more stereotactic biopsies or tests like this....

I do meditate, but I could not get through a breast MRI or a PET/CT without one 5mg Xanax. It's the only time I take these meds, but I just can't hold still enough to get clear results.

Oh sorry, I just noticed you're already left for the test. Hope all goes well. Do let us know.

Great jka!!! I didn't realize you had meds to take - I guess that helped with the meditative state, huh? : ) Please let us know when you hear something, all right?

"unappreciative of treatments"? Sign me up!

The way I look at it, once we've been diagnosed, we are faced with a bunch of crappy options. None of us would choose any of it but we've been put in a situation where we have no choice. Or if we have a choice, it's between Crappy Option A or Crappy Option B.

I'm claustrophobic too and was terrified of the MRI. Xanax helped, although I've had enough breast MRIs now that I can get through one without it. Being face down helps a lot - I never ever open my eyes... I visualize myself lying on my tummy on a beach chair with sand below me. The idea of a face-up MRI still terrifies me - never had one of those and hope I never need one. For me, the noises help, because I spend my time counting the noises... how many different types of noise and how many repetitions of each noise. I concentrate so much that it takes my mind off everything else. I start off by telling myself that there could be as many as 15 different noises, and there never are that many, so it's always over before I finish the count.

Surgery... the only good thing is when it's over. So from that sense I look forward to having the surgery, because it means I've passed a big hurdle. I admit it... my first thought almost always when I awake from surgery is "Good, I'm still alive.". And then I'm happy. I'm also happy these days when I awake and I don't feel nauseous; I tend to get nauseous from anaesthesia, and Anesthesiologists are much better at dealing with that these days when I warn them in advance.

I appreciate my doctors, nurses and the rest of the medical and support teams. I don't appreciate the treatments because they stink, but I'm glad that they are available to me. I'm glad that we have these treatments available to us, and I always hope that for the next generation, the treatments are better and maybe just a bit less crappy. The way I see it, the goal of cancer treatments is to get through it and come out the other side.

jka, hope your MRI results come soon, and that there are no surprises, except maybe good ones!

Hang in there girl. We'll be watching for your update.

No surprises from an MRI - that's great!

Good luck with the biopsies on Friday. Hopefully those masses are confirmed to be benign and then you can go ahead with a lumpectomy for the DCIS.

Sooo happy for you about benign results, jka!!! I have not had the surgery anxiety level you describe.... Some anxiety of course is normal. It is important you undergo the surgery and great anxiety will not help the lead-up or the day of surgery. Keep in mind anticipatory anxiety is almost always worse than that which we fear. Your surgery is just around the corner - the time of that will help... Important you think about things that will help you distract and enjoy more time until then.... Maybe make a list of possibilities and then use that to actually do these things to help you? See if others have any words of wisdom too....