Indeterminate calcification group
Hi I’m Janet
I have a small "indeterminate microcalcification group.” My report read some are clearly benign but others are amorphous? I'm scheduled for stereotactic core biopsy also next week. I would love to hear from anyone who's condition sounds similar to mine, possibly your outcome and also if someone could tell me about the corebiopsy.
I have no history of breast cancer or other cancer. I’m 56 and terrified.
Comments
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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
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Mods, thanks for bumping this post.
To my understanding, "Indeterminate" simply means that the Radiologist can't say for sure that the calcs are benign but doesn't want to go so far as to say they are suspicious. So with just those very general words, it's impossible for anyone here to tell you more. Janet, that's probably why no one responded sooner.
Often the next step after a mammogram where indeterminate breast calcs are found is a diagnostic mammogram to get a clearer, more close-up picture of the calcs. Since you are having a biopsy, I'm assuming you've had the diagnostic mammo. What else did the Radiologist's report say? How exactly were the calcs described? And what was the BIRADs rating on the report?
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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...
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LivinLife - My biopsy is scheduled for this week. Thank you so much I will let you know. My heart and prayers go out to everyone on this wonderful a site. These days are very hard
Bessie -
1. “Grouping (1 group) of micro-calcifications within upper outer posterior breast 7 mm from nipple. Although some are rounded and benign in appearance others have an amorphous appearance. Surgical consultation is recommended”.2. “9x8 mm ovoid nodular mass 1 cm from nipple. Well circumscribed structure and borders with both cystic and solid components. Solid component demonstrated vascularity on color Doppler. Surgical consultation is recommended”
3. “5x5x4 mm ovoid predominantly anechoic lesion/mass is seen approximately 2 cm from nipple representing a complicated cyst.
BI-RADS 4
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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%
- high risk lesions: ~20%
- malignant: ~20%
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?
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Thank you more than you can imagine for the information I am breathing a bit now with much more knowledge then before you wrote.
Yes ma’am I’ll be having a core biopsy this week and even though I know that’s the way the doctors can see what’s going on that could possibly save my life in worst outcome, I am so afraid of having the procedure. Do you have any experience in the stereotactic biopsy?
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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!
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I had the Stereotactic core biopsy today. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Now the wait
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Met with my breast surgeon for results of Stereotactic Biospy -
DCIS grade 3 / ER+. I will be having a breast MRI to make sure no other pathology is found this week. If all else is clear I will be having a lumpectomy followed by radiation and anti estrogen medication for the long term.
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Ah, crap, I'm sorry. The description certainly could have gone either way and I'm sorry that you landed on the wrong side of the odds.
Good that you are getting the MRI - not all surgeons do that but in my case it was very helpful with the surgery decision, since it showed a wider area of concern than what was seen on my mammogram. Hopefully your MRI shows nothing new.
Head over to the DCIS forum. My post, Topic: A layperson's guide to DCIS, which the Mods kindly pinned to the top of the list of posts, is a good place to get some basic information about DCIS. Here's a link to that thread: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/68/topics/790992
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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....
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I’m scheduled to have a breast MRI with contrast. I know this may sound immature or cowardly but I am mortified of the claustrophobic machine and evenmore so of the contrast gadolinium. Did anyone have experience with this testing and contrast and if so how did you do?
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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....
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Bless your heart LivinLife for your experience. I’m heading out in about an hour and going to try to meditate like you suggested.
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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.
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I just had to comment MinusTwo.... some of your posts really make me smile!!! That's in addition to the helpful info and support you offer!
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I had to do the same MinusTwo! I could have never gotten in that tunnel or had the contrast without something! I made it through thankfully this morning 😅 guess I’ll get results soon..
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Woo Hoo jka. Done!!! Hope the results are positive. Oops, I mean good, which would mean negative. Well, you know.
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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?
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I haven’t received MRI results yet. My mind is swirling with fear and anxiety. As bad as I want whatever it be that they find to be taken out of me, I have never had general anesthesia surgery before and am having extreme situational anxiety over that aspect in itself. I feel like I'm being unappreciative of treatments that can potentially save my life for having fear of surgery. Has anyone else felt that way?
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I haven't received MRI results yet. My mind is swirling with fear and anxiety. As bad as I want whatever it be that they find to be taken out of me, I have never had general anesthesia surgery before and am having extreme situational anxiety over that aspect in itself. I feel like I'm being unappreciative of treatments that can potentially save my life for having fear of surgery. Has anyone else felt that way?
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jka.... MRI results: They took forever to release my results to the portal. I don't think they had any intention of doing so until I met with a cancer-related doc. My cancer team (surgeon and MO) are in a completely different medical system 4 hours away. I did meet with RO locally just to do my due diligence even though I was told radiation is not an option for me due to scleroderma. I think they were waiting until I met with RO though RO never brought up my results at all and I forgot to ask (b/c I already got the results on my own lol).
Prior to that I messaged Medical Records 2 business days after my test, sent a release and they released the results in their secure mail system in about 24 hours- 3 business days after my test - there was a weekend in there. I also had an appointment with a local non-cancer related specialist and asked if the results were in (just before getting them from Medical Records). He looked, said they were, was gracious enough to talk with me about them and print me a copy. I've had so much testing the last number of years I refuse to wait any longer than I actually have to. I also had a serious issue once (dilated right ventricle) no-one ever called me about - I found out about it when I met with my derm a few months later who was really concerned!!!
Anesthesia - I'm "older" : ) so worry a little now only for that reason... I had mild concerns when younger though that was it. They are sooooo careful, thoughtful, etc. Not that issues cannot develop, even when patients are younger, though they are experts and do their due diligence.
"Unappreciative of" treatment. I haven't felt that about treatment per se though I have about testing. I didn't use the word "barbaric" when you inquired about the MRI a few days ago though I've had some testing I call barbaric! The stereotactic biopsy is one of those due to the whole "boobs under the table" test, great discomfort to my neck and rib cage and the last one led to a lot of pulling, twisting, "rolling" as they said. The breast MRI was not as bad as that though reminded me some of that. Soooooo glad I won't have to deal with any of that anymore....!!! Also esophageal manometry.... I just expect we should've come along more than the way these tests "need" to be done.... Though they have not, they serve important purposes and that's the important thing to focus on for now.... at least that's what I tell myself.... : )
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"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!
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Thank you Beesie & LivinLife & MinusTwo ❤️ I agree the hardest is waiting! I hope I get a call tom
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Hang in there girl. We'll be watching for your update.
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I Finally got my results. The area of concern was indeed confirmed with MRI but didn't look to have been elsewhere!! PTL! It did however pick up the 2 small lumps previously seen on mammogram but MRI didn't seem to think they were cancerous. My surgeon is going to biopsy those Friday anyway to be sure they are benign so we can be ready to schedule a lumpectomy in the next week or two and follow up with radiation providing pathology from lumpectomy is our confirmed diagnosis. Thank you all so much for caring. I pray for you all daily and you’ll never know how much your thoughts and conversations have meant to me. I consider each one of you my friend. I’ll keep you updated as we go - Janet
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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.
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Good morning - the biopsy from last Friday on the other 2 nodules came back benign. I’m so thankful for that. My lumpectomy is scheduled for 12/3. I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I am terrified of having surgery and being put to sleep. So much so I feel like running away. Has anyone felt this way? I asked if it could be done with local and sedation.
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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....
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jka, great news on the biopsies!
I don't think your fear of being put under general anesthesia is all that unusual. I'm not terrified in the same way, but on the other hand, as I posted recently, my first thought upon waking from surgery is usually "Oh, good, I'm still alive!". So I guess I have that fear in there somewhere. What I do as the surgery date is approaching is remind myself that this is the big event that I've been waiting for, the one that for me separates "before" from "after". Before surgery, you know that you have a diagnosis but there are so many unknowns. The surgery removes the cancer and clears up those unknowns, allowing you to make the final decisions to move forward. So in the days and hours and minutes before surgery, I focus on how glad I will be that the surgery is over.
I also view the surgery as being the one time when everything is out of my hands - I just have to lie there and do nothing and I won't even be aware of what's happening. After weeks or months of worrying and wondering and my mind racing a million miles an hour, there is something nice about being released from all that, if only for a short time.
Good luck with your surgery!
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