Asymmetry on follow up mammogram

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out_and_about
out_and_about Member Posts: 47
edited March 2021 in Waiting for Test Results

Thanks to the new rules that allow us to see our results on our MyChart app before the doctor calls us, I got to find out my new mammogram results on a Saturday. It says lateral left breast asymmetry at anterior depth. BIRADS 0. I take it that means I will be going back for more imaging. I am only 2.5 years out from right breast cancer. They mentioned a comparison to my February 2020 study, but I do not have a copy of those results. I also had an MRI in September which was fine. Is this more likely to be cancer, given that they didn't see it on my previous imaging studies? My other question, I just switched from an AI and ovarian suppression to tamoxifen. Is it possible that this is just hormonal changes from my medications?

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2021

    Asymmetry seen on mammogram imaging can be a indication that there is a something hiding in the breast tissue, causing the tissue to appear asymmetrical. The "something" could be benign, like a cyst, or it could be a malignant mass.

    But often the asymmetry is simply caused by the way that the breast tissue was squished in the mammogram machine, causing the breast tissue to appear uneven.

    I don't know how often asymmetry is an issue with the breast placement between the mammogram plates vs. being the sign of something (which could be benign) being in the breast. However based on the frequency of posts on this site mentioning callbacks because of asymmetry and how rarely these individuals end up with a breast cancer diagnosis, I'd guess that most asymmetry is an imaging problem and nothing more. Hopefully that's the case for you. Total speculation here, but I would think that 'anterior depth' might lean this towards being a breast placement issue, since anterior refers to the front, which would be the area of the breast closest to the mammogram plates.

    Good luck, and keep us in the loop!


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  • out_and_about
    out_and_about Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2021

    Thanks I hope you're right! It's hard not to freak out as the last time I knew I had a lump and was totally confident that it was something benign...and obviously proven very wrong!

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  • LivinLife
    LivinLife Member Posts: 1,332
    edited March 2021

    Just want to welcome you out_! I hope all turns out well for you! Please let us know how the call back goes....

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  • out_and_about
    out_and_about Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2021

    Good news, all is well, follow up study was normal. The tech even showed me the area of concern on last week's mammogram, and then showed me how easy it is for things to look very different year to year, even from simple things such as weight changes or a different position. She also said it was very common, and they had 14 follow ups scheduled that day for similar things. Obviously needed to be followed up, but hopefully this can also ease someone else's mind if they see BIRADs 0 on their report.

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2021

    Great news! Thanks for coming back to let us know. Now you can enjoy your weekend!


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  • LivinLife
    LivinLife Member Posts: 1,332
    edited March 2021

    Great news!!! Thanks for letting us know!

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