Spiculated looking area on mammogram

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Anonymous
Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
edited April 2021 in Not Diagnosed But Worried
Spiculated looking area on mammogram

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  • Apatheticboob
    Apatheticboob Member Posts: 8
    edited April 2021

    Hi everyone,

    I went and got my first mammogram yesterday morning. It was quick and painless and easy!

    The tech told me that I should get results in a week, didn’t elaborate beyond that except that in about 95% of first mammograms they call back the patient for additional testing as they don’t have any other mammograms as a baseline for what they see (or something along those lines)

    I asked if I could see the images and she pulled them up on the screen for me to see. The very first thing I spot was a bright white blob that (to me) looked like what I see online of a spiculated mass. It was sort of rectangular in shape with spikes protruding from it. I know about spiculated masses from doing a lot of reading up on breast cancer when my sister had a scare. I didn’t ask about it, and she didn’t point out anything to me.

    Of course my mind is racing! My question is, can spiculated looking areas be mistaken for just regular ol dense breast tissue? I’m definitely not a trained radiologist 😂 but what I saw was pretty glaringly white and obvious.

  • kathabus
    kathabus Member Posts: 205
    edited April 2021

    Hi! I don't have an answer for your specific concern, but I wanted to tell you something I learned with all of my diagnostic tests and imaging. Many, many benign conditions mimic cancer. I'm sure you know this after your sister had a scare, and it wound up okay!

    I remember after my diagnostic mammogram I wanted to look at "the spot." I asked the radiologist to point to the area of concern. And honestly, it looked like the rest of the picture to me. And it wound up to be IDC. And many women come with concerns that wind up being nothing.

    I've learned to wait for the trained professionals to diagnose the situation. Try to hang tight and let us know how you make out!

  • Apatheticboob
    Apatheticboob Member Posts: 8
    edited April 2021

    Thanks! That is reassuring!! Yes, I almost wish i took a photo of my mammogram so i could scrutinize it here at home, instead I only have what I THINK I saw in my mind. I understand why they would not want to give anyone the images to take home with them (like an ultrasound for a pregnancy?) because people like me will be worrying and trying to diagnose themselves, haha.

    this wait is so hard! why will it take a week, when after my sisters mammogram they had a radiologist some in immediately to address the concern that very day? I went to an imaging center, so maybe there weren't any radiologists there.


  • 2019whatayear
    2019whatayear Member Posts: 767
    edited April 2021

    Results in a week is probably just a general thing they tell everyone.

    Trying to interpret what you see is just borrowing trouble--as I am sure you realize! I hope you enjoy your weekend!

  • December11
    December11 Member Posts: 379
    edited April 2021

    Hope yours turns out okay. When the breast surgeon showed me my mammogram, my cancer looked like a black hole. I think it was described as spiculated in the radiologist's report, but to me it looked like a black hole.

  • Apatheticboob
    Apatheticboob Member Posts: 8
    edited April 2021

    Black hole, meaning a solid mass maybe? I know there are many layers in a mammogram. I didn't see anything that looked like a black hole on mine. I hope that you are feeling well and doing okay.

  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited April 2021

    I almost wish i took a photo of my mammogram so i could scrutinize it here at home

    Are you a radiologist with years of experience in reading and interpreting mammograms? If not, that would just be an exercise in futility, speculation, and mental distress. Go concentrate on doing fun things until you get your actual interpretation. Your breasts aren't your sister's, and she didn't have a problem anyway, correct? A "scare" is not an actual medical issue.

  • Apatheticboob
    Apatheticboob Member Posts: 8
    edited April 2021
  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited April 2021

    Apathetic - it may sound harsh, but Alice is right. Try to focus on anything else except the pending results. Waiting is hard but do plan some fun things that you've been wanting to do to keep you mind occupied.

  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited April 2021

    Apatheticboob

    I didn't mean to sound harsh, but I hate to see people getting into mental and emotional knots when they don't have a reason to go there - sometimes yet, sometimes never. I'm serious about the fun part. I did that deliberately starting with my biopsy - went to a great concert the next night, did a lot of day trips throughout the whole testing and appointment drill, had lunch out with friends two days after surgery, and kept doing those outings, plus a few mini vacations, through re-excision, a separate cancer showing up, more tests, more appointments, a bigger surgery... now I look back on that year and remember the fun things much more than the medical tediousness.


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

    To AliceBastable's point, breast radiologists are doctors with 10-12 years of training. I've had lots of mammogram and ultrasound imaging over the years and I've had more call-backs than I can remember for conditions from simple cysts to breast cancer. The one thing I know for sure is that I cannot accurately interpret what I see on the screen or in the images on-line. I don't even attempt it. And I always advise people who come to this site to not attempt it either.

    Edited to add:

    Thinking about this more, first off, while you of course can ask to see the images, the tech should not have shown them to you. Her job to do the screening and say nothing and she should have known better. Second, if the tech saw something that was clearly a concern, she would have to be an absolute idiot to show you the imaging. I trust that she is not an idiot.

  • December11
    December11 Member Posts: 379
    edited April 2021

    I don't think they are supposed to look like a black hole, but that is what I remember.

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