Tiny focal asymmetry found & covid vaccine question

Anonymous · April 2021

selketine · April 2021

Hello all. I had a routine mammogram today - last one about 18 months ago. I'm 57 and have a family history of breast cancer. I've had many mammograms at the same place so they can compare over at least 6 years worth or more. The finding was:

FINDINGS:Tiny focal asymmetry in the upper inner left breast, left MLO #59, left CC #54. Otherwise similar appearance and distribution of tissues compared to priors. Benign calcifications bilaterally. Unremarkable axillary lymph nodes. No suspicious area of architectural distortion.

RECOMMENDATION: Diagnostic Breast Tomosynthesis and Ultrasound - Left Breast

I'm in an absolute panic. I didn't tell my family. I've scheduled the follow up exams for Monday (after the weekend - why is it always the weekend when something happens lol). Any insight into what this means?

I also had my 2nd Moderna shot almost exactly 4 weeks ago - on the left side same as where the asymmetry is. Any chance that is related?

Thanks so so much for any help to calm me down and get me through the weekend. I am afraid to read or google cause I know it will scare me more.

Salamandra · May 2021

These things are never easy, but you are on the right track with planning not to google.

The majority of callbacks don't even go to biopsy. The majority of biopsies are benign. The vast majority of malignant cancers found via screening are very treatable with excellent prognoses. There are so very very many things that are more likely to go in your favor than against you.

Some people prefer not to share with family until they know. But I think it's helpful to share with someone. You've shared here, so that's great! But maybe there's someone IRL you can share with so it feels less like an unspeakable event for you. When I was sent for my most recent biopsy (the first one after my treatment, and it really spooked me), I decided to tell my sister and some of my local friends but not my elderly fathers (until after it came back benign). Sometimes it can be easier to tell someone who is technically less close to you, because they may be better able to emotionally handle it themselves.

Hang in there! It's never easy but I think in this case, following up on the screening while assuming that it's most likely an abundance of caution is a really really fair approach. Distract yourself this weekend, try to do something fun you can write about in your diary. In the long run, we are much more likely to remember what we do than what we feel, so do something you can feel good about later - if you can.

Good luck and hoping for good news for you!

LivinLife · May 2021

Salamandra is absolutely correct on the stats.... I've also read quite a bit on this site asymmetry can be related to how the breast is positioned, folds in the skin, etc... I hope this is true in your case. Glad you posted on here selketine! Wishing you well on Monday. Please let us know when you get some results all right? Actually should be Monday since these are diagnostic scans.... In your time....

selketine · May 2021

Thank you for the replies. I will post back with the results. I did end up searching this site for "focal asymmetry" and noticed many who posted never posted back so I'm assuming they had good news. I also like that they used the word "tiny" in the description. Has to be better than "large" right? I distracted myself well yesterday but today is already a challenge.

I asked about the covid vaccine since the tech who did the scan seemed like she would have thought waiting past 6 weeks is better. I think that is for lymph node swelling which I didn't notice with my vaccine but I know women have reported various oddities with menstrual cycles and so on...from what I've read usually temporary, etc. Not trying to say someone shouldn't get vaccinated but was wondering if mammograms could be affected. I suppose there hasn't been enough time to tell if that's the case because vaccines are so new. The report also mentioned something about "no edges" which I'm guessing is also positive - I took that to mean that it didn't have an edge like a lump/mass would have.

selketine · May 2021

I wanted to follow up with the results of my tests today so that in case someone looks at this in the future cause they have something similar it might be reassuring. They did a rescan of the left breast and took more images, used a paddle, etc. and they also did an ultrasound. I'll try to copy and paste the results:

INDICATION: Left breast asymmetry

TECHNIQUE: Compression and tomo techniques

COMPARISON: 4//2021, 9/2019.

BREAST DENSITY: STANDARD - The breast tissue has scattered areas of fibroglandular density.

FINDINGS:

With compression the area of asymmetry in the upper MLO left breast appears to moderately clear. The asymmetry in the inner breast is faintly suggested. Both of these may represent normal breast parenchyma. No other suspicious calcification, mass, asymmetry, or architectural distortion is present.

Sonography of the breast was also obtained in the upper and inner aspects of the breast. This demonstrates a nodule at 12:00 which is retroareolar measuring 4 x 2.8 x 4.4 mm compatible with a small lymph node and a second retroareolar nodule at 12:00 measuring 5.8 x 6 x 2.4 mm also compatible with a lymph node. These may not correspond to the findings in question on mammography. There is no malignancy identified. The findings were reviewed with the member in detail.

IMPRESSION: Probably benign findings.

RECOMMENDATION: Follow-up Diagnostic Mammogram and Ultrasound in 6 months - Left Breast. Routine Screening Mammogram - Right Breast. Biopsy of a clinically suspicious palpable breast lesion should not be deferred on the basis of a normal mammogram or ultrasound.

BI-RADS Category 3: Probably Benign Findings

Sorry this was so lengthy. At first the ultrasound tech said the radiologist wanted me to come back in a year (which is my routine time) and she could tell I was anxious. She took me to talk to the radiologist directly which was nice. He said come back in 6 months just because of my anxiety. He also said there's a million more things outside this door I should be worried about more than my mammogram - lol. (As in I shouldn't be worried). He said there was nothing there that raised any red flags to him at all. He was interested that I'd had my moderna shot - about 5 weeks ago now. They do mention lymph nodes in the findings above. He said it was possibly related or could be just regular changes in the breast. He also said the area of interest "flattened out" when pushed or something like that - which is a good sign.

Thank you for the kind words. I also want to note that every time I post here I've gotten emails saying my post was inappropriate and I've been banned from the forum for about 10 days. This was VERY distressing as I was already upset then it just compounded with getting a banned notice. I realize there are probably filters for new members but perhaps it could say "because you're new your post is being reviewed by a moderator" or something? I don't know what bad words I'm using that are triggering a ban. I will try to follow up ini 6 months with the next exam to see if any changes. I'm relieved but sort of exhausted from all the worry. I lost my mom to breast cancer when I was in my 20's (she originally had it before I was born!) - detection and treatment are SO much better now. My heart is with all of you in this struggle.

Beesie · May 2021

selketine,

Great news that the results were good! Thank you for letting us know.

Have you sent a private message to the Moderators about the messages you've received? There is nothing in your posts that is even remotely against the rules, so there must be a problem somewhere. I did notice earlier in the day that your post had been "removed by the community" and I couldn't understand why. I'm glad to see that it has been reinstated.

Now go off and celebrate the good news!

Tiny focal asymmetry found & covid vaccine question

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