Clustered Microcalcification

[mel43]

I'm very new at this, on July 26th I had a mammogram & was called back for a magnified mommogram. I have been called and told I need to see the surgeon on Aug. 8th to schedule a biopsy. My report read, Clustered Microcalcification of the left breast at 1:00 outer BIRAD-4. So I'm in panic mode, I live in a very Rural area, I'm 43 this is my second mammogram. I'm scared to death, not sure what to expect or what the statistics are. I have had no symtoms until I had the magnified test now my breast is sore and has a burning sensation. Is this normal??
I have very small breast, what should I expect in the up coming weeks. I need help, I'm still trying to understand all of this. Now every ache & pain I feel through out my body I panic. There is no history of breast cancer in my family. There isn't really anyone to talk to here, and the doctors office people don't seem to be the compassionate type of people. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

[Avidhiker]

My radiologist initially said I would be a candidate for a sterotactic biopsy.  He even walked me to the room with the "table" in it so I can see up close what it would be all about.  He is an exceptional radiologist, Dr. Dill.  Turned out, however, he was wrong:  My breast surgeon said I needed an open biopsy because the area of concern was spread out over too large an area for a needle or stereotactic biopsy to be accurate.  He performed 7,000 breast surgeries over a 33-year period, trained at Sloan Ketering, teaches, etc.  I didn't seek a second opinion.  I trusted his opinion thoroughly and still do.  I had conscious sedation for the procedure with a local. I felt and remembered NOTHING.  The worst part was the dye injection the night before.  Since I had no palpable lump, a radiologist had to inject blue dye in the PRECISELY EXACT area to be removed.  Of course, my luck as usual, that night my breasts were killing me because I was expecting my period! You are positioned sitting up in a mammo contraption.  Luckily, for me it took only 10 minutes in that kill squeeze position.  Not pleasant at all.  My incision is on the right breast, at about 9 o'clock, way on the outside just about under my arm pit, really not that noticeable when looking straight at it. As you know, mine turned out to be malignant so he just reincised for the lumpectomy.  One incision, two procedures.  (Plus an extra incision for the sentinal node biopsy to boot!) Recovery for me was easy despite going under general--took only a narcotic that night.  The worst part was not being able to take a shower until the stitches were removed.  I had a drain for 7 days and managed to hide it from the world. I had a visiting nurse every morning.  Years ago, you would at least have had to stay overnight. Not necessary with a lumpectomy.  Anyway, now it's 3 more adjuvant chemo treatments because of the size of the tumor, 2.4 cm, and then as Johnny calls it, "the hot stuff", probably 33 sessions.  I hope to be done by my birthday, December 14 and as I have previously posted, I am going to have one hell of a celebration!  Thanks for reading my story.  I hope yours will be unlike mine.

[ziggy123]

Not sure of the techical name, but he said that he will numb my breast and use a needle to extract the calcifications. Because of the location he said that my shoulder might be sore. Do they do a mammogram as they perform the biopsy?

[boninclyde]

Find out what type of biopsy you'll have to have and we'll let you know. They are very gentle in either case.

[boninclyde]

I had two clusters then some widespread calcifications. One of mine they said has 25 and one about 15. Which dr.'s is quite a bit.

[ziggy123]

Thank you for your responses. Here I sit waiting for the phone to ring, to find out when my biopsy is scheduled. Asking for it to be done yesterday did not seem to work. My doctor promised to do all he could to make this happen sooner rather than later.
You are all correct, when you said that waiting is one of the hardest parts. At lease when you know something you can be more directed. This limbo makes me crazy!
I do know one thing for sure, I will become the poster child for not putting off a mammogram. My annual should have been two years ago, and I just kept putting it off. What an idiot!

[Under Forty Pam]

I don't believe calcifications are always in the ducts.  I have them spread all over the place.  They were never concerned about widespread calcium only when they moved together to a cluster.  My cluster was also small, almost hard to counts the dots, not many I would say but enough to end up being cancer.  Get the biopsy and stay postive they do say the statistics are in your favor.  If it turns out to be nothing you will be happy, if not then you will join our club and ask a ton of questions.  Many of us are going thru the same things right now, I was a July 2006 diagnosis.