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Saturday, June 25, 2011 kitkat161 asks

Q: scared of mammogram report

I'm 45 years old. Just had my yearly mammowgram this past tuesday and on thursday got a call back from my dr telling me i need to return in 2 weeks for cone mammowgram and ultrasound. there is a 7mm dense nodular (about the size of rice) on my upper right breast. I am freaked out!!!! what could this mean?! and why do I have to wait 2 long weeks and worry all this time? I had a digital mammow if it was a cyst could they not seen it? Im worried its something more. I have been on a diet and lost 25 pounds. will they do a biospy? if not should i ask for one? I really dont want to wait on a 6 months recheck to see if it has grown what ever it is I want it out. I have been looking up about this and most drs want to wait and see. I want be happy with that if that happens. Has anyone else report came back like mine?

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Answers (1)
Phyllis Johnson, Health Guide
6/26/11 8:14am

A mammogram follow up is very common, and few women can avoid anxiety when they get the call that more images are needed.  The mammogram cannot tell the difference between a solid lump and a cyst, but ultrasounds are very good at that.  So the chances are that this will turn out to be a tiny cyst.  I'm not clear about why they would want you to wait two weeks.  It may be that they want to see your breast at another point in your menstrual cycle.  I would suggest calling back and asking if there is a medical reason to wait for two weeks.  If not, ask to be seen sooner.  You are going to be anxious until you know what this nodule is.

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6/26/11 9:42am

Thank you for your reply. I am very worried so much that I have lost 5 pounds in three days cant eat. I'm calling my dr on monday and see if they can't help me to be seen sooner if they are booked then maybe I can be seen some other place. I did have my mammogram done during my period but nothing i have looked up says that has anything to do with findings. I'm beyond worried so anxious I think I'm having panic attacks and I have never had one before. Its been a horrible weekend.

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Phyllis Johnson, Health Guide
6/26/11 9:54am

Cysts can change over the course a woman's cycle, so if the doctor suspects a cyst, that might be a reason to want to see you mid-cycle.  Someone at the doctor's office should have reassured you that call backs for follow up mammograms are extremely common.  It just means that the radiologist wants a better look at something on the mammogram.  It is good to have a doctor who is super cautious.  Even if it turns out that this is a solid nodule that needs a biopsy, the vast majority of biopsied lumps are not cancer.  

I do understand your anxiety because I have been there myself.  I would suggest you call your doctor today and explain that you are having panic attacks.  Your doctor can probably call in a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication to help you over the next few days.  Or try going outside for some exercise or doing some fun activity that will take your mind off your worry.

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6/27/11 9:20am

Thank you for your reply. I called today and I was able to get into another place a breast center and I only wait 2 days not 2 weeks. I'm still VERY scared. I called my regular dr and ask for some anti-anxiety meds. last week when i went for my regular yearly check up i weight in at 140. today my scales say 133. Needless to say my nerves has gotten to me. Is there a differance in a mass and dense nodular? the nurse ask me if that is what the dr said it was and I told her dense nodular 7mm. this is what I was told.  Thank you for your support and please keep me in your prayers this wednesday.

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Phyllis Johnson, Health Guide
6/27/11 10:39am

I'm so glad you called and got the appointment scheduled for an earlier time.

 

 Mass seems to be a more general term than nodule.  I have heard doctors use it to describe both lumps and thickened areas.  A nodule is a lump.  The vast majority of breast lumps are not cancerous.  Many are harmless fluid-filled cysts, especially in women in their 30's and 40's.  An ultrasound will be able to determine if a lump is a cyst most of the time.  Even when the imaging tests are not sufficient to rule out cancer, most biopsied lumps are not cancer.  For every 100 women who need to have a nodule biopsied, more than 80 will not have cancer.  

 

Of course, I can't promise that your lump is benign; some lumps are cancer.  If yours is, it is still very small and there would be every reason to think that you would be able to have breast-conserving surgery and that you will live to be a very old lady.  In your forty-five years, you have developed all kinds of resources for coping with crises.  If you get the worst possible health news, you will reach down into your inner resources and out to your community of support, and you will get through this.

 

What you need to do right now is get through the next two days.  Make yourself eat simple, nourishing food.  Avoid caffeine or other foods that might make you more jittery.  If your doctor prescribed some anti-anxiety medicine, take it as directed.  Try to stay busy.  When "what if" questions pop into your mind, write them down to ask the doctor and then try to forget them.  Once you get the report from the next set of tests, you will have enough information to know whether it is time to panic yet.  I hope you get very good news and can put this scare behind you.

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By kitkat161— Last Modified: 06/27/11, First Published: 06/25/11