Mammogram callback for Ultrasound?

[Snowflakey]

So sorry and believe me I know how your feeling.

At age 45, doing mammograms every year since age 40, I was called back. Was told by EVERYONE not to worry, this is normal, etc.

No history of breast cancer in my family either. Until me. Yes, it was cancer.

Happy to say I am now 11 years cancer free!! Keep the faith, by doing yearly mammograms you are already on top of this!!

 

[China Expat]

Not to scare you, but I call back in July 2019 after 30 years of no issues. I had a stage 2 tumor on the left side. Sorry

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thanks so much everyone. As they say, I guess misery loves company-I'm so comforted to hear how many others have had the call. And while I've been waiting, I've gotten quite an education from Google. I didn't understand what "dense breasts" mean. I thought they were kind of the opposite of what they are. Seems they're the opposite of having a high amount of fat in your breasts. And seeings how I've lost 30 pounds in less than a year, such that I've gone down a cup size, it seems that I may have dense breasts. So for now, I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude and hope that this is all a negative effect of losing weight. But, boy, I wish the answer came sooner!

 

[VGCgroupie]

Thanks so much everyone. As they say, I guess misery loves company-I'm so comforted to hear how many others have had the call. And while I've been waiting, I've gotten quite an education from Google. I didn't understand what "dense breasts" mean. I thought they were kind of the opposite of what they are. Seems they're the opposite of having a high amount of fat in your breasts. And seeings how I've lost 30 pounds in less than a year, such that I've gone down a cup size, it seems that I may have dense breasts. So for now, I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude and hope that this is all a negative effect of losing weight. But, boy, I wish the answer came sooner!

They usually give you a dense breast score with your mammogram. If you didnt see it ask them just so you know where you are at on the density level.

 

[Christine]

Thanks so much everyone. As they say, I guess misery loves company-I'm so comforted to hear how many others have had the call. And while I've been waiting, I've gotten quite an education from Google. I didn't understand what "dense breasts" mean. I thought they were kind of the opposite of what they are. Seems they're the opposite of having a high amount of fat in your breasts. And seeings how I've lost 30 pounds in less than a year, such that I've gone down a cup size, it seems that I may have dense breasts. So for now, I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude and hope that this is all a negative effect of losing weight. But, boy, I wish the answer came sooner!

If you have access to the radiology report (where I go they have a portal and the report is up pretty quickly), you can get the notes on exactly what the radiologist is seeing.

 

[Dug720]

Thanks so much everyone. As they say, I guess misery loves company-I'm so comforted to hear how many others have had the call. And while I've been waiting, I've gotten quite an education from Google. I didn't understand what "dense breasts" mean. I thought they were kind of the opposite of what they are. Seems they're the opposite of having a high amount of fat in your breasts. And seeings how I've lost 30 pounds in less than a year, such that I've gone down a cup size, it seems that I may have dense breasts. So for now, I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude and hope that this is all a negative effect of losing weight. But, boy, I wish the answer came sooner!

There is a good chance that losing weight is what has caused the call-back. I know my place when I check in asks specifically if I've lost weight and documents it. Since boobs are generally one of the first places of fat loss, the breast tissue will condense/move together.

Obviously it's not a guarantee, but I'd say this is probably why.

And at least you're in within a week. I had a month to wait.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I'm freaking out, so I hope I make sense. After over 30 years of normal mammograms, I got my first callback today. Apparently they want an ultrasound of my right breast due to some changes. And one thing that amazes me is how no one seems to think this all has to be done tomorrow! The nurse wanted to know my availability for an appointment, so I gave her the times I had other plans next week, then said "That should be enough, right?" She just said "If not, I'll just make it for after that. After that? Has anyone been called back for an ultrasound after a mammogram?

Yes. They also made it seem fairly routine. There can be many reasons why an ultrasound is necessary - dense breast tissue the biggest one, I believe.

My case there was a "shadow" in one breast. They did an ultrasound/needle biopsy and found nothing.

Take a breath, a ultrasound callback following a mammogram isn't as dire as it sounds. Yes, it can be, but not all the time.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This reminds me of when I took my elderly mother to Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary once for an eye injury and she asked the doctor there if he’d ever seen anything like it before, lol.

Yes, call backs are extremely common. The good news is that, because imaging is so good today, 90% of all breast cancers are caught in their early stage, where they’re more treatable.

It is a subject, though, that none of us want to think about. Including me.

I was down at Disney last January when I got the call back. There wasn’t even anything in my breast, it was an enlarged node under my arm. As a breast cancer survivor already, to say I was concerned is putting it mildly. (It put a big damper on my trip. ) When I got home I had the ultrasound, then a biopsy, and sure enough, was diagnosed with round two - a new breast cancer. Been at it all year, in radiation now. It’s a long road to go down, but we’re very fortunate we live in the times we do as there are so many treatments available, it’s not the death sentence that it was at one time. Not by any means.

Stinks to go through the wait, but hopefully you’ll be one of the lucky ones who gets a pass. Be sure to let us know!

Keep up with your mammograms everyone!