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I Had A Mammogram Done Two Days Ago. I Got
Question: I had a mammogram done two days ago. I got a call saying something showed up that wasn’t there on my last test. They want me to come back to have another diagnostic mammogram focusing on that area. It is on the outside of the left breast. The technician that called described it as a nodule and they want to find out if it’s hard or soft. They may do an ultrasound if they can’t get the information they need from a second mammogram. I’m concerned about it and I wondered what could cause a nodule besides cancer? They said it is very small and wasn’t seen in my last mammogram a year ago. Can you give me any information about what could cause this and if it turns out to be cancer what can I expect to happen next.?
Brief Answer:
A detailed answer to your questions below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
Breast lumps may be caused by different conditions and a very common one are cysts. This is why the doctors want to know more about the lump to be able to determine if it is fluid-filled or solid. This feature will determine further steps in diagnosis and treatment.
If the mass is found to be solid, it will require needle aspiration and biopsy to verify the kind of cells that make it and if it is benign or malignant. 90% of breast masses are cysts or benign solid tumors (non-cancerous). Benign solid tumors would be fibroadenoma and in some cases phyllodes tumors.
Depending on the kind of cells and the results of the biopsy further steps will be decided. Generally, the mass is surgically removed if it is considered to be malignant (cancer). The biopsied mass is also checked for the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors to determine if it is sensitive to hormonal treatment (a very good prognosis in this case). If it is not sensitive to hormones, doctors may decide on chemotherapy. Tests to check other organs and rule out the spread of the disease may be ordered as well.
To conclude:
- determining if the mass is fluid-filled or solid is a very important step in the diagnosis.
- if it is solid, still there is a high chance it is a benign mass as a great majority of breast masses are benign.
- if cancer is suspected, a biopsy is needed and possibly determine if it is sensitive to hormones or not. The lymph nodes will be checked as well.
- most of the time surgery and hormonal therapy or surgery and chemotherapy are the treatments that are very effective in a very high percentage of cases. Nowadays, breast cancer has a much better prognosis due to the highly effective treatments available. In your case, because the mass is small and detected early, there is a high chance it is a localized condition and you very likely have a good prognosis.
I hope this answers your query and is helpful to you. I remain at your disposal in case further medical assistance is needed.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician
A detailed answer to your questions below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
Breast lumps may be caused by different conditions and a very common one are cysts. This is why the doctors want to know more about the lump to be able to determine if it is fluid-filled or solid. This feature will determine further steps in diagnosis and treatment.
If the mass is found to be solid, it will require needle aspiration and biopsy to verify the kind of cells that make it and if it is benign or malignant. 90% of breast masses are cysts or benign solid tumors (non-cancerous). Benign solid tumors would be fibroadenoma and in some cases phyllodes tumors.
Depending on the kind of cells and the results of the biopsy further steps will be decided. Generally, the mass is surgically removed if it is considered to be malignant (cancer). The biopsied mass is also checked for the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors to determine if it is sensitive to hormonal treatment (a very good prognosis in this case). If it is not sensitive to hormones, doctors may decide on chemotherapy. Tests to check other organs and rule out the spread of the disease may be ordered as well.
To conclude:
- determining if the mass is fluid-filled or solid is a very important step in the diagnosis.
- if it is solid, still there is a high chance it is a benign mass as a great majority of breast masses are benign.
- if cancer is suspected, a biopsy is needed and possibly determine if it is sensitive to hormones or not. The lymph nodes will be checked as well.
- most of the time surgery and hormonal therapy or surgery and chemotherapy are the treatments that are very effective in a very high percentage of cases. Nowadays, breast cancer has a much better prognosis due to the highly effective treatments available. In your case, because the mass is small and detected early, there is a high chance it is a localized condition and you very likely have a good prognosis.
I hope this answers your query and is helpful to you. I remain at your disposal in case further medical assistance is needed.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General and Family Physician
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
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