Microcalifications

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LMT3
LMT3 Member Posts: 4
in Breast Cancer #1

Is anyone on this board familiar with microcalicifiactions? In 2007 I had them in my left breast, had biopsy and they were DCIS stage 0, had lumpectomy but no radiation. In 2010, I again had suspicious microcalifications (again in left breast), had another biopsy, this time they were benign. In 2011, again had to have a biopsy (left breast) because of suspicious looking microcalcifications, again benign. In 2012 I moved to another state, brought 4 years worth of mammograms with me and gave them to the new breast center. For the last 3 yeears all my mammograms are coming out "normal" but with the statement that  "you have very dense breast tissue". I kniw something isn't right because I have pains in my breast, and I feel something in the left breast that isn't in the right one. The doctor sent me in for an ultra sound this time but they said there were no "masses". When I reminded to them that I had the microcalcifications the technician just asked how I knew I had them. In Washington every time there was something suspicious the radiologist called me back and pointed out and explained what was showing on the mammogram, and he showed me how my left breast had microcalcifications all through it but what they looked for was when they clustered. So the radiologist here said since I had a history of DCIS they wanted an MRI of my breast, my regular doctor really didn't want to do it, but I raised enough of a fit that they ordered it, tomorrow I see a breast specialist. What I need to know is do microcalcifications go away on their own and should I quit pushing this issue? I'm 64

Laura

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  • jessiesmom1
    jessiesmom1 Member Posts: 915 Member
    #2
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    Breast Microcalcifications

    You might look for an answer to your question at hopkinsbreastcenter.org/services/ask_expert

    It is a free question and answer service run by The Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center.  The website has a lot of information,also. I asked a question once and was pleased with the response. I hope this is helpful.

    Good luck.

     

    IRENE

  • LMT3
    LMT3 Member Posts: 4
    #3
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    jessiesmom1 said:

    Breast Microcalcifications

    You might look for an answer to your question at hopkinsbreastcenter.org/services/ask_expert

    It is a free question and answer service run by The Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center.  The website has a lot of information,also. I asked a question once and was pleased with the response. I hope this is helpful.

    Good luck.

     

    IRENE

    Thanks I'll try that. I did

    Thanks I'll try that. I did see the breast specialist today and she felt what I felt so we are going to schedule another biopsy.

  • crselby
    crselby Member Posts: 441 Member
    #4
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    micro calcs and MRIs

    Hi Laura,

    I had micro calcs that were found to be DCIS 6 years ago.  Docs wanted an MRI, and then, if they saw something, an MRI guided biopsy. 

     

    The thing about MRIs is ... they often "show" things that aren't calcs or cancers at all.  The MRI guided biopsy is expensive and not fun for the patient.  In mine, they saw something in both breasts with the MRI.  Then a week later when I went for the MRI guided biopsies, the one in my unaffected breast was gone (thank the lord).  They went after the spot in my DCIS biopsied breast and got nothing.  It was a place where 2 blood vessels crossed.  Oh, did I bleed and bleed and bleed.  And my breast turned purple.  It was still purple when I had the lumpectomy.

     

    MRIs are good for finding other areas of the breast (besides what the mammogram found) where there is DCIS.  No sense having a lumpectomy if another area close by will spring to view in a few years when the small seed has grown large enough to be seen by xray. 

     

    I am going today to see a breast surgeon for exactly that scenario.  I doubt if I can have another lumpectomy, just anterior to the first lumpectomy and brachytherapy radiation site, so it will probably mean a mastectomy.  And if one DDD girl goes, the other one is going to go too.  So, double mastectomy.  Sigh.   But I don't want to be premature.  I'm seeing him this afternoon. 

     

    About micro calcifications going away on their own.   ...   I have not experienced that.  I have many many micro calcs in both breasts.  Docs don't seem to know what causes them or why they form.  I know that in my breast feeding years I was a prolific milk maker.  The docs are never concerned about them at this point.  However, when a cluster (key word there) of smaller calcs appeared, that was cause for concern and, both times for me, turned out to be DCIS.

     

    Please keep us posted about your journey.

     

    ~~Connie~~

  • LMT3
    LMT3 Member Posts: 4
    #5
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    Suspicious clusters are why I

    Suspicious clusters are why I have had 3 biopsies. Thankfully only the first was DCIS. What the breast specialist found was the same as I have been telling my doctor since November. There is something, not a hard lump, but something that when my arm brushes against my outer side of my breast doesn't feel right. It hurts when any pressure is applied (it's the size of a 50 cent piece). I don't have this on my right breast just the left. I asked the specialist if it could be scar tissue but she said it had been 5 years since my biopsy that was in that area, and it's only been really noticable since November. My mammogram, ultra sound, and MRI show no noticible mass but she said just because this doesn't show doesn't mean it isn't there, she felt it too. So I am going in next Tuesday for a what she called an exclusion biopsy of my left breast. Can't do the biopsy via wireloc or a steriotastic like I did before because it doesn't show on the mammogram. She will go in via the old scar. I'm hoping this turn out to be nothing but better safe than sorry.

     

  • GlowMore
    GlowMore Member Posts: 789 Member
    #6
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    LMT3 said:

    Suspicious clusters are why I

    Suspicious clusters are why I have had 3 biopsies. Thankfully only the first was DCIS. What the breast specialist found was the same as I have been telling my doctor since November. There is something, not a hard lump, but something that when my arm brushes against my outer side of my breast doesn't feel right. It hurts when any pressure is applied (it's the size of a 50 cent piece). I don't have this on my right breast just the left. I asked the specialist if it could be scar tissue but she said it had been 5 years since my biopsy that was in that area, and it's only been really noticable since November. My mammogram, ultra sound, and MRI show no noticible mass but she said just because this doesn't show doesn't mean it isn't there, she felt it too. So I am going in next Tuesday for a what she called an exclusion biopsy of my left breast. Can't do the biopsy via wireloc or a steriotastic like I did before because it doesn't show on the mammogram. She will go in via the old scar. I'm hoping this turn out to be nothing but better safe than sorry.

     

    LMT

    Please let us know how this turns out....I think you are smart to keep after this myself...better safe and find something ....rather than let it go and be sorry later.    Prayers for good results.

  • LMT3
    LMT3 Member Posts: 4
    #7
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    Biopsy results

    What was found was some scar tissue from my biopsy from 5 years ago plus, " this zone contains bacground proliferative fibrocystic changes including florid usual ductal hyperplasia with microcalcifications in association with the benign breast tissue. A randomly submitted portion of breast without apparent gross mass contains incidental atypical lobular hyperplasia. No in situ or invasive carcinoma is identified." 

    The doctor said I can maintain my yearly mammograms and since I refused to take Tomoxifan in 2007 she didn't think I would agree this time either (which is true). But she will want to be kept up on my annual mammogram results.

    So I feel better, she did say all my mammograms from 2012 to current one done in January did show microcalcifications but the place I get them done is considering them as normal. Which I guess is okay, in 2010 and 2011 the microcalification were clustering which were what they considered suspicous generating the biopsies.

  • mdqxx
    mdqxx Member Posts: 6
    #8
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    micro calcs

    I had microcalcifications too for years.  Usually they are not suspicious unless they are seen in certain patterns, not just randomly scattered.  I wouldn't worry -let the pathologists and Dr examine the evidence.  

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