Mammogram experience

Kimberly Nguyen said:They told me I have fibrocystic breast changes and suggested the best fix would be to have another baby—and obviously nurse—as soon as possible.

And what exactly is Yasmin? (I assume it’s a flower with a lovely scent, though...)

Well, I had a baby about twenty years ago, nursed, and those breast issues didn't budge. Yasmin uses a newer type of progesterone—drospirenone—which acts as a diuretic, so there's no water retention or PMS...

anon72 said:I wonder why they push mammograms with ionizing radiation instead of ultrasound, which is harmless? Probably just benefits the X-ray manufacturers.

Ultrasound and mammography aren't mutually exclusive—they’re actually complementary. Some things show up better on an ultrasound (especially with larger breasts), but that doesn't replace a mammogram. I go for an ultrasound every six months and a mammogram once a year—standard procedure for anyone on hormone therapy, though I wouldn't be considered high-risk otherwise—so my doctors can compare results and monitor everything. That's actually how they noticed my cysts were shrinking.

My mom just got back from her mammogram today... the results came back as an R3 category.
The doctor sent her off to get an ultrasound too, just to be safe.

I am honestly freaking out a little bit right now...
does anyone actually know what an R3 means?

"unspecified change"

http://www.cdc.gov/article.php?id=129...80765e4ea5a1aa

it’s all gonna work out 🙂 🙂

I wonder what kind of stuff actually falls under the umbrella of an undefined phenomenon?

Whatever it is, it’s probably just a false alarm.

What does asymmetric tissue density actually mean?
It was listed on my report among a few other things.

I'm just trying to distract myself while I wait for the ultrasound results to come back.

Breasts are essentially just fatty tissue, and having asymmetrical density is actually pretty common. It could be anything, really. Just go get an ultrasound to be safe, but honestly? Don't let it get to you.

It might just be fibrocystic breast disease—which, honestly, affects about 70% of women out there. Don't sweat it too much.

Long story short.
Just got my mammogram results back.
It says there are some changes in the breast tissue and recommends an ultrasound.

What should I expect?
Is this usually a sign of something bad?

Go get an ultrasound—it doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong... changes can be negative, or they could be like mine—I had two cysts in my breast—benign, nothing to worry about.
Don't panic just yet, but definitely go get the scan done.

It’s the exact same diagnosis my mom got, you can find a thread about it just a bit further down the page.

So, this is about my mom. She went in for a mammogram through one of those community screening programs. Her results were mailed straight to the house yesterday—only five days after the appointment. I just knew something was wrong the second they sent them out that fast, and once I opened the envelope... I've been in total shock since.

I don't have the actual report right here, but I know that on the first two lines—where it gives options like probably benign, inconclusive, or suspicious—hers says suspicious for both.

It also mentions pathogenic calcifications and a mass in her right breast. It says "refer to surgery."
I honestly can't wrap my head around this. I have no clue what to do or what I should even tell her.

Does this definitely mean it's malignant? Like, does it mean cancer?

The last time she had an exam was back at the end of January 2007, and there have always been some cysts in that right breast, but nothing ever turned out to be anything bad. They've been monitoring it since 1998, though mostly through ultrasounds and biopsies rather than mammograms, and everything has been fine until now. She didn't feel any changes or any pain in that breast, but now, ever since the mammogram, she's actually having pain in her right side.

Is it smart to go back and get another mammogram? I mean, maybe they were just swamped and messed up the images 😢 ...I don't know...

What should we do?

Get to a hospital or see a primary care physician immediately to figure out the next steps. And listen, a breast cancer diagnosis isn't a death sentence—you'll find plenty of women here who have undergone surgery and moved past it. My sister-in-law’s mother dealt with this back in 1996 and she’s doing just fine.
Besides, if your mother stays on top of her regular checkups—and if her last screening was in early 2007—that growth couldn't have been more than a centimeter; the prognosis for something that small is excellent. It’s a harsh reality that as we get older, we have to face more health struggles with our loved ones and ourselves, but that's just part of life.

"What should we do?" isn't really even a question at this point. You need to head straight to surgery—just like the report says—and they’ll run all the necessary tests. Then, you'll finally know what you're actually dealing with. It doesn't necessarily mean it's cancer, but I guess it definitely needs to be looked at, and like, as soon as possible.
Believe me, the absolute worst part is just sitting there in fear and waiting. Once you start working with the doctors, you feel like you have some kind of control, you know? Like you're actually doing something instead of just having all this empty time to sit around being terrified.

Amy Jones20 said:This is about my mother. She went in for a mammogram during that big community screening drive. Her results were delivered right to our doorstep yesterday—only five days after the appointment. I had this gut feeling that something was wrong the moment they rushed the results out, and once I opened the envelope... I've just been in total shock.

I don't have the physical report sitting here, but I know that looking at the first two categories (where the options are: likely benign, inconclusive, or suspicious), hers was marked as suspicious for both.

It also mentions pathogenic calcifications and a mass in the right breast. It suggests surgical consultation.
I can't pull myself together. I have no idea what to do or what advice to give her.

Does this automatically mean it's malignant? Does it mean cancer?

The last time she had an exam back in early January 2007, there were always some cysts present in that right breast, but nothing malignant. This has been monitored since 1998, though not through mammograms, but via ultrasounds and biopsies, and everything has been fine until now. She hadn't felt any changes or pain in that breast, but now, following the mammogram, she’s experiencing pain in that right side.

Is it smart to go back and get another mammogram? Is it possible that because they are overwhelmed with the sheer volume of patients, they somehow mixed up the images? 😢 ...I don't know...

What should we do?

Those calcifications don't necessarily equate to cancer, from what I understand. When a woman is still in her fertile years, those cysts take on one shape due to hormonal influence, but once she hits menopause, their appearance shifts.
As for next steps, it’s logical that she’ll visit her primary care physician, who will then refer her to a specialist for more testing. You can only guess at malignancy or benignity; the actual status can only be determined via a biopsy where tissue is sampled and analyzed. In my opinion, there's no point in seeking out unnecessary radiation or a repeat mammogram, because you'll likely just end up seeing the exact same thing.
Don't panic. If she isn't showing symptoms, it could actually be a good sign—if the worst happens, it might mean the issue was caught early enough to handle. That’s the whole point of these mass screening initiatives.

Thanks for the replies.

I know I sounded a bit clumsy when I said "what can you even do about it." Obviously, my mom already scheduled everything—the ultrasound and all the other appointments she needs to make.

She’s being totally chill about the whole thing, but I don't think she's showing me how much she's actually doing. Maybe it's because I'm so far along in this pregnancy (nearly 8 months in), so she probably doesn't want me stressing out, but I'll admit, I kind of panicked.

I guess I just really needed to hear some comforting words...🤷

Look, just because the report says "suspicious" doesn't automatically mean it's cancer. You mentioned yourself that her mom has had these cysts biopsied several times before. In those cases, they were likely labeled "suspicious" too—meaning the doctors just needed to be sure, otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered with the needle at all.

It’s entirely possible that what’s happening in her breast looks different on a mammogram compared to an ultrasound. Honestly, it almost certainly does... From what I understand, ultrasounds are better for looking at glandular tissue, while mammograms focus more on fatty tissue (since breasts are a mix of both). That's why it's usually best to have results from both so you can compare them and get the full picture.

If I were in her shoes, I’d take that mammogram over to the doctor who has been handling her ultrasounds and biopsies up to this point. It might just be that those same old cysts look a certain way on a mammogram, leading them to suggest surgical removal. No need to panic. If she had an ultrasound back in January, there's no way something could have grown that aggressively in such a short window.

I really think it just comes down to how different doctors handle these cysts—some prefer to leave them alone, while others advise taking them out. We're keeping our fingers crossed for her. Let us know how it goes.

Hey everyone, can someone help me make sense of these mammogram results?
The glandular parenchyma is centered, though mostly concentrated in the upper outer quadrants.
There are some streaky structures and slightly increased density in those upper quadrants.
The connection between the breast base, the subcutaneous fat layer, and the
prepectoral fat tissue looks normal. In the glandular structure of the right breast, specifically in the upper outer quadrant, there's a nodular structure—some edges look sharp, while others are blurred due to overlapping tissue. In the left breast, there's a small hypodense nodule located high up near the axilla (armpit area).

Ultrasound shows:
The skin and subcutaneous tissue have normal structure and thickness. It’s a mixed-density breast type, fairly fatty on both sides. In the right breast, at the junction of the outer quadrants, there is a hypoechoic zone measuring a benign 5mm.

For context, my mom had her uterus and one ovary removed about a year and a half ago because of fibroids and a cyst. She’s feeling fine otherwise and has a good appetite, but she's dealing with this burning sensation in her breast. It isn't constant; it seems to jump around—sometimes it's near her shoulder, sometimes in her ribs, or shifting between above and below the breast.
Is there anything here we should be seriously worried about?
Thanks so much for any input.

David Jackson79 said:Hey everyone, can someone help me make sense of these mammogram results?
The glandular tissue is centrally located, mostly concentrated in the upper outer quadrants—predominantly
striated structures with slightly higher density in those upper quadrants.
The subcutaneous fat layer and the
prepectoral fat tissue underneath look normal. In the glandular structure of the right breast, there's a nodular structure in the upper outer quadrant—some edges are sharp, others are blurred due to overlapping tissue. In the left breast, there's a small hypodense nodule high up near the axilla (armpit area).

Ultrasound:
Skin and subcutaneous tissue look normal in structure and thickness. It’s a mixed-density breast type, quite fatty/lipomatous on both sides. In the right breast, where the outer quadrants meet, there's a hypo-zone measuring about 5mm, which appears benign.

Context: My mom had her uterus and one ovary removed about 18 months ago because of fibroids and a cyst. She’s feeling fine overall and has a good appetite—the only thing bothering her is this burning sensation in her breast. It isn't constant; it kind of migrates—sometimes it's near the shoulder, sometimes in the ribs, sometimes above or below the breast.
Is there anything here to worry about?
Thanks a lot for any insight.

Was your mom on hormone therapy recently, or maybe before the surgery?

The ultrasound mentions a small shadow on the right side described as a "nodular" structure with sharp edges, and another little lump in the left breast near the armpit. That definitely needs follow-up. Most likely, the doctor will want to monitor it—probably with another mammogram down the road.

On the bright side, having sharp edges is usually a good sign—cancer typically doesn't have clean borders; it tends to spread out in a star-like pattern into the surrounding tissue.