Called back after mammogram - but do not want to google.

[spamm]

I had my first mammogram on Monday. I am only 42, but my DM's sister (maternal aunt) died from recurring breast cancer, so my doctor wanted me to start mammograms early.

Anyway, they called this morning and asked me to go back in for further imaging, as they have found "asymmetry in the right breast". I asked if I should be worried, and she dismissed my concerns, saying it was quite common to be called back after a first mammogram, as they have nothing to use as a reference.

My DM is telling me not to worry, but I am worrying - I am a worrier by nature. So, I am staying away from google, just in case. But does anybody have any reassuring stories about being recalled after a mammogram - am I being silly? Please feel free to tell me I am being silly, but please be gentle as I am having a few small health issues - unrelated - and am feeling a little delicate.

I am going back on Monday so I have the whole weekend to dwell on this, if I let myself.

A friend of mine had this. Her sister has breast cancer so she was terrified and didn't tell anyone. Turned up at my house later the same day grinning all over her face - all the necessary tests had been done then & there, she got to talk to the consultant & had been given the all clear. Apparently it was a very common occurrence. So please try not to worry too much.

(hug)

Sorry, IS a very common occurrence, not was.

I am obviously struggling with this more than I thought. I actually cried when I read your response AmINearlyThereYet.

I am trying to be all grown up - I am a bloody grown up, so I should be. But I cannot forget the day my DM called me to tell me my aunt had died and I traveled on the train down to the south coast from London crying the whole way.

Aggh - that sounds so wrong! Your response was great and exactly what I need to hear. I am just feeling fragile.

I'm not surprised you are feeling fragile, and I'm so sorry you have to go through this. It is poor organisation on their part to leave you with the whole weekend to think about it: my friend only got told the day before she needed to go back, so had much less time to worry. (Equally, though, that made her think it was urgent...)

Remember: statistically, it is unlikely to be cancer. Even if it is cancer, you will cope. Almost nothing is as bad as we expect it to be. But I know from experience that waiting for a diagnosis is the worst bit - even if that diagnosis turns out to be the one thing which you didn't want to hear, the waiting is still worse. So cut yourself some slack this weekend: it might even help to give yourself permission to worry.

Post again if you need to. Would it help to explain what your other health issues are? I don't mean to pry, so please do feel free to ignore that question.

Of course its worrying, but lots of ladies are recalled after the first mammogram as they have to find out what is normal for your breasts. After that, they refer back to the initial mammograms so can see whats changed. They are looking for such tiny changes (I did some training in mammography as I used to check the units for the xray quality) that little scars, cysts etc all make a difference.
Normally recalls are done as one stop shops, so all investigations are done there and then, so at least you get it all done quickly

my mum was called back, it turned out to be a shadow.
good luck.

"..... It is poor organisation on their part to leave you with the whole weekend to think about it: my friend only got told the day before she needed to go back, so had much less time to worry. (Equally, though, that made her think it was urgent...)"

You have made your own point. The NHS cannot win, can it?

That they can't rush you back in immediately there's the slightest discrepancy, they're 'poorly organised'. The minute they have an immediate turn around service, they're causing unnecessary anxiety.

What do you want, AmINearlyThereYet? bearing in mind any immediate, instantaneous service costs ££. The NHS are in the business of healthcare for everyone. Sometimes a weekend's anxiety is the downside of trying to help everyone.

As for the OP- really, there are many reasons why the recall. Your boobs are 3D structures, the mammogram is a 2D structure. Superimposition occurs. The screening service aims to get as many women through as is safe in a given clinic, and this invariably means that the cursory glance-over the radiographer has time to give your images (checking, really, for technical quality, not diagnosis) may miss something subtle. The images are then, a bit later, reviewed by someone whose sole job it is to read the images. They may then call you back for images at different angles to separate 2 overlying structures out. This is by far the most efficient way of handling mass screening. Of course, I cannot lie, those images may reveal that there is a cause for concern- BUT, and this is a biggie, if it wasn't see on the initial images, or recognised as being 'a worry' then, if (IF, IF) there is a tumour, it's going to be very small, very early and thus highly treatable.

FWIW, mammography is actually a highly skilled art. Those women are senior radiographers. They know having an mammogram is both routine, potentially scary and hurts! And there is no doubt about it (and I am speaking GENERALLY here!!) some women compromise their mammogram by not cooperating to the extent that they might otherwise be capable. This can require a recall, too- slightly blurry images because the patient moved during the exposure. I am by no means accusing the OP but that's another reason why women get recalled.

Can you tell I've done some mammography in the past!?

Best wishes, OP!

Listen to CMOTDibbler as she knows about these things. It is very common to be recalled and I know the waiting is awful,having been through it several times. Often dense breasts, which is more likely in the younger woman,is the reason and they need to just focus on the area to be sure it's ok.
Even if it's anything nasty be reassured that treatment is super brilliant (I speak from experience) BUT it is most likely to be perfectly ok.

Erudito agree with you too- NHS breast screening and breast care is totally brilliant - of course there will be waiting and anxiety,but once you're i the system it really moves

My mother always used to get called back because she has firm breast tissue and they need a more expierienced person to get it in the plates.

Please dont worry.

Thank you all for your replies - it is helpful to know this is common. I will come back and read them all more carefully later. I need to head to my ds and dh's Taekwondo grading session.

By the way, I should have said that this is not the NHS as I now live in the USA, since 2009. No complaints about the care so far, just my own worries. I will keep posting and come back if I have any questions.

it is of course hard Not to worry and you will still of course be apprehenesive.

Only having a weekend to wait is good going... I think I had about 10 days to wait to get checked. There are just soooooooooo many women called back to have things checked its just physically impossible to get everyone in sooner.... say the next day.

I ended up being quite impressed that the mammogram picked up a bundle of abnormal blood vessels on my chest wall, not even in the breast tissue itself !!! It did not need any treatment and is now on record as "normal" for me.

Even if its clear they will prbably also recall you for your next one within 6 months rather then 3 years as a double check ..... if that one is also clear then back to the usual three years. They really do try hard to ensure that all possible cancers are detected asap !!!!!

I hope things go well for you

Thanks for the replies. I wrote a longer response last night and then lost it as MN was offline. Anyway - I am so glad to hear that this is common and likely to be nothing. I am feeling more positive and I will take it as it comes.

AmINearlyThereYet I ahve been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It seems borderline and I have lost 12 pounds in the last 3 months and 20 pounds in the total in the last 12. I am doing well, and doing my best to lose more weight and get more healthy, but it was quite a shock.

I was called back the first time and was really worried. They spent a lot of time taking more but it was all OK and has been on following ones. I think they go with the idea that it is better to check if any doubt. Good luck.

I had 2 recalls after mammograms. The first time they also said it was due to not having anything to compare it to and I was given a further mammogram and ultrasound. It turned out to be fibrous tissue and nothing to worry about.

The second recall turned out to be a cyst which was drained under ultrasound.

Will be thinking of you on Monday.

I've been thinking of you today, OP. How did it go?

Hope it went well today

Do hope it went well.

Thank you all. It seems to have gone well, although quite stressful at the time. Remember, this is my first time and I do not know what to really expect.

So I had 3 images of the right breast taken, was asked to go back to the waiting area, then had two more images of the breast taken at different angles, as the radiologist could see something in the top right area. Then I was asked to wait til they looked again. Then they took me in for an ultrasound, the technician gave me a paper saying that they could see something - likely a lymph node - and that I should come back for another check in 6 months.

THEN she said she would like the doctor/radiologist to come in and look - and they came and did another ultrasound and decided it was a healthy lymph node and nothing to worry about so they took my paper, crossed out the 6 month thing and said that I did not need to come back for 12 months. But they are going to re-look at the scans and just check and will write to my doctor and send me a letter. So I saw 5 people over the course of an hour and a half and it sounds ok - but I will keep an eye (or fingers, I suppose) on it just in case.

THANK YOU all for being so fab. I was about to burst into tears after the second set of images, when I asked them whether I should be worrying or not, and I thought of you all and actually managed to stop myself from becoming too emotional. The poor technician could see I was getting upset and was trying to be nice and I felt so sorry for her. I am so glad I did not get any more upset. Thank you.

Wow - just re-read that. A lot of text, just to say that they do not think it is anything to worry about!

Great!

fantastic !! what a relief- that all sounds very good to me,horrid for you to go through, but cracking result !

I'm so glad :)