Hello everyone. I’m new here and am looking for help/advice re Microcalcifications as the information I have found has left me a little confused.
My GP referred me to the breast clinic 4 weeks ago after I’d been experiencing very sore, uncomfortable breasts (almost unbearable) for approx 3 weeks. He did tell me he thought the soreness was due to my age but thought it best to get it checked (I’m 48 and have had irregular periods for the last few months & I had wondered if it was the start of menopause)
At the breast clinic the Consultant also said he thinks the soreness is hormonal and I was given a mammogram. That showed I had calcium deposits in my left breast and I was asked to come back 2 days later for a core biopsy. When I arrived for the biopsy the radiographer explained to me that I had micro calcifications which do have the ability to turn into cancer.
Biopsy done, the cancer care nurse said she would phone me with the results in a few days time. True to her word she called me and said as far as she could see everything looked fine but the doctor needed to see the results and once this was done she would either call me again or I would get the report in the post.
A week later the nurse called me again to explain that the doctor wanted to repeat the tests in 6 months time, I would receive a letter explaining the results and I would receive an appointment in the post. After this call my mind started working overtime & I thought of questions that I should have asked at the time of the call but didn’t so left a message for the nurse to call me back.
She did call back but I didn’t find it easy to chat with her over the phone although she was lovely and seemed to understand my anxiety. However the only question I did manage to ask was… “am I right in thinking that at this moment they are not cancer cells?” I was told that the majority of breast tissue is normal and doesn’t look malignant but there are areas of concern & that’s why the doctor wants to leave it a little while to see how things are in 6mths time.
What I also wanted to know was
In 6mths time what will they be looking for?
Will the calcifications have multiplied, got bigger or could they have disappeared?
At what point to they become a problem?
Are Micro calcifications the same as DCIS?
I hope I haven’t bored you all too much with this and hope someone will be able to help me with some answers.
Welcome to the forums, this is a very worrying time for you but you have come to the right place for support from our experienced users who I’m sure will be along to support you soon.
In the meantime maybe you would like to talk things through with a member of our helpline staff who are there to offer emotional support as well as practical information. The free phone number is 0808 800 600 and the lines are open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 5.00 and Saturday 9.00 to 2.00.
microcalcifications can be a lot of things… many are benign but some may look more suspicious.
what happens next can depend on the amount of calc… sometimes you only have a very small amount which is then removed by biopsy so if it shows up as benign then they cant do much else but sit and wait to see if more develops…
normally if it shows up as benign that would be the end of things however if they were more suspicious of the area and it has come back benign and there isnt enough calc to take another sample that could be why they are waiting.
but it could come back again to say its benign though… normally they would try and deal with everything at your current appointments to stop you having this worry.
they can usually have a good idea of whether its benign or malignant calcs from the mammo so you could ask them what they think… nothing is 100% though but it may give you an idea.
if it did show up as malignant calc that is DCIS… but benign calcs arent… so wouldnt become a problem. if the calcs were found to be DCIS then this is considered a non invasive cancer ie its contained in the ducts and normally cannot spread to other parts of the body… it would probably mean you would be offered surgery and depending on what grade they were you may also be offered radiotherapy… some people dont want to have surgery or radiotherapy for DCIS however and would prefer to have it monitored.
some experts feel that we overtreat people with DCIS which may never have turned into invasive cancer… however we cannot tell which DCIS will and which DCIS wont become invasive, but your breast team will be able to advise you and give you their recommendations.
i think what you need to concentrate on is at the moment you dont have cancer and you dont have DCIS… and in 6 months time it may well be the same… try to just live your life which i know is easier said than done when you have this huge question mark hanging over you.
Thank you Lulu. What you have said has helped a lot. It has helped me understand a bit more and feel less confused. I guess all I can do is wait to see what, if anything, the repeat tests show. It’s going to be a long 6 months tho’
Just to support what Lulu said - many people have micro tumours and never go on to develop cancer. It is one of the most interesting issues to me - why did it develop in me yet not in others? One study that autopsied women aged 50 - 70 that had died from a non cancer related condition found that 40% of them had micro tumours in their breasts.