“Follow up mammogram?”

Don't worry. Just wait.

Hello,

I recommend a consultation with a gynecologist. Please make sure to have all of your results with you for review.

Best,
Dr. Gelman

Of course its easy to be nervous! Mammograms are still considered the gold standard for screening for breast cancer but the imaging is limited as breast tissue is made up of fat. The density of the tissue is naturally difficult for radiologists to view all the cancers. So when a radiologist sees an area of concern, they may also ask for an ultrasound to look for different characteristics of the area - in your case the hypoechoic nodule - to see if it is a concern for cancer. If by mammogram (X-ray) and ultrasound, the area does appear to have benign characteristics, then the radiologist will say that the area looks benign. They will typically recommend follow up in 6 months though just to make sure the area either stays the same or gets smaller on a repeat exam. In fact, it is not usual to recommend follow up every 6 months for 2 years to demonstrate stability of the tissue to make sure it is not cancerous. If by the next mammogram, the area of concern gets larger, they may recommend a biopsy. Recommending a follow up mammogram and ultrasound in 6 months is a very common occurrence and most of the time will just end up being a routine follow up. If the radiologist was really concerned for cancer, a biopsy would be recommended right away. Hope this helps! Dr Cheryl Twu