QuestionDescription: No mass palpated by either the patient or doctor; no signs or symptoms. Strong family history. Nulliparous. MAMMO: CC with magnification, MLO with magnfication, and LM view(s) taken of right breast. Breast tissue is dense. There are more than 10 indeterminate, clustered, coarse calcifications lower outer quadrant. MY QUESTION: Isn't it standard practice to then have the patient imaged with either an ultrasound or MRI as well to determine whether there actually is any mass at all, before moving on to a stereotactic biopsy?
ANSWER: Yes both ultrasound & MRI scans should also be done but so SHOULD a stereotactic (or ultrasound or MRI guided) needle biopsy be done too.
These aims are not exclusive.
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QUESTION: Is a mass always seen by mammogram rated BI-RADS 4B(CC, MLO with magnification, and LM views)even if it isn't mentioned in the report? I just can't figure out why the report is recommending that the patient go straight to having a stereotactic biopsy and not recommending something like an ultrasound or MRI first to be sure there is a mass. I just wondered if the radiologist is seeing something that appears like a mass on the mammogram but hasn't put it in the report?
AnswerActually I recommended ultrasound & MRI scans NOT ONLY to find other ways of doing biopsies but ALSO to gain more information of/from the mass.
B RADS 4B means that there is a considerable cancer risk in what the radiologist is seeing, so a biopsy is IMPORTANT and URGENT!
