All women know it—mammogram results can bring anxiety. Here’s the good news: Most abnormal findings are not breast cancer.
Mammograms detect changes in the breast, such as masses (cysts and tumors) and mineral deposits, called calcification, which may or may not be cancerous. If your screening mammogram shows a change in your breast, you’ll need a diagnostic mammogram. Unlike a screening mammogram which takes 15 to 30 minutes, a diagnostic mammogram lasts 30 to 45 minutes and captures more images of the breast. Those images are enlarged so breast changes can be closely examined.
The diagnostic mammogram could show that the area of the breast that looked abnormal is actually normal. Or, your doctor may order a biopsy to remove a small sample of abnormal breast tissue and test it to see if it’s cancerous. If this happens, try to remain optimistic—about 80 percent of all biopsied breast changes are not cancer.
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