Callback Mammogram - how panicked should I be on a scale of 1-10?

[Anonymous]

Mammograms are a very imperfect tool. They do show cancer, but also a lot of other things, and a lot of times it’s not clear what those other things are, or whether they are, in fact, indicative of cancer. I’ve been called back several times, and it’s always nothing. If you are nervous, definitely book the follow up appointment, but in the meantime, call the doctors office and request a callback from the radiologist who interpreted your mammogram. They will be able to give you an idea of why they flagged it… Whether it was some thing they just couldn’t see well, or whether they think it’s some thing that actually has the look of cancer.

[Anonymous]

I got a callback, it was nothing & my insurance absolutely covered it. I would've been PISSED otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2. Callbacks happen all the time. Like most of the time.

So people are just paying thousands of dollars annually for callback mamograms that turn out to be nothing? Our country is SO messed up.

I’d rather pay than die at 50 from breast cancer

[Anonymous]

Mine was a benign cyst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2. Callbacks happen all the time. Like most of the time.

So people are just paying thousands of dollars annually for callback mamograms that turn out to be nothing? Our country is SO messed up.

yes. it's true. I didn't go back. Guess what...I don't have cancer! Shocking.

There are limitations to mammograms which is why the guidelines keep changing regarding screening, age in which to start, follow-up criteria, etc. It doesn't have anything to do with the country being "so messed up."

I’m that PP and I was referring to the fact that the callback mammos are common yet still cost people thousands. Not the limitation of the technology.

I have always had my callbacks covered. After a few my doc agree to write the prescription for diagnostic so they do the radiologist review/additional imaging while I’m still there. I do have a family history but luckily my additional images have all been ok. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Something like 50% of women under 50 or mid 50s get called back. It's really horrible. In fact, some reputable experts advise less frequent screening mammograms in healthy women with no family history or other risk factors because of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something like 50% of women under 50 or mid 50s get called back. It's really horrible. In fact, some reputable experts advise less frequent screening mammograms in healthy women with no family history or other risk factors because of that.

This. We moved to Europe and my new doctor was shocked to hear I was having annual mammograms starting at 40 with no family history. Definitely not the standard here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something like 50% of women under 50 or mid 50s get called back. It's really horrible. In fact, some reputable experts advise less frequent screening mammograms in healthy women with no family history or other risk factors because of that.

But the majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history.

[Anonymous]

OP on a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 5 with no family history. I say this as a woman who has been in your shoes. My 1st mammo at 35 I was called back. I was scared. Turns out I have calcium in my breast tissue. Because of that I then had follow ups every six months for maybe 2 years, then yearly. Was set aside for further testing again 2 years ago. Everything was fine, again. I was sweating. So while it is upsetting, it can also be nothing or at least not cancer. Thank God for modern medicine that we can be screened and rechecked.

Best Wishes.

[Anonymous]

1

[Anonymous]

Not at all. So common.

[Anonymous]

Just chiming in to say, watch out for the bill. My callback set me back 2500 smackers, reduced by 20% when I complained (they originally estimated it at 500 but that was apparently a new person's mistake)

[Anonymous]

I had a callback this year at 42. It was nothing -- I just have dense breast tissue and they thought something had changed since my last mammogram. It took about 90 seconds of new imagining to realize it was nothing.

[Anonymous]

Always the chance someone might have Stage 0 cancer!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something like 50% of women under 50 or mid 50s get called back. It's really horrible. In fact, some reputable experts advise less frequent screening mammograms in healthy women with no family history or other risk factors because of that.

But the majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history.

Yup. They only find genetic links in about 10%.

Speaking here as a 34yo, zero family history, yet diagnosed with triple positive invasive ductal carcinoma a year ago. Fortunately it was in a spot where I could feel the lump, and my doctors took it seriously. If it was found at age 40 I'd probably be dead or stage 4. If it had grown just another 4mm or gone to my lymph nodes I would have gone through much harsher chemo than I ended up needing. he whining from some persistent posters on here about "unnecessary scares" on mammogram callbacks has gotten really grating. What a privileged position. You got to go back to your life after a few days of worry. You're LUCKY. May you never know the other side, because it looks very different from here.