It is 10 am on a Tuesday morning. You are getting ready for a meeting with your team when a phone call comes in for you from your health care provider. It seems your routine mammogram has found a small spot that needs further evaluation, which is abnormal mammogram findings, Now what?
No doubt about it, and Abnormal mammogram result is a scary thing. However, the first thing you should remember is that 80 percent of these lumps turn out to be benign, meaning they are not cancerous. However, it ís recommended by your health care provider to arrange for you to have a biopsy for your abnormal mammogram findings done to ensure that your spot does indeed fall into that 80%.
What is a biopsy?
A biopsy is a procedure that allows for tissue to be removed and tested for cancer, this is common practice when there is an abnormal mammogram result. In many cases, the procedure for taking tissue results in little to no pain, and there is minimal to no scarring involved.
There are four main types of breast biopsies that are done when there are abnormal mammogram findings.
Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy
This is the least invasive form of biopsy for abnormal mammogram results. The FNAB uses a tiny needle that is inserted directly into the lump. The content of the lump is then pulled back into the needle and syringe and the whole thing is withdrawn. In many cases, done properly, these procedures are painless, leave no scarring, and can be done in your provider’s office. Best of all, results can be ready in a few days for abnormal mammogram results.
Core Needle Biopsy
The needle involved is a bit larger, with a bit of discomfort. The needle is again guided into the lump found in the abnormal mammogram results and the sample is obtained just like the FNAB. Again, the results are available in just a few days often in 48 hours.
Guided Breast Biopsy
In this type of biopsy, instead of guiding the needle by itself (feeling the lump to guide the needle), the needle is guided into the lump using ultrasound or mammogram guidance. This is often called a Stereotactic needle biopsy. In this case, the procedure is often performed by a radiologist or surgeon where equipment is available to assess the abnormal mammogram results. But again can be done without the need for a general anesthetic, just some local is given and you can go home directly after.
Surgical Biopsy
While often not used just to diagnose breast cancer alone, they are performed when the decision is made by you and your surgeon to remove either part (incisional biopsy) or the entire (excisional biopsy) lump as a response to abnormal mammogram results. This can be performed on an outpatient basis.
Undergoing any type of procedure on our breasts can be scary, especially when we are faced with possibly receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer. However, having an understanding of what is going on, what to expect, and why something is being done can alleviate some of that fear and help you become an active partner in your quest for further information.
Remember most cases are benign so please do not worry just be mindful to be checked out.
As a good preventative practice in natural healthcare we often use thermography as an option for the assessment of breast-related inflammation. Accurate assessments of disease processes at an early stage can reduce mortality rates associated with the disease. Infrared breast thermography is an assessment tool used to measure temperature distribution within the tissues. Breast thermography has many advantages as it is a non-invasive, safe, and painless assessment tool.
There is no contact, and the thermography can complement mammograms, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging for early recognition of disease processes. Some women are prone to breasts that contain masses and lumps that are noncancerous. Since cancer cells tend to have inflammation around them. Thermography can detect underlying inflammatory processes, and while this is not considered a diagnostic tool or a medically valid means of diagnosing abnormal mammogram results it can be an option for those more prone to cystic breasts. This technique has played a role in early detection for women of all ages including those who are pregnant or nursing who are concerned with radiation from traditional abnormal mammogram results.
This technique can also be helpful for those with different sizes of breasts that are fatty or dense. This is a non-invasive and non-toxic means to measure mid to long-wave infrared thermal waves from all objects. The value is to measure and assess the underlying inflammatory process within the body.
With preventative health, it is important to monitor your health consistently through lab work as well as diagnostics. Remember, health is not just an absence of health or disease but a state that must be maintained consistently over time. If you have abnormal mammogram results and are looking for holistic options please reach out to schedule a consultation.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31525547/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29560626/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26945597/
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