Should I get a second opinion on mammogram results?
Patients shouldn’t hesitate to get a second opinion at any point during the process if they’re uncomfortable and feel they need reassurance about the results, Jones said. Cancer specialists can often detect subtleties other physicians might miss.
How common is it to be recalled after a mammogram?
Getting called back after a screening mammogram is fairly common, and it doesn’t mean you have breast cancer. In fact, fewer than 1 in 10 women called back for more tests are found to have cancer. Often, it just means more x-rays or an ultrasound needs to be done to get a closer look at an area of concern.
How do I get a second opinion from a radiologist?
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Can a mammography detect breast cancer before you can even see it?
A mammogram can often find or detect breast cancer early, when it’s small and even before a lump can be felt.
Why do I need a second breast ultrasound?
When someone has more fibrous or glandular tissue, doctors consider their breasts dense. Dense breast tissue can make it more challenging to read mammograms. If a radiologist has difficulty reading your mammogram due to dense breasts, they may call you back to undergo further testing, such as an ultrasound or an MRI.
Should you get a second opinion on a breast biopsy?
Certainly a second opinion should be obtained before any definitive surgery, like a mastectomy, or a treatment with substantial side effects, such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy. People should not worry too much that a second opinion on their breast pathology will delay treatment.
Why have I been recalled for a second mammogram?
Most women are recalled because an area has shown up on the mammogram and more information is needed before a result can be given. This could be an area of the breast that looks slightly different from the rest of the breast or the other breast, or from a previous mammogram if you’ve had one.
How do I get a second opinion without a referral?
You can try:
- Asking your insurance provider to recommend a specialist.
- Asking a local clinic for a recommendation.
- Asking a local hospital for a recommendation.
- Searching a medical association for a specialist near you
Why would a second MRI be needed?
In particular an MRI second opinion is particularly important for conditions where diagnosis demands a high level of radiology skill and when a mis-diagnosis may result in more invasive treatment or an irreversible treatment that may be unnecessary.
How fast can breast cancer develop between mammograms?
Interval cancers, which are cancers found in the time between screenings, were more likely in the women who had mammograms every 2 years: 11% of women who had mammograms every year were diagnosed with interval cancer. 38% of women who had mammograms every 2 years were diagnosed with interval cancer.
Why do you need a second mammogram opinion?
Research shows that a second pathology opinion can change a person’s plan in other ways, such as type of surgery and other treatments. Radiologists may interpret the results of breast imaging studies such as mammograms, MRI, and ultrasound differently — or make different recommendations about which additional imaging tests need to be done.
Why do you need a second opinion for breast cancer?
Other possible reasons for seeking a second opinion include: Your doctor is not a breast cancer specialist. Your doctor tells you there is uncertainty about the type or extent of the breast cancer you have. Your doctor gives you a few different treatment options.
Can a mammogram be conclusive of breast cancer?
Imaging test results (mammography, MRI, ultrasound) and pathology test results (tests performed on the breast cancer tissue) are not always 100% conclusive. If your doctor expresses any uncertainty about the cancer based on your test results, it’s wise to get a second opinion. Your doctor gives you a few different treatment options.
What kind of test do you get after a mammogram?
You may also get an ultrasound test, which uses sound waves to make pictures of the inside of your breast at the area of concern. Some women may need a breast MRI. For this test, you’ll lie face down inside a narrow tube for up to an hour while the machine creates more detailed images of the breast tissues.