Hi Bex

fingers crossed all is ok.  We all feel as though something bad is going to be the outcome of a mammogram, but most times it's clear.  It could be an infection like your GP thinks, but they send us for mammograms to play safe.  The last thing they want is to miss something.  If the out come is cancer, the treatments today are amazing, I've been through this myself and so have most of my family (mum, brother, aunts and cousins). Sadly we lost one aunt to breast cancer, but she lived in Australia, so I don't know how it's dealt with out there, all other family members have had treatment and got through it.  
good luck with your results 

thinking of you 

Polly.  
 

Hello all,

My wife (49) had her first mammogram on June 21st.  She received a  letter today saying "we need to do more tests before we can give you a result".  This is scheduled for Friday (unfortunately Covid restrictions mean I can not be in there with her to support her, but I am sure she will get well looked after).

Of course, we are both anxious and we have been given the number of a nurse.  I called to ask general questions but, understandably, they didn't want to speak to me without my wife's permission which makes me think they can provide more details on what they are looking at.

My own train of thought is that, as this is her first mammogram, there is a chance they have seen something but have no way of comparing.  

In your experiences, would you say that a recall following a first mammogram is more likely?  I have read that 3 in 4 people who are recalled are found to have nothing of concern (1 in 4 sounds a high proportion though).

Also, this may be a daft question, but are there ever cases when a mammogram shows something conclusive (negative) without any requirement for the person to be recalled for more tests?

Thanks all.

Hi 

This is not in anyway a daft question.   Sorry to hear your wife has been recalled after her first mammogram.  In my experience, I've been recalled a couple of times and believe me, I was terrified every time, but luckily I was ok.  For me and my mum and brother, it involved a tiny needle being inserted into the breast, so they could take a small sample of tissue from the area. I was recalled after this for another sample to be taken, so they  could take a bigger sample, which I had to stay at the hospital, but only for about two hours, just to make sure it doesn't bleed.  
fingers crossed that your wife will be ok

thinking of you both

Polly  

Thank-you Polly,

I hope you continue to be ok.  

Since posting here I checked the Breast Screening Wales site, and I can see that recalls following the first mammogram are more likely (just over twice as likely) as follow-ups.  7.7% of Prevalent (first) screens are recalled, compared to 3.6% of Incident screening in the most recent year (2018-19), .The year before it was 8.5% v 3.8%.

So, my wife is one of the 1 in 12 or 13 to get a recall after a first mammogram (compared to 1 in 28 of those on a subsequent screening).  Of those recalled, roughly 1 in 10 are found to have something nasty.  Apologies for the numbers - I am a mathematician so that is where I seek my refuge.

My wife hurt her breast when she was younger on some barbed wire - she thinks that this is what may look like something that radiologists would find and want to re-investigate - I am less sure because I would expect a radiologist to know if it is scar tissue.  Who knows, but certainly a question my wife will ask.

Thank-you