One in 10 women will be called back after a screening mammogram: time for panic or patience?

Posted: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 2:58 am, Tue Jan 15, 2013.

(BPT) - It’s the telephone call no woman wants to receive – you need to come back for additional tests after you’ve had your annual mammogram. It happens more often than you would think - one in 10 women will be asked to come back because the doctor spotted a potential area of concern. Before you panic, you should know that usually the area of concern does not turn out to be cancer. Here are some facts to help you get through the experience of a callback.

During a screening mammogram a standard set of X-rays is taken of the breasts. A radiologist then reviews the images and compares them to X-rays that were taken previously to see if any changes have occurred or if anything looks worrisome. The radiologist will be looking for areas that have the appearance of a mass, a tissue distortion or calcifications. Breast calcifications are small calcium deposits that develop in a woman's breast tissue. If the radiologist sees an area that looks suspicious, you will be asked to come back for additional images - a diagnostic mammogram. Usually – as much as 80 percent of the time - these additional images will show that the area of concern is either benign or not real – a false alarm.