What Happens After an Abnormal Mammogram

You went through the discomfort and had a mammogram. First off, good for you for taking control of your health and getting one. Perhaps you had a technician come back and ask for some more films to be taken. This doesn't necessarily mean cancer and you shouldn't panic, it can be as simple as a film that was too fuzzy to read. However, you'll eventually get to go home and wait for the test to be read. Results are back, and they aren't as pleasant as you were hoping for. What now? There are a few things that you can expect to hear after an abnormal mammogram, and now you'll know what they all mean.

Fine Needle Aspiration

Fine needle aspiration is where there will be a very thin needle placed into your breast, under local anesthetic, and the medical technician will remove some of the fluid there for testing. The needle is placed into the lump and the resulting fluid is tested and screened for cancer cells or other abnormalities. This is a fairly quick procedure and the pain is similar to any blood test.

Core / Needle Biopsy

In a core or needle biopsy a surgeon will use a thin, but larger bore, needle and place it into the tissue of the breast. Where fluid is taken from a fine needle aspiration, this takes actual tissue from the breast instead of fluid. This tissue is tested for abnormalities including cancer. There are usually four to six insertions to get sample tissue. This sample will be carefully screened and can be taken from either a surgeon or a radiologist, depending on the clinic. Usually no stitches are required, a small bandaid will keep the needle spot free from germs, and will be done with local anesthesia with sedation.

Surgical Biopsy