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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Breast Cancer / January 2004Density 2 Birad 3
Hello everyone, I just got the results of my mammogram. The radiologist says that it's not suspect but she would recommand another mammogram of the left breast within 6 months. Her conclusions end with these words "Density 2 " Birad 3 " What does this mean ? I'm a little paranoiac but I lost my mother from breast cancer and am myself an anal cancer survivor since 1998. Thanks in advance, Regine > Hello everyone, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I'm a little paranoiac but I lost my mother from breast cancer and am myself > an anal cancer survivor since 1998. Firstly it means that someone has failed to explain your report to you properly. The BIRAD system is a shorthand for the radiologist's analysis, which you also have in plain text. BIRAD category 3 means just what your report says, that is there was an anomaly visible: "probably benign, short interval follow-up recommended". They don't think there is any cancer but there is some sort of dense object. They are pretty sure that even if it were cancer it would not become threatening in the next six months, by which time they will be able to tell whether or not it is growing. If it turns out to be growing then they would want to take a biopsy to see what it is. The density factor indicates how much detail is visible, the lower this number the less the image of any growths is obscured by normal dense structures. I think it goes from 1 to 4, so 2 would be quite normal for a middle-aged woman. High density is usually found in younger women, this is one reason why mammogram screening is not recommended for younger women Tim Jackson > Firstly it means that someone has failed to explain your report to you > properly. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > middle-aged woman. High density is usually found in younger women, this is > one reason why mammogram screening is not recommended for younger women Thank you. You are right; nobody really explained the report to me. The ( new ) radiologist mentioned some "fibro-glandular" image which was apparently not there on my 2002's mammogram. Yesterday, I read my 1999 mammogram's report and the same "fibro-glandular" image on the left breast was already there. ( I can't quote exactly the report, because it's in French ) I'll have a mammogram within 6 months, but now I'm breathing a little more. Thanks a lot for your message. Regine > > Firstly it means that someone has failed to explain your report to you > > properly. > > Thank you. You are right; nobody really explained the report to me. Do complain. It happens all too often and it is quite unacceptable that a patient has to go on the Internet looking for a translation of a medical report. The standard policy here (UK) is that technical reports are not shown to the patient but their implications are explained at an interview with the consultant, or at least a registrar. This sometimes is going too far the other way, it can lead to lack of information and does not give the patient time to think of relevant questions. I had an object lesson of this with a registrar trying to hide a bone scan report, while desperately trying to put a positive spin on what was actually tragic news. It seems increasingly common in some countries that 'raw' medical reports are simply handed to patients by nurses or administrative staff without any proper explanation or consultation, which leaves the patient frightened and completely out of touch with what is being done to them. It reminds me of what in the '60s we used to call Mushroom Management - they keep you in the dark for as long as possible and then shovel s**t on you. Tim <<<It seems increasingly common in some countries that 'raw' medical reports are simply handed to patients by nurses or administrative staff without any proper explanation or consultation, which leaves the patient frightened and completely out of touch with what is being done to them>> I have been a RN for 26 years now, initially in my practice as Nurses we were not allowed to give out any information since we would "upset" the patient. Now it is common practice for nurses to give out the results of a lab test or x-ray. Many times after I have given the information, I have said, do you want me to page the doctor to review with you, only to have the patient say, no you explained it perfectly or what a great explanation I got. Administrative staff who have no medical training have no right to give any information to the patient since they can't explain the result. And in the US any patient can request a copy of there record - no questions asked, I think this is what leads to alot of confusion since often when this happens there is no medical professional to explain the results. I have worked both ways where the information was only given out by the physician and I can't tell you how much anxiety that system caused- one people waiting for the doctor to come by to give them information when the everybody knows the results except the patient and his family. OR the physician would disclose some information like you x-ray was inconclusive..but fail to disclose what ramifications that meant causing great distress. So as imperfect as this situation is I would not like to go back the old way. Alex Tim wrote: << It seems increasingly common in some countries that 'raw' medical reports are simply handed to patients by nurses or administrative staff without any proper explanation or consultation, which leaves the patient frightened and completely out of touch with what is being done to them. >> It is relatively easy to obtain copies of all medical records. In fact, legally, they are considered to be the 'patient's' although they can charge a copying fee which I think is a maximum of twenty-five cents/page. I do think, that it would be plausible, for dr's to make some notes that are kept private--although am not sure about the legality of that or if it is even done. Here in my Ontario city, they charge $25.00 per report, and .25 a page on top of that. Of course, that is waived depending on your relationship to the doctors (two-tiered health care system). Dr.'s do send private letters and have phone calls that I've never been privy too. Another thing that is being done is my test results are not being put into the regional hospitals computer system right away. This means that my GP can't get ahold of test results until weeks after they're in. My only option is to pay a lot of money for all the test results, but I still wouldn't get my doctor's notes or opinions. I'd be very interested in knowing what they really think of my situation. It's hard to make 'long' range plans without this. Anne > Tim wrote: << It seems increasingly common in some countries that 'raw' medical > reports [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > kept private--although am not sure about the legality of that or if it is even > done. Anne wrote << My only option is to pay a lot of money for all the test results, but I still wouldn't get my doctor's notes or opinions. I'd be very interested in knowing what they really think of my situation. It's hard to make 'long' range plans without this. I know how frustrating this can all be. It's funny how in publica education all this information is available to consumers but that in the medical field--where our lives may depend on this information, that the dr's and/or medical systems have so many legal protections in place. Sigh... |
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