quote....I too was called in for a second mammogram. This had never happened before so I was worried. But when I talked to my girlfriends I discovered that almost all of them had been called in for a second mammogram. And it had frightened all of us. Our only conclusion is that it is an "insurance thing."
Now when I go in I ask them to take enough pictures so that I will not have to return for a second one.
um, actually it's not directly an "insurance thing". i'm a mammographer, the person who does the mammogram films. many things happen outside of the mammo room that the patient doesn't see. last night, at 6 pm, my last patient, a woman came in for a routine screening study, she had no idea when or where her last mammogram was done, she knew she had it done at a "white building on the west side", she's not sure if her new doctor has her old records, but she described to me, what sounded like a biopsy. sure enough there's some tissue variance between her breasts. this morning when i get in, i'll spend at least 1/2 to an hour trying to track down her old films for the radiologist (the doctor who reads and interperts the mammo and xray films) for comparision. without those films, i'm betting one starbucks grande latte she'll be called back for additional views and or an ultrasound on this area and possibly another biopsy. at 6:20 pm, her doctors' office is closed, so i can't call there to have them pull her chart, so we can find her old films, i have no idea where that white building is, and i have a sinking feeling about this. IF her doctors' staff had told her to bring her old films or had them sent to us, she could have walked with her diagnosis last night. IF she knew where her last study was done i could have faxed them a release last night, and she could have had her results next monday. this happens a surprising number of times in my work day.
when the radiologist reviews the mammo films, they look at this years and at least the last two years(if you have them) and looks for subtle grain of sand sized changes in the breast tissue, {those are micro calcifications or calcifications, one of the calling cards of very small cancers.} i would rather by far be called back, have extra views done and told it's not a problem, rather them have a very small cancer not diagnosed when it's easily treated and less likely to have spread.
my doctors will do a reading on the spot IF the patient asks when they make their appointment. it can also be arrainged to have a second radiologist do a second read, again IF the patient asks.
i hope this helps explain some of the reasons for call backs.
joyce who has princess peanut, spokesdog for the catpack, mojo, magic, kira and squirty, members of the catpack, angel duke, a good dog who is missed and angel alex the wonder dog, handsome prince.
Bookmarks