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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf a mammogram reveals a suspicious area in your breast, your family doctor or general practitioner may refer you to a breast health specialist.
What you can do
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. To prepare for your appointment, try to:
- Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.
- Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to absorb all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
Questions to ask
Your time with your doctor is limited, so prepare a list of questions ahead of time. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For atypical hyperplasia, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Can you explain my pathology report to me?
- Do I need any more tests?
- Will I need surgery for atypical hyperplasia?
- What treatments do you suggest?
- What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer?
- What signs or symptoms of breast cancer should I be watchful for?
- How often should I have a mammogram to screen for breast cancer?
- Should I also have an MRI to screen for breast cancer?
- What would you recommend to a friend or family member in my situation?
- Are there any restrictions that I need to follow?
- Should I see a breast health specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it?
- Should I consider genetic counseling?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What Web sites do you recommend?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
- Non-cancerous breast conditions. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6X_Non_Cancerous_Breast_Conditions_59.asp. Accessed Aug. 19, 2009.
- Miltenburg DM, et al. Benign breast disease. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2008;35:285.
- Hartmann LC, et al. Benign breast disease and the risk of breast cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2005;353:229.
- London SJ, et al. A prospective study of benign breast disease and the risk of breast cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1992;267:941.
- Degnim AC, et al. Stratification of breast cancer risk in women with atypia: A Mayo cohort study. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2007;25:2671.
- Dupont WD, et al. Breast cancer risk associated with proliferative breast disease and atypical hyperplasia. Cancer. 1993;71:1258.
- Kiluk JV, et al. High-risk benign breast lesions: Current strategies in management. Cancer Control. 2007;14:321.
- Breast cancer screening and diagnosis. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/breast-screening.pdf. Accessed Aug. 21, 2009.
- Breast cancer risk reduction. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/breast_risk.pdf. Accessed Aug. 21, 2009.
