Microcalcifications

“Highly sensitive digital mammography sometimes reveals tiny clusters of calcifications which are unlikely to represent true invasive breast cancer. Biopsy is recommended because they may be premalignant lesions or even small areas of ductal carcinoma in situ, the earliest form of breast cancer. In cases where micro calcifications were detected, I developed a routine explanation that I used to attempt to reassure these women, who often came to me terrified. I would pull up their mammogram on my computer screen and show them how I could cover the cluster with the tip of my finger. This poem bears witness to such an encounter.”