Being asked to return for further testing after a mammogram can be a source of anxiety and fear. It may make you wonder whether one of the providers saw something suspicious during your initial scan.

However, there are many reasons why you might get called back in, and many of them aren’t related to breast cancer. In fact, fewer than 1 in 10 people called back for further testing are found to have cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

If you’ve recently been asked to do further testing after a routine screening, here are some of the most common reasons for being recalled after a mammogram.

Sometimes, despite the technician’s best efforts, certain areas of your breast might appear unclear or simply get missed in your initial mammogram. In these cases, you’re being called back to have the initial pictures retaken, not because the radiologist (doctor who reads the mammogram) saw anything concerning about your breast tissue.

If this is the case, they’ll usually tell you what happened so you don’t have to worry, but sometimes they’re not permitted to disclose this information over the phone.

Sometimes, one area of your breast may appear different from the others on your mammogram; this is called breast asymmetry. In these cases, your doctor will want further pictures of that area to determine whether the difference indicates a problem or if it’s simply overlapping normal tissue. Sometimes when the image is retaken, the breast is compressed more, and it no longer looks suspicious.

Once it’s confirmed as normal for you, have it documented in your file. You can also request technicians to note this difference, saving you from repeat breast imaging during future mammograms. In these cases, the additional images most often don’t indicate cancer.

It’s common to be told you have dense breast tissue — in fact, about half of people who undergo mammograms have dense breasts. Dense breast tissue can be hard to image effectively using traditional mammogram techniques, making it harder to see cancer. In addition, higher breast density may increase your risk for breast cancer.

If you have dense breasts, technicians may need to use other techniques, like ultrasound or a 3D mammogram (also named tomosynthesis), to get an effective image of your breast tissue. Once they know you have dense breast tissue, they may offer you alternative imaging techniques for all of your mammograms.

You may get called back if your radiologist sees an area of concern in your breast. Keep in mind that this abnormality on a mammogram could be a cyst, a calcification, or something else noncancerous.

Just because there’s concern doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically receive a breast cancer diagnosis. It simply means that the experts just want a closer look.

If you just had your first breast cancer screening mammogram, it’s not uncommon for your healthcare provider to request a follow-up appointment to look more closely at your imaging. This helps simply because there’s no previous mammogram to compare it to.

In addition, mammogram callback rates are higher among people with longer gaps between images, as your breasts change over time. Getting screening mammograms regularly helps radiologists notice changes.

Many people have tissue that shows up as different on imaging, but it’s simply a normal part of their breasts. Once the radiologists have baseline images to document this, they won’t have to look at it twice every time you go in for a mammogram.

Sometimes, you may get called back after your initial mammogram because you need additional testing or additional imaging. There may be an area of concern, a section that needs breast imaging again, an area that needs imaging from another angle, or something else

You may need a breast ultrasound, 3D mammogram, or a breast MRI, followed by a breast biopsy.

The next test may be a diagnostic mammogram — as opposed to a screening mammogram, which is the annual mammogram that’s administered first. A diagnostic mammogram is the same process, but more images are taken so areas of concern can be looked at more closely.

The medical staff will give you all the information they can, and should get you your results soon — maybe even during your appointment. Their goal is never to have you wonder or worry, but instead, they want to get you the complete answers as soon as possible.

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