Various descriptions in the breast examination report include “nodules”, “masses”, “BI-RADS”, “hypoechoic “, “no echogenicity”, “calcification”, “disorganized glandular structure”, “clear boundary ” or “poorly defined” and so on. These words put patients and young doctors in a foggy and confusing situation, so let me briefly explain them one by one. 1. Nodule This word appears most frequently, mostly in ultrasound reports of the breast, and occasionally in simple touch examination reports and mammogram reports. The term “nodule” is just a descriptive term to describe a “small” mass found by various methods and does not relate to the benign or malignant nature of the mass and is never the name of the disease. The presence of “nodules” is not the same as cancer, so there is no need to be afraid. The opposite term to nodules is “masses”. Since “nodule” describes a “small” lump, “mass” naturally describes a “large” lump. In the ultrasound report of the breast, the nodule is usually described as “hypoechoic” or “anechoic”, which is a descriptive language. On a black and white ultrasound image, “nodules” of various natures appear darker and are referred to as “hypoechoic”; others appear darker and are referred to as “anechoic Some of them look darker and are called “hypoechoic”; others look darker and are called “anechoic. In general, the “non-echoic” findings appear to be more benign, and the black areas on the ultrasound are mostly fluid in the cyst. Of course, “hypoechoic” does not mean that it is malignant or problematic, but the problem should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. However, there does not seem to be a particularly objective criterion for defining hypoechoic or anechoic. The term “well-defined” or “poorly defined” describes whether these “nodules” are clearly identifiable on the image. Of course, it cannot be said that “unclear” is malignant, or “clear” is benign, which requires specific analysis by physicians. Glandular structure disorder” is a common descriptive language in breast ultrasound or mammography reports, which mainly describes the situation of the glandular image. If you imagine the breast as a bun, then the skin and subcutaneous fat tissue are the “bun skin” and the glands are the “bun filling”. The images always clearly distinguish between the “skin” and the “filling”, and the “filling” is the focus of our attention. If the image structure of the “filling” looks different from normal, we would describe it as a “glandular structural disorder”, mostly due to glandular hyperplasia (microscopic changes in cell number, arrangement and tissue structure), which is often referred to as The majority of these are due to glandular hyperplasia (microscopic changes in cell number, arrangement and tissue structure), which is often referred to as “breast hyperplasia”, but of course, we cannot exclude the rare cases of “structural disorder” due to local cell malignancy. 4. Cysts In the ultrasound report, experienced ultrasonographers will directly judge a particularly typical “non-echoic” nodule as a “cyst”. A cyst can be understood as a thin skin covered with a packet of water, which is more common in cystic hyperplasia of the breast and can be solitary or multiple. Most of the single, small cysts are benign and harmless; complex cysts that are concentrated in a certain area need further examination and intervention. 5.BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) The mysterious English word “high” makes many patients panic, and what is more scary is the different levels on its suffix: Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 …… Don’t worry, in fact, it is just the abbreviation of “Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System”. This is an abbreviation for “Breast Imaging Report and Data System” to give different doctors a uniform standard to look for when they see the image report. When graded R3, it is a sign that the physician should make further diagnostic or surgical intervention. Calcifications are very common in mammograms, but problematic malignant “calcifications” are very rare. Scattered, isolated, large, round calcifications (white dots on a mammogram) are actually benign calcifications, and although they do not go away once they are created, they are not lifelong malignant and need not be managed. However, suspicious malignant calcifications will definitely need further treatment by a physician, so just listen to your doctor’s advice on what to do!