Question About Ultrasound Terminology

My mother-in-law found a lump in her breast and recently had an ultrasound done on it.  As is expected, she has been extremely stressed since the lump was found.  Today, she received a letter with her test results, that stated that the lump was  "Bi-RAd IV catagory... complex cyst with eccentric soft tissue echogenecity component."  My mother-in-law has no idea what this means, but to her it sounds absolutely horrible.

Because I'm a realtively smart cookie with some nursing school under my belt, she came to me to ask what I know about this.  I told her I did not knwo anything at all about it, but that I would find something out about it.   I believe that knowledge is power, so I want to give her all the info I can, not only to inform her, but hopefully to ease her mind that she is not "ate up with cancer" as she so eloquently has put it.

It is my understanding from what I found that the BIRAD IVresult is not uncommon and that while most cases end up being benign, there is a chance that this abnormality could be a type of cancer.  Does anyone out there know anything else that would help me help her out?  Can anyone tell me what that "eccentric soft tissue echogenecity component" part of this means?

I fully understand that the next step is to have a biopsy done to verify if this is cancerous or not.

I pray that this is not cancer.  My dad was diagnosed with brain cancer last January and died this past January from complications.  2007 was the most stressful year of our life.  I don't want to think about someone else I love having to go through what Dad went through. 

And not to sound selfish, but I am not sure that I have the strength left right now to handle the emotional aspect of yet another bout of cancer in my family.

Please keep my mother in law, Julie, and our whole family, in your prayers and if anyone has any info in response to my question, please let me know.  Thanks!!!!!!!!

This is a mammogram terminology. A biopsy is indicated for this suspicious lesion.This website will tell you more.

http://breastcancer.about.com/od/diagnosis/a/birads.htm 

I too had a complex cyst recently that showed not on my mammo but an ultrasound.  The radiologist told me the criteria is to further evaulate any complex cyst.  They usually will try to aspirate it with a needle to see if liquid comes out and it collapses.  If clear, straw colored or greenish liquid is present it is then classified as a cyst and no futher treatment is rendered.  If it does not aspirate then biopsy is indicated.  If blood is aspirated in the liquid the liquid is sent to cytology for evaluation to see if there are any cancer cells.  Mine was classified as most are as a cyst which did aspirate a clear liquid, some blood which was felt to be surface blood from piercing the skin as it collapsed.  Cytology proved this to be the case.  She should not panic at this point but follow up with their recommendation as most complex cysts turn out to be benign but again have certain questionable properties that warrant futher check.