National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

My mother (62 yrs old) had a mammogram and was told that she needed a follow up breast compression and ultrasound because they had found some abnormalities. When she had the ultrasound done, she told me that she could see the white spots, one of which can be felt by hand and is 4mm in size. The hospital did not take any pictures where her lymph nodes are. The radiologist said that nothing was abnormal, yet her doctor told her to go to a surgeon and have them make a determination. So my questions are......Is it normal not to take pictures of the lymph nodes to see if any abnormalities are found, especially if the breast shows the white spots? Could the white spots and lump indicate cancer? Without a biopsy, is it possible to tell from the imaging that everything is 'normal'?
Cancer does run very high in her family, and I am quite concerned. I have tried to talk her into coming up where I live so she can go to either Mass General or Dartmouth Hitchcock, because I feel there is inconstancy with the treatment she is receiving. Had she not asked for a copy of her bone density report and the mammogram report, she wopuld be in the dark about the test results because it just got filed away.

Thank you for any help you can give me!!