MRI or ultrasound for follow up imaging

GenX

I received a revelatory bit of info last week, that really changed my expectations for follow up imaging once I'm done with treatment. I was dx'd at 43 in May & will wrap up rads on August 20th (can't wait!). That said, I'm looking down the road to being cancer free and staying that way, but also being vigilant about recurrence or, more importantly, a new occurrence in the other breast.

I had a pre-radiation mammogram last week, and a very renowned and respected radiologist happened to read my through my case & review my images. I felt really lucky because he is nearing retirement and comes in only on Mondays. He told me that my tumor, which they estimated at 5 to 6 mm when I found it, IS NOT VISIBLE on the diagnostic mammogram that I got once I found the lump (mid-May). He even went back to his office to double check and confirmed that it was indeed not visible. I do have dense breast tissue...but that blew me away. The whole purported point of mammography (and these were even the more modern 3D images) is to catch something suspicious early. I was flabbergasted - the 3D mammo didn't show my tumor!! Good grief.

When I was in for diagnostic imaging of the lump back in May, they were able to see it on the ultrasound. Luckily they didn't rely just on the mammo. Because of this, the radiologist wrote up in his report that I will need either breast MRI or ultrasound for follow up imaging once I'm post-treatment, not mammograms.

The takeway here is that if your follow up treatment protocol indicates mammograms, ask for MRI's or ultrasounds, instead. Given that even the 3D mammography system can't necessarily reveal smaller tumors, I now believe all follow up imaging for all BC survivors should be ultrasound at the very least.

Just a PSA based on my experience & my interest in seeing WAY LESS breast cancer cases! Thank you for reading.

Meow13

Not until after I was diagnosed with BC did I find out about the issue of dense breast tissue and mammogram reliability. Seems like this is something radiologist should inform the patient about I had over 10 mammograms before my dx, ten years of annuals with no mention of the dense tissue.

Elephant

I have dense breasts and they always send me for an ultrasound after the mammogram because they can't see anything on the mammogram; my tumor was also not seen on the mammogram but on the follow- up ultrasound.

MelissaDallas

Mammograms show calcifications and ultrasounds don’t, so a mix of follow up modalities is probably most effective

GenX

<Mammograms show calcifications and ultrasounds don't, so a mix of follow up modalities is probably most effective>

Yes, thank you for pointing that out! I read the radiologist's report after my original post and he recommends MRI or ultrasound in addition to mammogram. I do believe MRI shows calcifications but I could be wrong.