Fear that Dr. may not be taking us seriously.

I don't think so- get a different Dr. or DEMAND a mammo.  Good luck to you- Tami

I was told by the radiological place that did my mammo (b/c I had left my referral paper in the car - then they realized it wasn't a screening and they did need the info from the dr) that you don't have to have a referral for a screening mammo, so you should be able to just set up an appointment and go. It is, however, unlikely that the insurance will pay for it. My insurance company does not pay for screening mammos for anyone under age 40, so I'd inquire about cost before making the appointment or going.

Amen!

No, you are not overreacting. Your mom, a "first degree" relative, had an early onset aggressive BC. Early onset BC, ovarian or colon cancer is suggestive of a genetic mutation. Forgive me for saying this, but your doctor is an idiot.  dlb823 is absolutely right - get yourself to a teaching hospital that has a "high risk" program and get screened. Inquire about an MRI too - you're young, which means dense breast - MRI is better for dense breast. I got a mammo 4 years ago (although my doctor said I was too young and it wasn't necessary) and nothing came up. Had one again a couple of weeks ago b/c my new gyno said with my "strong family history" we had to be very "careful". Nothing came up on the mammo or sono, but a 1 cm IDC came up on MRI. Grade 1, stage 1, well differentiated, no nodal involvement - very slow growing, doctor said it was there 4 years ago too. I am lucky and I owe this gyno a lot.  Find a doctor who specializes in high risk women - he/she will take you seriously. And if you are close to NYC, I can give you the name of my doctor, she is incredible. Best, J.

No you are not overreacting.  But j414 and Elaine are right - mammograms are not the most appropriate screening tool for someone who is young, for two reasons. 

First is that younger women tend to have dense breast tissue and mammos are not the best at "seeing through" dense breast tissues.  So mammos often are not very effective on younger women.  Ultrasounds are a preferred choice and are relatively inexpensive and easily available, so that would be my first suggestion.  Next would be an MRI, which is most effective at seeing through dense breast tissue but is expensive and harder to get approved.

Second is that although the amount of radiation one is exposed to from a mammogram is very low, it does accumulate over a lifetime.  This is why for women who are not high risk, screening mammos are usually not recommended until the age of 40 or sometimes even 50, and why sometimes it's recommended that mammos only be given every two years.  For those who are higher risk, generally mammos are started at an earlier age and given more frequently because the risk of BC is judged to be greater than the risk from the low dose radiation, but still, starting to get annual mammos in one's early 20s is very early.

As Deanna suggested, I think that getting into a High Risk program might be the best approach, since they will take you and your sister seriously, and they'll know which screening is best to do on someone as young as 22.

picardlx, that's not a dumb question at all.  Although breast cancer in men is rare, the men who do get it are more likely to have had a family history of breast cancer than is the case with women.  The BRCA2 gene is especially related to breast cancer in men (the BRCA1 gene less so).  These genes may also increase risk for testicular or pancreatic cancer. 

Here's a link to some info: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127171305.htm

You are a great brother to be so proactive about your sister's health -- if you find a High Risk program in Chicago, I would think they would be a good resource for you as well, for advice about screening and testing.  I'm so sorry you lost your mother at such a young age -- and sorry that  you have to have these health concerns -- I hope you and your sister can both find doctors who will take your concerns seriously and give you care that can TRULY ease your minds (rather than blowing you off by not taking you seriously, which only increases anxiety, in my experience).

Hugs,

Ann

Picardlx:  Your question about your possibly being at higher risk caught my eye.. all of the information above is great but I did want you to know that you could also be at risk.  My father had breast cancer and although he never had the BRCA test when I was dxed with bc I did have it and had to fight with the insurance company to pay for it.  All of the doc's expected it (BRCA) to come back positive since it was my father that was the first generation breast cancer connection but I was negative.  The genetic counselor explained that although there is a very small percentage of men with bc it is often common to see a very HIGH amount of other cancers in the family, and that was so in my case.  My genetic map (something they produce for you when you give them all the family history) showed many many cancers in his family.  It is very possible for the prior generations not to have a "lump" checked out and so something that may have been identified as a breast cancer could have potentially moved on as mets to another organs and only then been identified as liver cancer, bone cancer etc..  So it is very important that you also be tested!  I have a family of 5 other siblings and they were all told to be tested (3 of them male) and watched for breast cancer (as well as all the other cancers).  I don't know if this helps and I certainly am not wanting you to panic but please keep this in mind as your sister goes through her process..  Good luck and I think you two are doing a very wise thing especially since you seem to be doing it on your own and not getting much help for the medical community.  My MRI was approved after I had the genetic map in hand so the genetic counseling seems to be an appropriate place to start.  Your sister could do that and then the map aplies to you as well.  Here's hoping you guys have nothing to worry about!  Best!