breast density and mammogram findings

I had mammos every year from the age of 40.   They always used my prior ones for comparison.   Still never found my tumor at age 44.   And these were digital, diagnostic mammos.   Not "screening" mammos (how happy I was to always read " congratulations,  no signs of cancer".)

If someone feels a lump and they have dense breasts, I advise getting an ultrasound.    I don't know about MRI's, because I don't know if they are impacted by tissue density.    Keep in mind most lumps are not malignant - but dense breasts cannot rely on a mammogram.

I have an update to my Oct. 19 post, in which I mentioned I was waiting to see if my insurance was going to cover the screening MRI I had earlier this month.

Good news:  I went on line and checked my claims record, and the claim for the MRI was paid this week!  The "submitted charge" was around $1,500; the eligible charge was less than $700 IIRC.  There was a discount because the provider was "in-network".

I think my surgeon will be pleased, too.  She has been reluctant to request an MRI for me, because she doubted it would be covered.

otter

My surgeon said my MRI wouldn't be covered, either.   I insisted she try.   It was approved no problem.   We really need to be aggressive about our tests.

Many of us had small breasts and had digital mammograms every year which showed nothing.  If you have dense breasts they cannot see anything.  I felt my lump for years before they did the MRI which found my 2 cm tumor.I also was seeing the best breast surgeon in the state and he did not order the MRI.  Paddle your own canoe.  Please have the MRI if you have dense breasts even if you have to pay for it yourself.  I would have gladly paid for the MRI to have found my tumor earlier.

bump - to hide sales pitch

I too have dense breast and a history of ADH.  As my MO says I have complicated breast.  Just finished rads and my MO says my follow up will be mammo and MRI once a year alternating every six months.  My tumor did  not show on my mammo either and have had yearly mammos for the last 13 years due to ADH removal 13 years ago.  Because I probably still have ADH I am still at high risk for a new cancer.  Probably never get recurrance form the one I just treated.  If I had known all this in Sept I think I would have had a MX.  I love the things we find out later.

Did you ladies read up on the 3D mammogram (posted by breastcancer.org) I still have to look at it, but not sure how much difference it's going to make for dense breasts.

I, too, have dense breasts - last year's mammography report even flat out states, "The breast tissue is heterogeneously dense.  This may lower the sensitivity of mammography."  I talked with my BS and requested annual MRIs instead of mammograms.  To my happy surprise, she readily agreed, and talked with my insurance company and the radiology dept. to okay it with everyone.  She warned me that MRIs have a high false positive rate, so I'd have to be willing to put up with that and get a follow-up mammo and/or ultrasound, maybe even a biopsy, if the MRI finds something suspicious.  I agreed... and then my first breast MRI post-treatment was clear/normal, yay!!