When should our daughters get their first mammograms?

Hi Angela-

My Mom was diagnosed at 77, me at exactly 52.My sister remains cancer free at 60. She's been on hormone therapy for YEARS. I never used hormone therapy and didn't ever use the pill - go figure!  BRCA was negative but I do believe there are plenty of bc genes yet to be discovered and genetics that played a part in my developing bc.

My Oncologist recommended that my daughters have a baseline MRI at 30. He feels the MRI will show their starting points in clearer detail.  I imagine it might be tough to get insurance approval for it, and maybe even for a mammo at 30. I am going to strongly encourage them to fight big time for the MRI. Now that I've heard this from a professional I truly respect, the drive to have my girls get the MRI is obsessive!

I'm looking forward to see what others have been told.

Best, Ellen

My mom had stage 1 bc at 62, when I was 34 and pregnant. I was advised to get a baseline mammogram at 35. I got it at 36 due to the pregnancy and all... it found DCIS and it turns out some stage 1. So at least 35!

When I had my genetic testing, they told me our daughters should get their first mammogram 10 years before the age when the youngest family member was diagnosed.  My cousin was diagnosed at 38, so my daughter should start at 28.

Hi

My mom got bc when she was 49, and I was diagnosed at 47.  I've been begging my daughter to tell her obgyn and that she should get a mammo or mri, she's only 23.  I had my first mammo at 30 because my mom was 49.  Hopefully my daughter's doctor will take this all to heart and order her to have a mammo early

Migallen,

Did you have genetic testing? 

Was told the same thing from the genetics counselor -- if there is a genetic link, on average it shows up 10 years earlier in the next generation. Think that's quite a generalization, and as it turns out, I thankfully do not have either the BRCA 1 or 2 gene.  Nonetheless, our daughter will likely have a baseline mammogram before the recommended age of 40, more likely she'll be in her 30s (I was 43 when dcis detected). Hopefully by then the digital mammography and mri technologies will have improved even more.

My daughters were both told, by two different GYNs, that their baseline would be at age 35 (I was diagnosed at 48).  I'm BRCA negative but their grandmother (DH's mom) died from breast cancer and then there's their mom!  I too am hoping diagnostic tests are much improved (although oldest DD is 31 this year so they'd best hurry). 

I totally agree with you Dawn.

Min

i am glad to see this question!  I was the one and only in the family, no BRAC, diagnosed at 46.  I pester my onc and my OB/GYN every single time I see them on this issue.  Best I can get is 35 for my daughter.  The reasoning is that mammos are not effective on young breast tissue and may very well miss something if there is something there.  I'll say, they missed my bc completely and my breasts while not younger, were v dense.  It is a family trait.

 My daughter wants to go for an MRI beginning at 25-28 for a baseline.  I encouraged her in this, whether it is paid for or not.  He**, I'll pay for it.

 4 mammos and US's missed my 1.5 cm completely, only found by MRI.  I get them yearly now and will until I get a prophy on remaining girl. 

I have just seen the newer model 3-D mammo approved.  Hopefully it will be much more accurate for our daughters than mammos are for younger breasts.

...on this subject, just met a woman yesterday who lost her daughter at age 28 to bc.  They told her "never mind, it can't be anything at your age" and did not follow up on it.

!!!!!

I first had breast cancer when I was 45. And I was pre-menopausal.  Last year my 29-year old (at the time) daughter noticed some thickening in her breast and ended up having an MRI and a biopsy. (All was well). She also has fairly dense breast tissue Her breast surgeon recommended that she start having a baseline mammo at age 35 (ten years younger than when I was first dx), but did have a six-month follow-up MRI and will have another in one year.  For women so young, I think an MRI is much safer - there is no radiation involved. My breast cancer was found about seven months after I had a clean mammogram. Maybe it would have shown up on an MRI????

Very glad you posted this question. I think if I can manage to drag my daughter to have a mammo done, I'd like to see one done by age 25 for a baseline. It would give me great peace of mind, so I hope I can convince her of it. I need to ask my onco the next time I go though what her thoughts are on it.