routine 3D mamograms for dense breasts?

ej01
ej01 Member Posts: 155
edited June 2014 in DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)

Has anyone had a 3d mammogram (also called tomosynthesis) because of dense breast tissue?  I was at my 6 month followup with my surgeon and she is recommending that.  Initially she said I should probably get an MRI every 2 years but now is saying that the newer tomosynthesis will be able to detect irregularities in the dense breasts without the invasiveness, discomfort or expense of an MRI.  I am not sure if she is recommending it for my 6 month mamos on my cancer breast, or just occasionally.    I am curious if other survivors have had this type of mamo recommended routinely for dense breasts.  Did you have issues with your insurance company paying for it?

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  • elindy
    elindy Member Posts: 25
    edited December 2013

    When it was time for my routine annual mammo last April, they were offering 3D mammos to everyone, dense breasts or not, as they are better at picking up irrgeularities.  The only slight catch is that I had to pay $50 above the insurance coverage.  I'm glad I had it, my tumor was discovered with it. I will be getting them every 6 months now.  I just finished chemo and radiation for my triple neg breast cancer, stage 1. I was told insurance companies will eventually come around to paying for 3D mammograms in full.

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  • KTGR
    KTGR Member Posts: 28
    edited December 2013

    I also have dense breasts. A 3D mammogram caught a suspicious lesion, and the radiologist assigned a BIRAD 5. Had an excisional biopsy, and it turned out to  be a radial scar. I am being followed by the breast surgeon who did the biopsy. She is recommending 3D mammogram (due to my dense breasts) on a go forward basis. It is $50 extra.  

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  • CTMOM1234
    CTMOM1234 Member Posts: 633
    edited December 2013

    3D mammography is now standard care at my place, so I've had it for the past 2 annual visits. No insurance problems, my mammograms are diagnostic which already is more costly, and I'm grateful that my insurance company understands the importance of these tests. I have dense breasts so do find a little more comfort that it is being used,...particularly because mammography four years ago picked up my calcifications, which led to the biopsy and ultimately bc diagnosis. 

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited December 2013

    When I went for my annual mammo last month, my facility told me that they are now doing 3D mammos on anyone with a history of breast cancer.  They do the 3Ds in combination with the standard digitial mammos, so I had both types of mammos done. 

    Because I have extremely dense breast tissue and a history of breast cancer, ever since my diagnosis I have been getting annual mammos and annual MRIs, alternating every 6 months.  I liked the idea of being checked every 6 months.  I don't know whether the 3D mammo will be considered a replacement for the MRI - I guess I'll find that out when I try to schedule my MRI in another few months.

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited December 2013

    Wow - I'm SO envious. After 20 years of yearly mammograms on extremely dense, fibrocystic breasts, I always got that chipper little card saying "Congratulations, you don't have breast cancer!"

    For the last ten years, I begged my PCP for either an MRI or an Ultrasound, and he always refused, saying that MRIs and Ultrasounds "are not screening tools!" 

    The day I showed up in his office with a bleeding nipple, I got his attention, though. I sure got my ultrasound - and more - after that. In fact, my awesome Radiologist said she could see the beginnings of my abnormalities on my two previous mammograms... the ones that had generated those chipper "NO CANCER!" postcards.

    Oh, yeah. I fired that PCP.

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited December 2013

    My clinic just got 3D and my doctor said it is so accurate that it should be able to take the place of MRIs for annual screening purposes for most women (or whatever your regular screening schedule is).

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  • ej01
    ej01 Member Posts: 155
    edited December 2013

    Thank  you ladies for your responses.  It sounds like the 3D mamo is starting to be mainstream at least for us dense types.    My dilemma is that the place I have been going (where I believe the radiologist is the best around..extremely thorough based on info that I have gotten from my PCP)  does not have the 3D yet.  I guess I need to find out when they will get it and maybe switch to another provider until they do, I really don't want to switch, but that might be the best idea now. 

    Blessings2011, bummer that you could not get an MRI or ultrasound.  I had been getting ultrasounds for a while due to density and needing to check the cysts to verify they are really cysts.

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