Upset how they will screen me in future. Mamo.

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  • Jons_girl
    Jons_girl Member Posts: 696
    edited June 2020

    Flashlight: Actually I seemed to become more dense the older I got. I haven't had a mammo since I had my cancer I don't think. I have been getting ultrasounds and may have a MRI. But they still tell me during my manual exam that I have dense tissue. My mom who is post menopausal in her 70s still has dense tissue. So maybe genetics plays a role in that?

    My cancer was not seen on a 3D mammogram. They even put a sticker on top of my tumor (at the time didn't know it was a tumor) and you could see the sticker in the films but couldn't see the cancer because I was so dense. (dense tissue is white on a mammogram and cancer is white too) So that is why it is difficult to see cancer in very very dense tissue. 3D mammos work well for alot of women tho in finding cancer.

    Getting a density level is done from your mammogram. You have a right to get a copy of your mammo report. It should state right on the report what your level is. And many many states now have laws that if you have a certain level of density you then have the right for further diagnostic tests. This info is usually sent in letter form....at least in my state it is.

    This website was very informative for me. Many many stories... Also it can answer more of your questions about density. https://www.areyoudense.org/

    Have a good week!

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  • Jons_girl
    Jons_girl Member Posts: 696
    edited June 2020

    BCat40: Thank you for the additional info you shared! Wow that was a miracle your cancer was found! For you and your doctor to not be able to have felt it! And she ordered TWO diagnostics! That is a good doctor!! Thank goodness for the pain, right? WOW. It is a blessing to catch things early. That is one reason I just make sure I keep having diagnostics every 6 mo. I want to catch anything early....just my opinion.

    Thanks for the info on the dye, I think they only have one option for dye here. I am so dragging my heels on this MRI. I think I should have it. As i have some pain off and on in lumpectomy breast. when I sneeze I feel pain too most of the time. So it just has me on edge a bit....but the contrast I am just not sure about right now.

    Thank you for sharing!

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited June 2020

    For most women, breast density decreases as they get older, particularly once they hit menopause. But some women continue to have extremely dense breasts all their lives. And when you combine both the heterogeneously dense category and the extremely dense category, just under 50% of women in their 60s and just under 40% of women in their 70s still have dense breasts.

    Jons_girl, like you I suspect I inherited high breast density from my mother. My mother still had extremely dense breasts when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 80, and as of my last mammogram, my breasts remained extremely dense more than a dozen years into menopause. We tend to think of inherited risk as only being related to genetic mutations, but we also inherit things like breast density and estrogen exposure (age at which we start and end our periods), and these factors may also affect breast cancer risk.

    image
    When you look at this chart, it begs the question as to why all screenings don't automatically include both a mammogram and ultrasound, dropping off the ultrasound only if the breast density is low and mammogram imaging is very clear.

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  • Jons_girl
    Jons_girl Member Posts: 696
    edited June 2020

    Minus Two: Thank you for sharing your story....wow! Amazing!! So sorry about what you have had to go through! I am amazed at so many stories I read!

    MRI doesn't have radiation at all. It does have contrast tho. That is why I am dragging my heels about having one. Mammograms do have radiation....some probably not alot. But MRI has none it is a different type of diagnostic.....magnets....

    I agree I need to have two types of diagnostics.....just deciding which kind. =) I hope all goes well for you going forward!!

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  • Jons_girl
    Jons_girl Member Posts: 696
    edited June 2020

    Beesie: I completely agree! If you look at the chart extreme density category goes up from 70's to 80's. THAT IS AMAZING to me!! Thank you for sharing this info!

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited June 2020

    jon's girl - sorry you are correct. the MRI emits no radiation. However the CT with & w/o contract does put out lots of radiation. I had those before surgery each time - along with a couple of other random CT scans. And the PET scans also emit radiation, and I had a few of those. Too much to remember.

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  • Jons_girl
    Jons_girl Member Posts: 696
    edited June 2020

    No worries! Just wanted to make sure nobody thought MRI had radiation emitted. =)

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  • quinnie
    quinnie Member Posts: 221
    edited June 2020

    THis is an interesting topic so will give my 2 cents. I found a lump in 2007 a few months after my annual mammogram. My doctor sent me for additional tests. It did not show up on the mammo but did show up on the ultrasound.

    Fast forward: I had my annual 3D mammo in January this year and was called back due to architectural distortion. I had a diagnostic mammogram and an ultra sound. It was not palpable. The radiologist saw it on the diagnostic mammogram but not the ultrasound so was sent for an MRI. The MRI findings were the same as the mammogram. So I had 2 totally different experiences with testing with my cancers. I agree with Bessie, the screenings are not perfect and having many tools to find cancer is the best we can do. I also have dense breasts.

    I am not sure what my yearly screenings are going to be yet. I meet with my MO in a few weeks since I just finished radiation.


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  • Jons_girl
    Jons_girl Member Posts: 696
    edited June 2020

    Quinnie that is interesting! Thank you for sharing your experience! I am having a MRI in July as I have learned from this forum that no one type of diagnostic is the best. So thinking to add MRI to my diagnostics going forward maybe having them once every couple two or three years. My trust factor in Mammos isn't high right now having had my cancer missed by a mammo. And I have extremely dense tissue. I think MRI hopefully will see anything that a ultrasound would miss.

    I hope your recovery going forward goes well for you!

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  • rrs
    rrs Member Posts: 614
    edited August 2020

    This is a good thread! I'm many years out from having lumpectomy from DCIS .9 cm which was detected via ultrasound and did not show up on mammo. I have dense tissue. After surgery, I had 6 mo. mammo and U/S for a couple of years, then later when it became available, MRI with mammo and U/S annually.

    After a few years of MRI, I decided I didn't want them because of the studies I had ready about the gadolinium. So, now I have 3-D mammo and U/S.

    I was seeing a breast surgeon annually for years but she finally told me I didn't need to see her anymore. She also asked me why the radiologist recommended I have a "diagnostic exam" rather than a "screening" exam in my upcoming mammo visit. I'm not sure why she would ask ME that question and I was very frustrated with her explanation of diagnostic vs screening. Both are 3-D but apparently (from what I could understand) the diagnostic has more views/more radiation exposure.

    The surgeon also said that during her 40 year career, she had found only about 3-4 tumors during her 40 year career through clinical breast exams. She said that most primary care physicians aren't even doing them anymore. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Yearly clinical exams and monthly self-exams have been the standard for as along as I can remember. I left her office in somewhat of a daze.

    So, I called the X-ray facility and they told me that the radiologists usually recommend a diagnostic exam for people with a history of breast cancer. I have the exam scheduled and will talk with the radiologist to see if I can figure this out.

    My question to all of you (if it applies) do you have a screening mammos or a diagnostic?

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  • Betrayal
    Betrayal Member Posts: 1,374
    edited August 2020

    I ended up hating my BS (think he hated women) and only saw him twice; once after 1st lumpectomy and once after second one. Now my RO orders a diagnostic mammogram annually. Was told this was the standard of care for those with dx of BC. With screening, there can be no immediate report whereas with diagnostic, I get feedback right after mammo and then a confirmation letter in the mail. So you want a diagnostic from ehre on out.

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  • Togethertolearn
    Togethertolearn Member Posts: 278
    edited August 2020

    rrs - sounds like that person should've retired at least 20 years ago!! I started having mammos in my 30s due to family history, so for over 15 years. I don't know when they started to do diagnostic ones, but I've had those as long as I can remember. I'm not sure why, I guess I never thought about it cause I get them yearly. I live in the Midwest. I was very dense til after breast cancer last year, so maybe that's why??? I thought it was normal. They are covered by my insurance. Maybe go somewhere else? If I've had them for years, I don't understand why a person who beat cancer still can't!

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  • Rah2464
    Rah2464 Member Posts: 1,647
    edited August 2020

    RRS I am sorry to hear your breast surgeon talk about not doing clinical breast exams any more. IMO we need all of our tools to fight this beast. Monthly self checks, annual physical exams, annual screening that is appropriate to your risk factors and breast density. I add that last bit in because I was imaged for years with mammograms (including 3D) and my cancer never showed due to my dense breast tissue. Didn't show up on ultrasound either. Only on an MRI. Thank goodness I had a BS who went the extra mile for me and ordered that test.

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  • Jons_girl
    Jons_girl Member Posts: 696
    edited October 2020

    rah2464: I agree. I’m planning to have a mri in nov because my breast dr wants me to have more than just ultrasounds each year. But I don’t like the gadolinium contrast they use! So probably won’t have another mri for a couple yrs. I may add mammo. But mammo didn’t see my cancer although I know that it possibly could see cancer if it recurs. So am just deciding as I go ea 6 mo what to have done. Will see how mri goes. I’ve had pain under lumpectomy off and on and dr wants to make sure all is ok.

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