Home Nancy's Chalkboard Blog Mammography: Just Some of the Facts Ma'am

Mammography: Just Some of the Facts Ma'am

Originally Posted Apr 18th, 2014

Nancy M. Cappello, Ph.D. Founder & Director,
Are You Dense, Inc. &
Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. See Bio

Mammography: Just Some of the Facts Ma'am!

From the blog: Since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) report on breast cancer screening in 2009, articles about the benefits and harms of mammography screening have accelerated. It is remarkable that a technology that women have counted on for decades for the early detection of breast cancer and its subsequent reporting life-saving benefits receive such polar opposite messages and conclusions.

Physicians have an ethical responsibility to truthfully communicate the current scientific facts with their patients. Additionally, they need to listen to and respect patients' preferences even when it may collide with their own preferences. An informed decision about such a personal health issue as breast cancer screening and prevention can only be made after receiving all the facts!

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What is Dense Breast Tissue?

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What Do I Do if I Have Dense Breast Tissue?

Are You Dense? Fact #1:
Breast density is one of the strongest predictors of the failure of mammography screening to detect cancer.
Are You Dense? Fact #2:
Two-thirds of pre-menopausal women and 40% of post-menopausal women have dense breast tissue.
Are You Dense? Fact #3:
Adding more sensitive tests to mammography significantly increase detection of invasive cancers that are small and node negative.
Are You Dense? Fact #4:
American College of Radiology describes women with "Dense Breast Tissue" as having a higher than average risk of Breast Cancer.
Are You Dense? Fact #5:
While a mammogram detects 98% of cancers in women with fatty breasts, it finds only 48% in women with dense breasts.
Are You Dense? Fact #6:
A woman at average risk and a woman at high risk have an EQUAL chance of having their cancer masked by mammogram.
Are You Dense? Fact #7:
Women with dense breasts who had breast cancer have a four times higher risk of recurrence than women with less-dense breasts.
Are You Dense? Fact #8:
A substantial proportion of Breast Cancer can be attributed to high breast density alone.
Are You Dense? Fact #9:
Cancer turns up five times more often in women with extremely dense breasts than those with the most fatty tissue.
Are You Dense? Fact #10
There are too many women who are unaware of their breast density, believe their “Happy Gram” when it reports no significant findings and are at risk of receiving a later stage cancer diagnosis.