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Antonia's Story

Name: Antonia
State: Arizona
Date of Diagnosis: Nov. 1, 2012
Age at Diagnosis: 42
Stage of Diagnosis: 1
Time from "normal" mammogram to diagnosis: 3 months
How was cancer detected?: By ultrasound

My doctor told me that I had dense breast tissue. In 2011, I had my mammogram which was "normal' and decided to have an added ultrasound, since I knew about dense breast tissue and its impact on a delayed diagnosis. In July 2012, I returned for my annual screening mammogram which was 'normal.' I forgot to have my added ultrasound until I read an article three months later (October) in the NYTimes about Dr. Nancy Cappello and the mission of Are You Dense Inc. The article prompted me to have my ultrasound and that same day I scheduled an appointment. The ultrasound revealed a suspicious lesion and a biopsy was ordered.

On November 1, 2012, I received the dreaded news that the biopsy confirmed invasive cancer. The pathology report reported a stage 1, EARLY, Node Negative invasive cancer. My friends were shocked when I reported that my cancer was detected by a voluntary ultrasound NOT by mammogram. My treatment consisted of lumpectomy, radiation and tamoxifen. I am so grateful for the NY TIMES article about my guardian angel Dr. Nancy Cappello. I was able to have access to an EARLY cancer diagnosis - because of the added ultrasound. I am sharing my story with the hope that more lives can be saved when later stage cancers are reduced as women understand the impact of dense breast tissue on delayed diagnosis.

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AYD In The News

What is Dense Breast Tissue?

How Do I Know if I Have Dense Breast Tissue?

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.