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Lynne's Story

Name: Lynne Woodson
Date of Diagnosis: September 17, 2008
Age at Diagnosis: 43
Stage: 1
Time from "normal" mammogram to cancer diagnosis: One month
How was cancer detected?: Ultrasound

In 2005 a mammogram confirmed I have dense breasts. My doctor recommended an ultrasound every six months. An ultrasound became part of my screening protocol along with my annual mammogram. My mammogram was all clear in August 08. Following the mammogram, an ultrasound found something suspicious. My surgeon did a biopsy and found breast cancer on September 17, 2008 - three weeks after a clear mammogram! Thankfully, I was in stage 1 and had no cancer in my lymph nodes. My treatment began with a lumpectomy, then chemo, and radiation starting in January, followed by Tamoxifen. I firmly believe that my ultrasound saved my life. Had it not been part of my routine screening, I would be walking around while cancer ravaged my body. I am glad I found www.areyoudense.org and am anxious to help get the word out.

Click here to check out Lynn's blog.

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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.