Dense Breasts: I Didn’t Understand Why They Mattered Until I Got Cancer
Although we cannot change our breast density, we can improve detection. If you have dense breasts, your mammography report may suggest speaking with your doctor about additional imaging, such as MRIs or ultrasounds, which do not use radiation and are better to find cancer in dense fabrics.
An MRI helped take my cancer early. I started high -risk screening in 2019 due to my dense breasts and the diagnosis of my mother’s breast cancer at 49. I contacted regular MRI analyzes, shifted six months after my mammography, so I would be projected twice a year. I really didn’t think I needed them and I jumped one or two during Cavid.
But then, at the beginning of 2022, an MRI detected a “suspicious mass” – a terrifying sentence to read in a mammography ratio.
The radiologist recommended a monitoring mammography and an ultrasound, but none of the scan has shown nothing abnormal (thanks to this effect of polar bear). Six months later, I came back for a follow -up MRI and this time he not only detected the mass, but she showed that she had developed. The next step was a biopsy and about a week later, just before Christmas, I discovered that it was cancer.
My doctors were surprised by the insufficiency of my tumor – he remained invisible on mammograms and ultrasounds even a week before surgery. These hidden tumors, known as “mammographer occult”, resemble a Netflix series that I prefer to ignore.
Now, I encourage every woman I know to check their status of breast density and to discuss additional screening if necessary. However, a repression that I often hear is: I hate getting mammograms – why would I be registered for even more projection?
I understand. But the answer is simple: it could save your life.
The key to survive cancer is to catch it early, at stage 0 or 1, while it is only located in the breast. At these steps, the tumors are small and very treatable, with a five -year survival rate of 99%.
