New Mammogram standards FYI

[LightBright]

Yes, I started at that age 2 because my mom had breast cancer in her 40s. Yeah I’m really gonna ask about that ultrasound now!

i highly recommend genetic sequencing if your mom had breast cancer in her 40s. There are more pathological gene variants than BRCA, many are known now, which then entitles you to proper detection and even if applicable prophylactic measures.

 

[LightBright]

Mammograms only tell the most basic of things. I’ve never had a normal mammogram, except the one just before “everything changed for me“. In other words my first ever clear mammo lulled me into complacency.

I would suggest for anyone with dense breasts and or a family history, to get manual breast exams and ultrasounds as well. I would also ask for genetic testing. I would also consider prophylactic measures. RE family history, look for melanoma, ovarian and breast cancer esp if age 55 or under in same family (all could mean gene repair defect raising BC risk).

I’m happy these new DISCLAIMERS are required for mammograms but they don’t actually educate. To me they push the responsibility somewhere else. Our best lifesaving detection tool is ourselves, our social partners (friends family) being on top of things, for example, read your radiology report. Your doctor might not! Encourage your loved ones to be proactive. Be there for them with information and companion support if they are afraid. Critical are doctors who insist on regular surveillance, who aren’t afraid/squeemish to do manual breast exams and who can follow your case so you aren’t lulled into complacency Or fall through the cracks.

 

[Mreader]

i highly recommend genetic sequencing if your mom had breast cancer in her 40s. There are more pathological gene variants than BRCA, many are known now, which then entitles you to proper detection and even if applicable prophylactic measures.

I will ask about this. I just wonder how $$ it is if insurance doesn’t cover. Also they wouldn’t give me an ultrasound order bc Mammos have been normal for a few years and so insurance won’t cover

 

[missy]

I think this is similar to what I posted in 2023 but just showed up in my inbox this AM so sharing here FYI

Facility Resource for MQSA Regulations going into effect on 9/10/2024

Key Highlights of the amended final MQSA regulations that will go into effect on 9/10/2024

www.fda.gov

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New details from breast cancer screenings ​

Last week, US regulators delivered some good news for women’s health. A new rule now requires mammogram reports to notify women whether they have dense breasts and may need additional screening, like an ultrasound or an MRI. Nearly half of women over the age of 40 fall into this category, and they are about twice as likely to get breast cancer as women who don’t. Surprisingly, until this new rule took effect a week ago, many women were not being given this crucial information. “This is unequivocally a good thing,” says Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at the NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center. It can be hard to spot abnormalities in women with dense breasts because their tissue and tumors can both appear as white areas in a mammogram, while fatty tissue in other women appears dark. “It’s like trying to find a snowball against a backdrop of snow,” journalist Katie Couric said in an Instagram video last week as she told her 1.7 million followers about the new mammogram rule. Couric has been raising awareness about this issue after being diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. But should women with dense breasts get more screening? It’s hard to say. Experts differ in their recommendations, which are based on a woman’s individual risk for developing breast cancer, says Kimberly Feigin, interim chief of the breast imaging service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. For instance, the US Preventive Services Task Force, a panel of experts who make recommendations about preventive health services, says there’s not enough evidence to recommend for or against additional imaging tests in women with dense breasts who got a negative screening mammogram. Comen and Feigin say you should talk to your doctor about whether you should get additional testing. While experts are happy about the new rule for mammograms, they’re worried about the fact that additional screening is not always covered by insurance. When it’s not covered, women can pay more than $1,000 out of pocket. And if they can’t afford that, they may delay or forego those additional tests, which can lead to later stage diagnosis. Couric says the “Find It Early Act,” which has been introduced in Congress, aims to fix this by mandating that additional screening be covered by insurance. “It will save so many lives,” she says. — Gerry Smith "

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