Mammogram question

cricketmd

cricketmd

Member
I got my mammogram results back by letter from radiology, they are normal, but the letter from radiology says "your breast density is dense". I'm like wtf does that mean?? I understand in some states that laws are now in place where they have to notify women of this condition. I was just wondering how common this is? Anyone else get this? Admittedly at first I was kind of happy as I was reading it via Google, meaning it means I'm still young and firm, I'm mid 40s, etc. :yahoo: Then I read higher cancer risk, ACK!!... my mom's mother and and her sister died of breast cancer. Anyone else get told this? Is it just me? :confused: is this normal? :confused:
 
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Bay_Kat

Bay_Kat

Tropical
cricketmd said:
I got my mammogram results back by letter from radiology, they are normal, but the letter from radiology says "your breast density is dense". I'm like wtf does that mean?? I understand in some states that laws are now in place where they have to notify women of this condition. I was just wondering how common this is? Anyone else get this? Admittedly at first I was kind of happy as I was reading it via Google, meaning it means I'm still young and firm, I'm mid 40s, etc. :yahoo: Then I read higher cancer risk, ack... my mom's mother and and her sister died of breast cancer. Anyone else get told this? Is it just me? :confused: is this normal? :confused?
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Myself and my 4 sisters have the same issue. Every time I get a mammo, I have to get an ultrasound also. From what I've been told by doctors, it's pretty common for women to have dense breasts, they see it very often.
 
cricketmd

cricketmd

Member
Bay_Kat said:
Myself and my 4 sisters have the same issue. Every time I get a mammo, I have to get an ultrasound also. From what I've been told by doctors, it's pretty common for women to have dense breasts, they see it very often.
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Thanks, I'm trying to prioritize as I have other health issues and can only miss but so much time off at work, I was reading where doctors may opt for sonogram now, etc...does breast cancer run in your family? I understand from reading, that dense issue is common in younger women so I wasn't sure how the law of averages would work in terms of people in the 40s, sounds like its still a good thing!! Thanks BayKat!:yahoo: :dance:
 
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Bay_Kat

Bay_Kat

Tropical
cricketmd said:
Thanks, I'm trying to prioritize as I have other health issues and can only miss but so much time off at work, I was reading where doctors may opt for sonogram now, etc...does breast cancer run in your family? I understand from reading, that dense issue is common in younger women so I wasn't sure how the law of averages would work in terms of people in the 40s, sounds like its still a good thing!! Thanks BayKat!:yahoo: :dance:
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No women in my family have had breast cancer. The best thing to do is get you mammo every year. Of course they keep the films and compare each time to look for any changes. After my first mammo, I had to go every 6 months for a couple of years, then they found no changes, so I'm at every year again.
 
cricketmd

cricketmd

Member
Bay_Kat said:
No women in my family have had breast cancer. The best thing to do is get you mammo every year. Of course they keep the films and compare each time to look for any changes. After my first mammo, I had to go every 6 months for a couple of years, then they found no changes, so I'm at every year again.
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Thanks!! I feel less :jerry: now. LOL! :lol:
 
Bay_Kat

Bay_Kat

Tropical
cricketmd said:
Thanks!! I feel less :jerry: now. LOL! :lol:
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What's scary is when you get a letter in the mail (actually I got two in Oct) saying there was an abnormality in my mammo. I had to wait two weeks to go in for the sonogram and was a nervous wreck, my husband was about to get on a plane to come home from Afghanistan, I was a basket case. Went in for a sono and the doctor was wonderful, she said there were no issues, just the normal density thing. She said the breast density isn't an issue, it's the fact that it could hide tumors thus the sonogram.
 
MarieB

MarieB

New Member
Bay_Kat said:
What's scary is when you get a letter in the mail (actually I got two in Oct) saying there was an abnormality in my mammo. I had to wait two weeks to go in for the sonogram and was a nervous wreck, my husband was about to get on a plane to come home from Afghanistan, I was a basket case. Went in for a sono and the doctor was wonderful, she said there were no issues, just the normal density thing. She said the breast density isn't an issue, it's the fact that it could hide tumors thus the sonogram.
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That's what I was thinking - it makes detection more difficult
 
frequentflier

frequentflier

happy to be living
MarieB said:
Good timing

I was just thinking this morning about how my NP referred me to have a baseline mammogram years ago and I still haven't had it done. I'm going to make that appt.

I found this

Susan G. Komen® | Understanding Breast Cancer | Risk Factors and Prevention | Uncontrollable Risk Factors | Breast Density on a Mammogram
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Do it now, Marie. A few months ago I went to the dr and she really got on me because I had not scheduled a mammogram. I am embarrassed to admit how many years it had been.
I did schedule it shortly after and that evening, I got a call that my oldest sister has breast cancer.
She opted for a double mascetomy and started her first chemo treatments yesterday as a precautionary measure.
Oh, and I got the letter shortly afterwards about the denseness and had to go in for a second mammo. Fortunately, it was ok. I will continue annually from here on out.
 
MarieB

MarieB

New Member
frequentflier said:
Do it now, Marie. A few months ago I went to the dr and she really got on me because I had not scheduled a mammogram. I am embarrassed to admit how many years it had been.
I did schedule it shortly after and that evening, I got a call that my oldest sister has breast cancer.
She opted for a double mascetomy and started her first chemo treatments yesterday as a precautionary measure.
Oh, and I got the letter shortly afterwards about the denseness and had to go in for a second mammo. Fortunately, it was ok. I will continue annually from here on out.
Click to expand...

Just made an appt to see my GP next Tuesday. I also would like to ask her about going on Chantix
 
R

Rt235

New Member
cricketmd said:
I got my mammogram results back by letter from radiology, they are normal, but the letter from radiology says "your breast density is dense". I'm like wtf does that mean?? I understand in some states that laws are now in place where they have to notify women of this condition. I was just wondering how common this is? Anyone else get this? Admittedly at first I was kind of happy as I was reading it via Google, meaning it means I'm still young and firm, I'm mid 40s, etc. :yahoo: Then I read higher cancer risk, ACK!!... my mom's mother and and her sister died of breast cancer. Anyone else get told this? Is it just me? :confused: is this normal? :confused:
Click to expand...

A lot of tissue in a smaller space making it harder to read the results.....
 
MarieB

MarieB

New Member
I wish they would just do the sonogram. The thoughts of a mammogram are very unpleasant, and that's part of the reason that it's taken so long for me to go. Now, if they jammed some lifting agent in there at the same time, then the discomfort would be worth it :biggrin:
 
I

inkah

Active Member
MarieB said:
I wish they would just do the sonogram. The thoughts of a mammogram are very unpleasant, and that's part of the reason that it's taken so long for me to go. Now, if they jammed some lifting agent in there at the same time, then the discomfort would be worth it :biggrin:
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I am avoiding it b/c I am a pain wuss too. Why can't we just go straight for the sono?
 
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