Why a Negative Mammogram Result May Not Rule Out Cancer
By: NayNay Butler
Photo: Leeloo Thefirst
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women in the United States. Every year approximately 264,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women, and 2,400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 42,000 women and 500 men die each year in this country. The CDC recommends that breast cancer screening should begin at age 40. Women who are 50- 74 years old and are at average risk should get a mammogram every two years. Mammograms are x-ray pictures of the breast that can detect breast cancer sometimes up to 3 years before any symptoms appear. When a woman goes for her mammogram it can sometimes be a painful experience. The x-ray machines they use today are much better than the old ones that caused a tremendous amount of pain to some women. Some women put off getting their mammograms in fear of the pain, but I can say that it is much less painful nowadays. I was one of those women that put off getting my mammogram for several years and recently I decided to face my fear and go get it done. It was a very quick and painless experience, and I want to encourage every woman that was fearful like me to go have it done. If you have a history of breast cancer in your family (mother, sister, daughter), your chances of being diagnosed with breast cancer nearly doubles.
Breast Cancer Facts
Women With Dense Breasts
Breast density is detected on a mammogram. The CDC states, “breast density reflects the amount of fibrous and glandular tissue in a woman's breast compared with the amount of fatty tissue in the breasts.” About 40% of women have dense breasts or high-density breasts which means the breasts are evenly dense throughout or extremely dense. Women with dense breasts have a higher risk of breast cancer. The more dense the breasts are the more your risk increases. If you have dense breasts a mammogram may not detect cancers. Small tumors could be hidden because of the density. In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed national breast density legislation which ensures that all mammography reports sent to women notify women of breast density. When you have a mammography and you receive your results, be sure to read those results thoroughly to find out if you have dense breasts. If you do have dense breasts your physician may order further tests to detect any hidden cancers that weren’t detected in the mammogram. There are some additional tests that could be done if your physician deems necessary. One is a breast ultrasound, and another is a breast MRI. An article by Kaitlin Sullivan in Health publication, explained that there have been recent studies that have shown that breast MRI’s are the most precise way to screen for breast cancer in people with dense breasts. It is recommended that people with dense breasts get the additional screening to detect breast cancer early which will result in less aggressive treatment, and a better chance of survival. The down side is most insurance companies will not cover breast MRI’s for preventative care at this time because of the cost. Breast MRI’s also subject the patient to dyes that they may have allergic reactions to.
The medical professionals still encourage women to get their mammograms and discuss with your doctor additional tests that may be needed in your particular case. I am sharing this information because I was not aware of the risk of having dense breasts. Women need to be aware of the fact that even though you get a negative result from a mammogram, it doesn’t mean you don’t have cancerous tumors in your breasts that were not detected in the mammogram. I do hope in the near future insurance companies realize the huge difference it would make if they covered breast MRI’s. It would be beneficial for early detection and save so many women's lives. Many insurance companies urge people to take all kinds of tests as preventative measures. Breast MRI’s should be included in those tests. My advice to women is to schedule your mammograms. Read your summary results from your mammogram to see if you have dense breasts. Be sure to follow up with your doctor and ask questions regarding additional tests that can be done to detect any cancerous tumors. One more thing I would suggest is to contact your legislators and tell them your concerns about this issue, and please share this information with your friends and family. You could ultimately save a life.
SOURCES:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/index.htm#:~:text=Each%20year%20in%20the%20United,each%20year%20from%20breast%20cancer.
Breast Cancer.org
https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics
American Cancer Society
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
Jama Network
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2733521
Health
https://www.health.com/mri-better-at-detecting-cancer-in-dense-breasts-7152405
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women in the United States. Every year approximately 264,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women, and 2,400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 42,000 women and 500 men die each year in this country. The CDC recommends that breast cancer screening should begin at age 40. Women who are 50- 74 years old and are at average risk should get a mammogram every two years. Mammograms are x-ray pictures of the breast that can detect breast cancer sometimes up to 3 years before any symptoms appear. When a woman goes for her mammogram it can sometimes be a painful experience. The x-ray machines they use today are much better than the old ones that caused a tremendous amount of pain to some women. Some women put off getting their mammograms in fear of the pain, but I can say that it is much less painful nowadays. I was one of those women that put off getting my mammogram for several years and recently I decided to face my fear and go get it done. It was a very quick and painless experience, and I want to encourage every woman that was fearful like me to go have it done. If you have a history of breast cancer in your family (mother, sister, daughter), your chances of being diagnosed with breast cancer nearly doubles.
Breast Cancer Facts
- Black women have the highest death rate from breast cancer, and are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other ethnic group.
- White and Asian/Pacific Islanders have the lowest rate of death from breast cancer.
- Middle-aged and older women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. The median age of breast cancer diagnosis is 62.
- About 13% of women in the United States are going to develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
Women With Dense Breasts
Breast density is detected on a mammogram. The CDC states, “breast density reflects the amount of fibrous and glandular tissue in a woman's breast compared with the amount of fatty tissue in the breasts.” About 40% of women have dense breasts or high-density breasts which means the breasts are evenly dense throughout or extremely dense. Women with dense breasts have a higher risk of breast cancer. The more dense the breasts are the more your risk increases. If you have dense breasts a mammogram may not detect cancers. Small tumors could be hidden because of the density. In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed national breast density legislation which ensures that all mammography reports sent to women notify women of breast density. When you have a mammography and you receive your results, be sure to read those results thoroughly to find out if you have dense breasts. If you do have dense breasts your physician may order further tests to detect any hidden cancers that weren’t detected in the mammogram. There are some additional tests that could be done if your physician deems necessary. One is a breast ultrasound, and another is a breast MRI. An article by Kaitlin Sullivan in Health publication, explained that there have been recent studies that have shown that breast MRI’s are the most precise way to screen for breast cancer in people with dense breasts. It is recommended that people with dense breasts get the additional screening to detect breast cancer early which will result in less aggressive treatment, and a better chance of survival. The down side is most insurance companies will not cover breast MRI’s for preventative care at this time because of the cost. Breast MRI’s also subject the patient to dyes that they may have allergic reactions to.
The medical professionals still encourage women to get their mammograms and discuss with your doctor additional tests that may be needed in your particular case. I am sharing this information because I was not aware of the risk of having dense breasts. Women need to be aware of the fact that even though you get a negative result from a mammogram, it doesn’t mean you don’t have cancerous tumors in your breasts that were not detected in the mammogram. I do hope in the near future insurance companies realize the huge difference it would make if they covered breast MRI’s. It would be beneficial for early detection and save so many women's lives. Many insurance companies urge people to take all kinds of tests as preventative measures. Breast MRI’s should be included in those tests. My advice to women is to schedule your mammograms. Read your summary results from your mammogram to see if you have dense breasts. Be sure to follow up with your doctor and ask questions regarding additional tests that can be done to detect any cancerous tumors. One more thing I would suggest is to contact your legislators and tell them your concerns about this issue, and please share this information with your friends and family. You could ultimately save a life.
SOURCES:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/index.htm#:~:text=Each%20year%20in%20the%20United,each%20year%20from%20breast%20cancer.
Breast Cancer.org
https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics
American Cancer Society
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
Jama Network
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2733521
Health
https://www.health.com/mri-better-at-detecting-cancer-in-dense-breasts-7152405
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