Good afternoon. On all my scans at point of diagnosis I have been referred to as having “extremely dense breasts”. Today on a call with my BCN she mentioned she had ordered my mammogram for my check up once my treatment has finished on my other breast. Given what I understand about dense breasts I asked if I would have supplementary scans as I understand mammograms are not as effective (40% is the stat I believe) but I was told I do not qualify for this. Are “extremely dense breasts” not a risk factor and qualify for further screening?
Hi sunshineandunicorns,
Thank you for posting your question.
It’s understandable to question your follow up surveillance after being told you have extremely dense breasts
At the present time, mammograms are the recommended follow up scan for all people who have had breast cancer, including those with dense breast tissue. As you mention, having dense breasts can sometimes make it harder to see small changes on a mammogram, but there isn’t enough evidence at the moment to know if additional scans, such as an MRI, may be helpful. Studies such as the BRAID trial are looking at this but it will be some time before the trial is reported on…
It’s important to check your breasts between your mammogram scans and report any concerns to your breast care nurse or treatment team. It sounds as though you have mentioned your concerns to your breast care nurse, but you may want to speak to her again, or ask to speak to your breast surgeon to talk this through.
We offer a range of free supportive services for anyone who has had a diagnosis of breast cancer which you may be interested in. They include face to face and online courses and events. For more details about all of these services, please see the information on the link.
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Best wishes
Cassie
Breast Care Nurse
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