dense BooK tissue......

[Denisemomof4]

do I have the book thing right? Or is it bOOk?

 

Anyway, does anyone know if dense tissue shows up bright white on the mammogram screen? I was shocked when I saw my screen shot. Now I'm nervous and can't wait to get my results next week. If I hear nothing, a card will be sent to me telling me everything was fine.

 

My first mammogram at age 40 truly scared me. I had to wait SIX months to see if there was a change in the mammogram. Six months later they told me that I had a lot of dense BooK tissue. I'm wondering if all that white I saw was this dense tissue.

 

:confused:

[Mrs Mungo]

Do you have a family history of breast cancer? If so, most insurance companies will pay for you to also have an MRI.

[Ottakee]

Well mine is dense and they called me back TWICE now for repeat scans but they called back later that day or early the following day for a repeat scan--no waiting a week or more to know. Ends up, I am just dense---maybe that is what I can blame my weight issues on---I just have dense and therefore heavier tissue.

[PhunandFonics]

Yes, dense tissue shows up as solid white on a mammogram and the fatty tissue shows as black. As we age our bOOks become less dense. Women with dense tissue tend get more call backs because the results are more difficult to interpret. So try not to worry, but I know that's easier said than done.

 

:grouphug:

[Denisemomof4]

Do you have a family history of breast cancer? If so, most insurance companies will pay for you to also have an MRI.

 

No, no history of cancer.

 

Well mine is dense and they called me back TWICE now for repeat scans but they called back later that day or early the following day for a repeat scan--no waiting a week or more to know. Ends up, I am just dense---maybe that is what I can blame my weight issues on---I just have dense and therefore heavier tissue.

 

We're both dense and have heavy muscle. That's it. Yup!:lol::lol::lol:

 

The very first mammogram I ever had was at 40 because the dr. felt something in there. They called me back after the mammogram and sent me for a ultrasound. They made me wait SIX MONTHS for a follow-up. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I think it was AWFUL to mmake me wait six months only to be told of the dense tissue. I was thankful it wasn't something more serious, but I was a wreck for six months.

 

Yes, dense tissue shows up as solid white on a mammogram and the fatty tissue shows as black. As we age our bOOks become less dense. Women with dense tissue tend get more call backs because the results are more difficult to interpret. So try not to worry, but I know that's easier said than done.

 

:grouphug:

 

I wish I could say I'd hear from them today or tomorrow if there was a concern (mammogram was Thursday) but with the storm and all the power outages, I'm certain there will be a delay. I'm not as worried as I was with the above scenario, especially now that you clarified that the dense tissue is white on the mammogram. WOW did I have a lot of dense tissue!

[Laurie4b]

If you have dense tissue, you should know that you have a significantly increased chance of breast cancer. I'm nost saying this to heighten your current concern, but so that you can talk with your doctor about more in depth screening that simple mammograms. Mammograms have difficulty seeing through the dense tissue and can miss a cancer. They really should do an ultrasound following the mammogram for any suspicious areas. A biopsy or MRI are sometimes needed to clarify. http://ww5.komen.org/Content.aspx?id=5258&terms=dense%20tissue

 

 

I think the reason for the increased risk is simply because there are so many more places for it to grow. (Dense tissue means more ducts & lobules. Cancer grows in ducts and in the lobules. Don't know if it ever starts in the fatty tissue.)

[Denisemomof4]

If you have dense tissue, you should know that you have a significantly increased chance of breast cancer. I'm nost saying this to heighten your current concern, but so that you can talk with your doctor about more in depth screening that simple mammograms. Mammograms have difficulty seeing through the dense tissue and can miss a cancer. They really should do an ultrasound following the mammogram for any suspicious areas. A biopsy or MRI are sometimes needed to clarify. http://ww5.komen.org/Content.aspx?id=5258&terms=dense%20tissue

 

 

I think the reason for the increased risk is simply because there are so many more places for it to grow. (Dense tissue means more ducts & lobules. Cancer grows in ducts and in the lobules. Don't know if it ever starts in the fatty tissue.)

 

honestly, it never even occurred to me to look into this. I'm disgusted that this was never explained to me by my doc, who I've been seeing for 13 years now. :angry:

 

Thank you for letting me know.

[Denisemomof4]

If you have dense tissue, you should know that you have a significantly increased chance of breast cancer. I'm nost saying this to heighten your current concern, but so that you can talk with your doctor about more in depth screening that simple mammograms. Mammograms have difficulty seeing through the dense tissue and can miss a cancer. They really should do an ultrasound following the mammogram for any suspicious areas. A biopsy or MRI are sometimes needed to clarify. http://ww5.komen.org/Content.aspx?id=5258&terms=dense%20tissue

 

 

I think the reason for the increased risk is simply because there are so many more places for it to grow. (Dense tissue means more ducts & lobules. Cancer grows in ducts and in the lobules. Don't know if it ever starts in the fatty tissue.)

 

thanks for the link. Maybe I should print the article and send it in to my doc with a note.:glare:

 

I'm HIGHLY annoyed.

 

Thanks again. I will be looking into it.

[Negin]

I'm 43 and have not yet had a mammogram and am not sure when I will. I've spent years and years reading up on the pros and cons. Decided against it for now. I've had one thermogram and as far as I know, they're very good for dense br@ast tissue. I hope to have one every year.

 

Here's some info if anyone's interested. Mammograms can be a very heated topic, unfortunately. I don't wish to go there. I'm just sharing the info that I have.

 

Mammograms employ low-dose X-rays to examine the breast tissue.

The more you expose yourself, the more damage your body endures.

The earlier you begin screening mammography, the more radiation exposure you will experience and a high incidence of false-negative (and false-positive) readings because younger women typically have denser breast tissue, which makes accurate mammogram readings more difficult. In sum, routine mammography screening, particularly for younger or pre-menopausal women, may cause more harm than good.

The pre-menopausal breast is highly sensitive to radiation, each rad exposure increasing the risk of breast cancer by one percent. This results in a cumulative 10 percent increased risk of breast cancer over ten years of pre-menopausal mammography.

These risks are even greater for younger women subject to “baseline screeningâ€

The Nordic Cochrane Centre in Denmark found that mammograms may harm 10 times as many women as they help

The researchers examined the benefits and negative effects of seven breast cancer screening programs on 500,000 women in the United States, Canada, Scotland and Sweden. The study’s authors found that for every 2,000 women who received mammograms over a 10-year period, only one would have her life prolonged, but 10 would endure unnecessary and potentially harmful treatments.

However, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) breast screening program – which provides free mammograms for women over the age of 50 every three years – cited different statistics in defending its program. An NHS statement said the Department of Health’s advisory committee on breast cancer screening had conducted its own evaluation of the program, and found that screening prolonged the lives of five women out of every 2,000 over a 10-year period.

A woman’s radiation dose from a typical mammogram is considerably more than from a typical chest X-ray. According to the US Department of Energy, a woman’s radiation dose from a typical mammogram is 2.5 mSv (millisievert or effective dose). By comparison, the effective dose from a chest X-ray is considerably less at 0.1 mSv.

Whatever you may be told, refuse routine mammograms, especially if you are pre-menopausal. The x-ray may increase your chances of getting cancer.

[Negin]

Thermography is a particularly good choice for younger breasts, which tend to be denser. It doesn't identify fibrocystic tissue, breast implants or scars as needing further investigation. It's also good at detecting changes in the cells in the armpit area, an area that mammography isn't always good at screening. Perhaps even more exciting is that a thermogram can help a woman diagnosed with ductal carconoma in situ (DCIS) decide, along with her health practitioners, whether she requires aggressive or conservative treatment. If you've ever had an unnecessary biopsy or been scared by a false positive result on a mammogram, please consider getting a thermogram and using it in conjunction with the mammogram to figure our your treatment options.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christiane-northrup/the-best-breast-test-the-_b_752503.html

 

If anyone needs any info on thermography, I can share.

[Negin]

The very first mammogram I ever had was at 40 because the dr. felt something in there. They called me back after the mammogram and sent me for a ultrasound. They made me wait SIX MONTHS for a follow-up. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I think it was AWFUL to mmake me wait six months only to be told of the dense tissue. I was thankful it wasn't something more serious, but I was a wreck for six months.

 

This sort of thing just infuriates me :grouphug:. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. All that worrying and waiting is THE worst. :glare:

[mom31257]

If you have dense tissue, you should know that you have a significantly increased chance of breast cancer. I'm nost saying this to heighten your current concern, but so that you can talk with your doctor about more in depth screening that simple mammograms. Mammograms have difficulty seeing through the dense tissue and can miss a cancer. They really should do an ultrasound following the mammogram for any suspicious areas. A biopsy or MRI are sometimes needed to clarify. http://ww5.komen.org/Content.aspx?id=5258&terms=dense%20tissue

 

 

I think the reason for the increased risk is simply because there are so many more places for it to grow. (Dense tissue means more ducts & lobules. Cancer grows in ducts and in the lobules. Don't know if it ever starts in the fatty tissue.)

 

Thanks for that link. I do have dense breasts and have had to do 2nd shots of a breast before. I noticed it says digital is better, and that's what I just had last week. I don't have the results yet, but the technician didn't have to do any repeats. I was surprise to read that density means less fat and more tissue/ducts, etc. I assumed mine were big because of fat. That's nice to know!

[Amber in SJ]

At my last appt. my new OB/GYN said I had very smooth tissue, not dense or fibrous at all. I guess that means mine are all flab. I do however have excess tissue in my armpits, which I already knew from my nursing days when my milk would let down and I could no longer put my arm close to my body. This excess tissue causes problems with my mammogram, so they also do an ultrasound in that area (super ticklish.)

 

It is hard not to worry when waiting.

 

Amber in SJ