"DENSE" no more!

On Dec. 16th, within three months of a "normal" mammogram, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer.  What I've learned since my diagnoses is the significance of my breast being "dense". Dense tissue is comprised of less fat & more fibrous and connective tissue.

I want to inform everyone what I've discovered in hopes that it will help women be proactive about their health/mammograms.  Here are a few facts:

1) Mammography misses every other cancer in dense breasts.  Cancer appears white on a mammogram and dense tissue is white as well - thus there is no contrast to detect the cancer.
2)  The mammography report that is written by the radiologist to the referring physician, which is detailed info. about a woman's breast, is seldom shared with the patient.
3)  40% of women have dense breast.
4)  Breast density is a well-established predictor of breast cancer risk.
5)  High breast density is a greater risk factor than having two first degree relatives with breast cancer.
6)  95% of women do not know their breast density.
7)  Less than 1 in 10 women learn about their dense breast tissue from their doctors.
8).  2/3 of pre-menopausal women and a 1/4 of menopausal women have dense breast.

How do you know if you have dense breast?
Request a copy of your mammogram report from your referring doctor.  Make sure it is generated by the Radiologist and not a form letter.  Read the report carefully.  Look for a description of your breast tissue.   There are two B.I.R.A.D.S. (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) scales that are used by radiologists to standardize mammography reporting.  Ask your doctor which category of breast density you have.  Most likely the mammography report that you receive will not contain this information.

What to do if you have dense breast tissue?
Ask your doctor about having additional screening studies such as an ultrasound (imaging method that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce relatively precise images of structures in your body) or breast MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).  While mammography detected 98% of cancer in women with fatty breast, it found only 48% in women with the densest breasts.   Additional screening tests to mammography for women with dense breast tissue will increase detection up to 100%.   These invasive cancers, missed by mammography, are small, node negative and at an early stage.

Connecticut was the first state to enact an Insurance Coverage Law and Breast Density Notification Law (D.E.N.S.E - Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. ) Additionally, twelve states have enacted breast density notification laws.  Numerous states have pending bills, including Michigan (House Bill 4260).  Federal Breast Density Reporting Legislation has been introduced.

I am compelled to contact my State Representative and on a mission to get this House Bill passed. There are too many women who are unaware of their breast density, believe their 'happy gram' when it reports 'normal' and are at risk of a later stage cancer diagnosis.  Be informed about your breast density.  Cancers detected early have better treatment and survival outcomes.  The impact on the health care system is also significant as a later stage diagnosis is significantly more costly to treat than an early stage diagnosis.

Please pass this important information along and remember to be proactive about your health/mammograms.  You are way WORTHY!

So grateful to have an army of loving, encouraging, supportive, prayer warriors fighting this journey with me.

Lots of love,

Jen ❤️