First Mammogram - Check!
I got my first mammogram done today! I am slightly behind schedule, compared to when most women start routine screening mammograms, but I would not say I am delinquent. The recommendations for breast cancer screening for women vary, with some organizations (American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American College of Radiology, United States Preventative Services Task Force) advising a start age of 40, and others (American Cancer Society, American College of Physicians) suggest age 45 or even 50.
The discrepancy comes from weighing risks vs benefits of mammography at age 40-49. Younger women who are pre-menopausal have denser breast tissue, which makes the images taken with mammography difficult to see and interpret clearly. This tends to lead to the need for call backs, with requests from the radiologists for more images at different views to try and determine if they are seeing something of concern or not. That question of a potential abnormality often leads to even more additional testing, like ultrasounds and biopsies. All of this can cause a lot of anxiety in patients, as well as increased medical spending and exposure to risks associated with invasive procedures.
On the flip side, if mammogram screenings are not started until later in life, there is a potential that cancer can be missed. And breast cancer is so well publicized now, it feels like we all know someone - personally, professionally, celebrity - with breast cancer. So most women scoff at the idea of missing a breast cancer and are ready at 40 and a day to get started.
My approach with patients is always to have an open discussion about risks and benefits to determine when the right age to get started with mammograms is for them. For all of my patients going for their very first mammogram, I make sure to let them know how common it is to receive a call back, to try and offset some of the anxiety that this can trigger. In addition to the likely denser breast tissue reducing visibility, there are no prior films for comparison. In the future, a baseline mammogram is used for comparison and helps to reduce the need for more images.
In reality, the process of getting a mammogram was no big deal. Shout out to Advanced Radiology in Aberdeen! I had a great experience this morning. The new facility there is beautiful, the appointment was quick, and the mammography tech was cheerful, offered clear instructions, and even shared with me the same warning about call backs that I do with my patients! Fingers crossed I won’t need to go back for more images, but if I do, I would definitely return there.
So if you have been dragging your feet on getting a screening test done, there is no better time than now to reach out and get something scheduled! With direct access, making appointments to discuss preventive care is easy and seamless, so get started today!
