MESSENGER POST MEDIA

Think Pink.
OCTOBER is BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
BATAVIA BRIGHTON CARTHAGE GENESEO GREECE VICTOR

Taking Care of Yourself

includes your health screenings

Yearly Screening Mammogram

starting at age 40
*high risk women at least by 40
Schedule online at ewbc.com
or call (585) 442-2190
 MESSENGER POST MEDIA
Think Pink.
OCTOBER is
MYTHS
of MAMMOGRAPHY
BY DR. LISA PAULIS | ELIZABETH WENDE BREAST CARE
A screening mammogram is an important step in a woman’s
preventative healthcare routine. Unfortunately, there is a lot
of misinformation regarding screening mammography and
breast cancer. Below are the most frequent myths I encounter
when dealing with my patients.
MYTH: Annual screening mammography is only
important for patients with a family history of breast
cancer.
The Facts: Seventy-five percent of women diagnosed with
breast cancer have NO family history of the disease. In the
general population 12% of women will develop breast cancer
in their lifetime and 42,000 Americans will die from breast
cancer this year.
Women who are at a higher than average risk due to personal
or family history, prior atypical biopsy results, certain
genetic factors etc. may benefit from additional screening
(ultrasound, MRI) and/or genetic counseling. However, the
absence of risk factors should not prevent a patient from
pursuing screening imaging. In our local patient population
only 4% of the patients we diagnosed last year had a known
gene mutation.
MYTH: Screening mammography should not be
performed in younger patients (ages 40-50) due to
false positive results.
The Facts: A false positive is an area that appears abnormal
on initial imaging but represents normal tissue on
subsequent studies. False positives can generate additional
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
can be the earliest form of breast cancer we can identify. In patients with
dense tissue, consideration should be given to screening mammography
accompanied by ultrasound to offer the most comprehensive benefits
of imaging.
Major health organizations, such as the American Cancer Society,
as well as our local imaging community continue to recommend
that women should be screened annually beginning at age 40. For more
information go to mammographysaveslives.org and talk to your healthcare
provider.
testing in order to determine a true result. In mammography,
false positive results can mean anything from additional As the first dedicated breast clinic in the US, Elizabeth Wende Breast Care has been serving the greater Rochester, NY area since
mammographic views, after which most patients will not 1975, with the latest technology and experienced breast imaging professionals. For more information visit www.ewbc.com.
require further workup, to ultrasound or minimally invasive
biopsy procedures. Out of every 100 women who have a
mammogram; 95 will be told that their mammogram results
are normal, and 5 will be asked to return for additional
mammogram and/or ultrasound testing. We feel strongly
that women should be aware of these statistics to make an
informed decision on how they weigh the risk of being one
of the women who potentially needs additional workup
versus the risk of not screening. Of note, 12% of the cancers
we diagnosed in our community in 2018 were in their forties.
MYTH: Mammography is ineffective in screening for
cancer in women with dense breast tissue.
The Facts: Breast density is determined by the proportion
of fat and glandular tissue in the breast. The more glandular
tissue a patient has, the more “dense” the tissue is graded.
Each patient is assigned a breast density classification on
their mammogram which ranges from entirely fatty issue to
extremely dense glandular tissue. Small breast cancers can
be harder to identify on traditional mammograms in patients
with dense tissue, however a newer technology called
tomosynthesis (3D mammography) spreads out the tissue to
improve detection. Additionally, screening breast ultrasound
provides another way to “see through” the density and find
small masses. Mammograms remain the most accurate tool To learn more about mammography benefits and risks visit mammographysaveslives.org
available to diagnose ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS which