Health

Not Just 40: Why Women Shouldn't Wait On Mammograms

(WCCO) Most women know that mammograms are one of the best defenses against breast cancer. Still too many of women aren't getting them when we should, and some women may not want to until 40 to get one.

Thirty-five-year old Jennifer Kasel has heard the stories about the exam most women are told to get yearly at a certain age.

"Well, I've of course have heard it's painful and it's uncomfortable," said Kasel as she waited in the reception area at Southdale Breast Center at Fairview Southdale Hospital for her first mammogram.

Kasel had also heard enough stories about women being diagnosed with cancer, that she had no reservations getting her first exam five years before most recommendations.

"Everything from the waist up can come off. Jewelry can stay on," mammographer Gina Lamannis instructs Kasel. "We usually do three pictures on each breast to make sure we get a thorough exam."

Mammography is a non-invasive way to see inside the breast, but it's not painless. Lamannis checks in with Kasel as she begins compression on the breast.

"How you doing?" she asked Kasel.

"Fine," said Kasel as she watches the machine tighten down.

"The more we have, the more we compress, the better the picture." Lamannis explained.

Breast Specialist and Radiologist Dr. Meghan McKeon is the doctor who will read Kasel's images.

"To do a good, quality mammogram, you do have to compress the breast, there's just no way around that. Until we have another screening modality that doesn't use compression there's not really a way around it," she said.

The idea is to flatten the breast enough that the tissue separates and gives doctors a chance to spot abnormalities. How uncomfortable it is depends on the woman, the time of month and sometimes the technician or machine being used.

"Grab on to the bar. You're going to bring your armpit right on to the corner of the machine here," said Lamannis, prompting Kasel as she moves the mammography machine to get another view of Kasel's breast.

"Keep that shoulder relaxed," she said.

The dark areas on the mammogram are fatty tissue. Breast tissue shows up white. So does cancer.

And a first mammogram can be the toughest to read. Kasel isn't alone in having her first mammogram prompt a closer look. Until doctors have something to compare it to, it's challenging to know what's out of the ordinary.

Lamannis explains to Kasel that the doctor has found something she wants another image of.

"So she sees an area that she wants to get a better view of, only seen on one view, so it could be tissue that just kind of overlapping onto itself to make it look like there's something there," Lamannis said. "See how it kind of stands out right there. That's what we're going to get a better picture of."

"The first one is always a little bit harder because you don't have the benefit of the older mammogram for comparison, and we do rely pretty heavily on comparing from previous mammograms. We look for subtle changes from year to year," McKeon explained.

For a closer look, Lamannis must try to get more compression of Kasel's breast. She wants the tissue to spread out even more to see if it was tissue on top of tissue that caught the doctor's eye, or something to be concerned about.

"Now you let me know how much you can tolerate, OK, because these little paddles are a little meaner. There you go, keep nice and relaxed. Turn your head toward me. How you doing?" said Lamannis.

Kasel said she's good, but flinches a bit when the machine tightens down this time.

Kasel had no family history of breast cancer nor had she found anything suspicious in self-exams. But she wanted an early first mammogram knowing how it can offer a head start in heading off any problems down the road.

Anyone with immediate relatives with diagnosed with breast cancer definitely shouldn't wait.

"So for example, if your mother had breast cancer diagnosed at age 40, we would recommend screening beginning at age 30," said McKeon.

Kasel breathed a sigh of relief when the machine released after taking its final image. She did the same when the doctor told her the results were normal. She got a clean bill of health and won't have to go through the process again until she's 40.

But when she does, the doctor will have baseline films to compare her new ones too and that's very helpful in spotting anything out of the ordinary.

"You don't go in thinking you have cancer but to walk out and know for certain that you don't, I feel very fortunate. I'm happy," Kasel said.

Doctors sometimes use ultrasound to check a breast when something abnormal is found. But mammography remains the number one and most reliable way of detecting cancer.

If you'd like to consider joining this weekend's "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk or making a donation click on the link below.

2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

 

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

---