Breast Cancer Screening Information
How Often Should High Risk Patients Undergo Mammograms
Feb 1, 2009
Physicians advise women with a family history of breast cancer to undergo three types of diagnostic screening each year: a mammogram, MRI, and an in-office physical breast exam. The goal is to obtain three different views of breast tissue in order to identify tissue abnormalities early enough for treatment to be effective. But if these three exams are all scheduled at the same time, what happens during the 12 months in between screenings?
Researchers Recommend Staggering Breast Cancer Screenings
A study presented at the annual Breast Cancer Symposium in late 2008 has suggested that staggering breast cancer screenings six months apart may lead to better (and earlier) detection of breast tissue abnormalities and beginning stage breast cancer.
The study noted that yearly breast cancer screenings are typically scheduled within the same month, meaning that some women with a higher risk of developing breast cancer at a younger age are not being screened for up to 12 months at a time.
While some cancer centers across the country already recommend six month breast cancer screenings for high risk patients, the study lends support to physicians who are calling for a nationwide minimum of biannual staggered breast cancer screenings for all high risk patients.
Mammogram vs. MRI
The study presented at the annual Breast Cancer Symposium also noted that the majority of tumors identified during breast cancer screenings were picked up by MRI scans. So this begs the question, if MRI testing is superior to mammograms in the detection of tissue abnormalities, why are MRIs not recommended as the sole biannual breast cancer screening method for high risk patients?
Why Mammograms are So Important
There are several reasons physicians recommend yearly mammograms and MRIs for high risk patients rather than MRIs alone.
MRIs are an expensive breast cancer screening method. Most insurance companies only cover the cost of one MRI per year to aid in the detection of breast cancer. However, this policy is in line with recommendations from the American Cancer Society.
Mammograms do have one significant advantage over MRIs: mammograms pick up more microcalcifications than MRI screenings. For some patients, the presence of microcalcifications is the only means of detecting breast cancer early on.
What This Means for High Risk Patients
If you are a patient with a high risk of developing breast cancer, your best option is to stagger or increase your screening methods, assuming your physician has not already insisted that you do so. For more information about breast cancer screening consult your physician or visit the National Cancer Institute's website: www.cancer.gov.
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