Mammograms: Know the Facts

Some women find every excuse imaginable to delay getting a mammogram. Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is a great time to explore the myths vs. reality.

Myth: If you do monthly self-exams, you do not need an annual mammogram.

Reality: “Self-breast exams can be tricky because sometimes you do not know what you are feeling,” said Natalie Furgiuele, MD, FACS, a board-certified surgeon and director of the Penn Highlands Mon Valley Breast Program. “A breast exam can help you become more familiar with how your breasts feel and look normally so that you can identify some changes that might occur.” Monthly self-exams are important but mammograms are also important because they can detect breast cancer at its earliest stages before any changes can be felt or observed.

Myth: People who develop breast cancer have a family history of the disease.

Reality: Only 5% to 10% of breast cancers are linked to genetic mutations such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. An estimated 85% of all breast cancers occur in people that do not have a family history of the disease.

Myth: A mammogram can be scary because it could find cancer.

Realty: “Mammograms are the most effective tool we have for detecting breast cancer,” said Suzanne Iorfido, DO, Chief of Breast Imaging for Penn Highlands Healthcare. “Mammograms are the only test shown to reduce breast cancer deaths because they can detect cancer earlier while it is smaller and easier to treat.”

Myth: Mammograms are painful.

Reality: Mammograms can cause some temporary discomfort but generally not severe pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers can be taken but the pain doesn’t usually last long.

Myth: You will feel a lump in your breast if you have cancer.

Reality: With today’s advanced technology, early detection through a mammogram can detect breast cancer before any symptoms appear.

Myth: Women do not need a screening mammogram every year.

Reality: Beginning at age 40, women should have an annual screening mammogram, which helps increase the chances of surviving breast cancer and provides peace of mind.

Myth: If a woman has dense breasts, it is hard to distinguish cancer in a mammogram.

Reality: “Approximately 50% of women of screening age have dense breasts. High breast density is an important independent risk factor for developing breast cancer, and cancer can hide in dense breasts,” said Kelley R. Smith, DO, FACOS, a board-certified general surgeon with Penn Highlands Healthcare who specializes in women’s health. “In our mammography facilities, Penn Highlands Healthcare utilizes software that gives patients more information regarding their breast health and how to best undergo optimal annual screening such as having an ultrasound and MRI in addition to mammography.”

Myth: There is a long wait for mammogram appointments.

Reality: Penn Highlands Healthcare offers mammograms throughout Pennsylvania and you can book online in the Northwest and Central regions. This feature allows you to view available appointments in order to choose the one that best fits your schedule. At multiple locations, there are next-day appointments available. To book online and learn more about Penn Highlands Healthcare’s mammography services, visit www.phhealthcare.org/pink.