Here’s another article on this whole dense breasts issue. Governor Jerry Brown of California just vetoed a bill that would have made it mandatory in California that women would have to be told if they have been found to have dense breasts. Apparently he thought the bill needed to be reworded, because it could cause too much “unnecessary anxiety” for patient. Are you kidding? What makes it even crazier is that he vetoed this during October, breast cancer awareness month. Talk about ridiculously bad timing.
How in the world can anyone think that it’s not necessary to tell women that they have dense breasts? Why does the medical community think it will cause too much “unnecessary anxiety” in women to hear that they have dense breasts? Women with dense breasts need to be aware so that they can be even more careful about doing self exams, getting annual mammograms and asking for additional options (ultrasound or MRI) if they have any suspicious or unusual mammogram results.
It causes me unnecessary anxiety to think that people in the medical community think women are too weak to handle the truth about their own bodies. All of the women I know would rather know their risks and deal with them in a straightforward fashion, than hide under a rock because they’re too scared to know the truth.
- Monthly breast self exams
- A yearly breast exam by your doctor
- A digital mammogram every year starting at age 40
You and your doctor may also decide to include MRI and ultrasound of the breast in your personal screening plan if you have any unusual or suspicious mammogram results. I hope that all of you women out there are scheduling your annual mammograms.
Well said, Claudia. I hadn’t heard about California. I did ask the last time I went to get my mammogram, and I’d never have known to ask about it if you hadn’t educated me.