FDA updates mammogram standards to help catch breast cancer earlier

The FDA is mandating a new nationwide standard for notifying women of their breast density, which could help save lives by determining whether their breast density is putting them at higher risk for breast cancer. NBC News’ Kristen Dahlgren shares more on the updated health guidance.

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[Rhiles]

Change the age standard too. Idk why they haven’t done this yet. Cancer doesn’t care about your age

[joyce]

Korea's healthcare system has its pros and cons. But their checkup includes mammogram and ultrasound for the breasts. And ultrasound for the ovaries among other things. And they do this before age 40.

[JohnnyCatFitz]

Happy to say my hospital based clinic already does this. They utilize computerized tomography mammograms for dense tissue. Report on density issues. Offer ultrasound and further types of imaging if needed.
Tbh- it doesn't make me feel great that the risk is so much higher and must get called back almost every time for the extra imaging but it's better than Radiologists just calling it ' normal'.

[allysontudda]

Here in NJ, I've been having an ultrasound in addition to a mammo, due to density for the past 3 years. I had no idea this wasn't the standard. So happy it will be for all women.

[pnuthead]

My mammogram results always state that alert and my mom was diagnosed at 71. Interestingly though my doctor hasn’t encouraged additional screening but Texas was on the list for additional coverage. I think this screening is important and should be done automatically if you get that return on your mammogram. Not all doctors pay attention and being a woman and a POC often get you dismissed quickly.

[purplepink]

I'm an MD, it's been known that ULTRASOUND will find those lesions in dense breasts for INITIAL diagnosis instead of wasting time, funds etc to do mammograms first then diagnostic ultrasound. If the breast ultrasound FIRST, many more would have been caught in dense breast. At moment, most insurance don't cover using ultrasound 1st as diagnostic unless mammogram is done with it, which is useless in dense breast tissue. Sigh, save up some funds and find where you can get a breast ultrasound done with results sent to you then take that to a competent physician to evaluate and do further work up.

[Flowero]

I went to get my mammogram and they told me it wouldn’t cost me anything but that 500$ I paid up front. Then I get a bill for 2500$ saying my insurance would not cover the additional testing😡

[Flowero]

If they order additional testing, insurance won’t cover it! Who has two thousand dollars to dish out every year for that additional testing😳

[barrire]

I have dense breast and luckily the doctor and nurses who did the ultrasounds and mammograms took action and didn't ignore what they saw. The good news is that its not cancer just some annoying and painful fibrosis.

[ivanavalieva-trejo]

I have just been in San Miguel de Allende Mexico for my mammogram and ultrasound, and I only paid 75 dollars.

[PlatinumIrishrose]

I'm calling tomorrow for a new appointment tomorrow

[daCubanaqt]

Ok, this is great that medical professionals will inform women they have dense breast, but now what? What does that really mean? I didn’t see anything in this report stating a remedy. Are they designing more sensitive tests? The only thing I see different is now women will be told they have dense breast.

[amandakay]

That’s what I have, they call it “shattered glass effect” I have to go every 6 months & at my last appt I lost my mind bc I went from 1 lump to 6 & they still haven’t ordered a biopsy.

[destinydivine]

So when are they going to start telling that consuming high amounts of sugar leads to breast cancer? I forgot..they can't make money off of that

[kellycasperhanson]

Wow! I've been told repeatedly that I have dense breast tissue, but no one told me what to do about it.

[deejustdee]

Will the Veteran's Administration Facilities that conduct Mammograms be UTD on these new standards or will they fall behind, as to be expected, at Radiology Departments at VA Hospitals.

[mariee.]

My dr is great. She ordered a biopsy because of breast density. My insurance paid for it, so talk to your dr if you get breast density. You don't have to wait until 2024.

[Yettobeprovedwrong]

Tell me this…since men are able to get and be diagnosed with breast cancer why are they excluded from having dense breast? Men breast are denser than women’s breast. And, why aren’t MEN required to have mammograms too?

[BazaarBazaar]

I have dense breast and a lump in my breast and nobody can find it at least I’ve got a 3-D mammogram and two ultrasounds and it just keeps getting worse it’s clearly an issue.

It can be seen and felt it doesn’t come up in the Screenings

[feliciawells]

We're still listening to the the where does cancer originate from?