“Probably Benign”

The term “breast cancer” has been lurking sometimes in the back and more often (of late) in the front of my mind for a few years now. My aunt and cousin had it several years back, a friend from college that I had reconnected with on FB has stage 4, metastatic breast cancer, a colleague battled it recently, and I have had to have two biopsies over the past 5 years or so. My friend, in particular, is the one that brought the term “breast density” to my attention—a term I hadn’t heard until she began to spread the word. 

What I have learned is that about half of all women have dense breast tissue and that 2D mammography (your typical mammogram) is often not able to detect cancer in dense tissue. I’ve learned that other types of screening are better at picking up on cancer in dense breast tissue, including 3D mammography, MRI, and a new one that I just learned about in this book that I’m reading, MBI (you can read about MBI here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/molecular-breast-imaging/about/pac-20394710

My friend was faithful with getting her yearly mammogram since age 40 and, as she put it, “they were all clean”. Yet, there she was less than a year after her last mammo being told by the Dr. that she had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Her message on FB since then has been to inform women about breast density and the need for better screenings for those with dense breasts.

After hearing her story, I was curious to find out. Did I have dense breasts? I didn’t ever recall hearing that terminology on any trips in for my mammogram. I too have been getting mammograms faithfully. I believe I got my first one sometime in my 30s at my doctor’s recommendation. Nope. I hadn’t heard the term even once. I had heard that I have fibrous tissue, which can feel somewhat lumpy during certain times of the month, but never did I hear that I had dense tissue. Anyway, long story short, I do in fact have dense breast tissue, so I have been more alert to the details of screening, risk, etc.

Leslie Ferris Yeager, author of Probably Benign, has a similar story as my friend, Heidi. She had been faithful to go for her yearly mammogram. In fact, from what I can tell, she had no symptoms. She was in her mid-50s when her Dr. recommended that she get a bone density test (I believe this is pretty typical for women in the menopausal years to have done for baseline purposes). The results showed “something strange” in her hip and the doctor wondered if she was in pain. She was not. Further investigation led to a diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. (I’m not sure yet as I haven’t finished the book, but I’m guessing the cancer had already spread to her bones.)

Two weeks ago, I had my annual mammogram. As I mentioned, I’ve already undergone two biopsies, so I wasn’t terrifically concerned when they called me back for “a closer look”. This has been the course for me in the past—have another look with a 3D mammogram. (From what I understand, 3D images are taken from different angles and are combined to provide a clearer look at an “area of concern”.) The doctor looks at the images when I am there and decides whether a biopsy is warranted. This time, “no, but we’d like to take another look in 6 months”. I had recently seen the book, Probably Benign, on an IG post of Mydensitymatters. I saw that the proceeds for the book were going towards research and, at the time, thinking of my friend Heidi, I promptly ordered the book. It arrived in the mail about the time I went in for my mammogram. I couldn’t bring myself to begin reading it, but set it aside “for later”. 

Well, this week my 3D results letter came with the words in bold…”probably benign”. Needless to say, this got my attention, and I knew that I needed to read the book. I cracked it open this weekend with the thought…”knowledge is power” nudging me along. I’m about halfway through the book and must say that it is a powerful little read. Leslie is a good writer, weaving her story of walking the Camino De Santiago and connecting her lessons from the walk with powerful information that is guiding my decision making process. I do not have a breast cancer diagnosis at this point. However, I have reason to be proactive, and I do think I need to take the next step of setting my own course of screening given the fact that those with dense breast tissue are at higher risk for breast cancer. I will consult with my doctor and may arrange for an MBI.

All that to say…my lady friends. Please find out if you have dense breast tissue. If you do, do your research and don’t trust a 2D mammogram that doesn’t show any cancer. As Leslie’s oncologist from Mayo Clinic (a top notch institution) said when she asked him “How can it be that two months ago I had a mammogram and an ultrasound, and everything was fine?”….His reply…”For women with dense breast tissue, a mammogram is like shining light through concrete.”