[Colleens_Husband]

This is Lee ranting so you can probably disregard everything I say without missing anything.[rant = on]

This morning I asked Colleen if she had dense breasts or not. Her answer wasn't too much of a surprise. She said she had no idea. Well since Colleen doesn't go around feeling other women's breasts for denseness, then her answer is completely understandable. So how are women supposed to know how dense comparatively their breasts are unless a medical professional tells them?

I certainly knew Colleen had extremely dense breasts, but then again examining breast density was an avocation of mine when I was between the ages of 17 and 25. Unfortunately, I had no idea about the link between breast density and breast cancer. If I had, then I would have badgered Colleen into getting yearly mammograms starting at age forty. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20.

I am wondering if political correctness run amok is preventing health care professionals from mentioning the breast density to a woman. I can certainly see a male GP getting sued for mentioning anything about a woman's breasts. Since breast density is an important or serious risk factor for breast cancer, then shouldn't every breast exam have some mention of breast density and its implication in terms of cancer risk? Since the new guidelines (I will rant about those in the future) are for reducing mammogram exams and self-exams, then how can any women make informed decisions about exceeding the new minimum guidelines if they have no clue of their own breast density, an important risk factor?

Sorry, I'm done ranting. It just is maddening that there is a completely preventable problem that isn't being discussed or dealt with and the new guidelines are only going to make things worse.

[rant = off]