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There is a big family history for me and my sisters (older sis and I have had lumpectomies for bc) plus mom, granny, aunt, ad nauseum. BRCA negative.
My younger sister feels the same way yours does and even though mine was eventually picked up by mammogram I don't want to recommend a mammogram to her.
I had one screening mammo in my early 30's, then none until 48 (clear) but dense breasts. At 49 I had another and 6-month follow up recommended. Followed up at 6 months, and had diagnostic mammo plus ultrasound with recommendation for biopsy. Neither the rads doc, my surgeon, or my PCP ever told me there was any recommendation for biopsy and the surgeon recommended "waiting 3 more months". Second mammo and ultrasound picked up the real cancer and another rads doc recommended biopsy, but the surgeon completely confused me with different patient and it wasn't until I ordered my own third ultrasound 2 months later that I found out yet a third rads doc recommended biopsy.
I think it is quite possible that the mammo I had at age 48 triggered the cancer, since HER2 grows so fast and mine is documented to have grown from 1.01 cm at the second mammogram to 1.6 cm just 2 1/2 months later.
In my opinion, anytime a rads doc describes the breasts as being especially dense, if there are other risk factors such as family history, or nulliparity, etc. the patient should be entitled automatically to at least a bilateral full sonogram of both entire breasts, whether or not there are calcifications, if the doc or the facility or the insurance is unwilling to provide an MRI.
I also think we should also automatically receive a printed copy of the mammogram results within 2 weeks of the exam. I did go through the proper channels at the time to request a copy of my first mammo and ultrasound and it was a nightmare trying to get it, and when they did send it to me it was the wrong report.
AlaskaAngel
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