Why screen for breast cancer?

Because it works!

Enough said?  Numerous studies have demonstrated lives saved by screening mammography (See previous blog posts by typing in mammography in the search box at the right)!  But the guidelines are for the general population at risk and now we can refine the recommendation, by taking your clinical and genetic uniqueness into account and refine the screening plan to make it just right for you!

The screening plan that is modified to your risk!

Imagine!  More cancers uncovered and less stress of false positive (finding something that look like cancer but isn't).  For some that may mean a breast MRI, for some another type of breast imaging, but for most whole breast ultrasound (see previous blog posts)!  For some women, more often (six month exams) for some less often (maybe even even 2 years as the paper sited in yesterday's blog suggested).

How do we arrive at individualized screening?

• BRACAnalysis
• BREVGen Risk Assessment
• HALO Breast Pap Test
• Breast density on mammogram

We begin with the above results, but each one test may not apply to everyone, but one or more of them may be right for you.  Each one will be the subject of upcoming posts, so come back tomorrow!

Remember the only thing better than early detection is prevention, so do something today to lower your risk for breast cancer like being active: get up and walk 5 minutes out of every hour you sit at our desk, or try a standing desk or exercise ball or park far away from the door!

Together we can prevent at least 86,000 breast cancers this year!

This is general content and not personal medical advice, but if you can't wait to find out which test might be right for you call us 512-451-5788.

Making sense of Breast Cancer Screening

You have probably been reading a lot about screening mammography recently, notably http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1669103, Outcomes of Screening Mammography by Frequency, Breast Density, and Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy.  So now, add this article to the many others showing the benefits of screening mammograms and try to make sense of them all.

The importance of the article was missed by most news reporting: that screening in young women (40-49 years) does, in the authors' words, "minimize their risk of advanced-stage disease".  Further, they point out that more mammograms mean more false positives at any age; the price of routine screening mammography.

But, in this blog, we have been talking about personalized medicine: which screening is the right choice for which woman?  Personal screening recommendation fit for her personal risk.  And now Dr Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society recommends "There may be some women who need to be screened every six months and others every two years depending on breast density, family history and genetic testing" (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/19/us-cancer-breast-mammograms-idUSBRE92I00720130319 see, in particular, paragraph five and six).

There are "guidelines" for screening for breast cancer, including one of the most powerful tools we have, mammography.

BUT, they are just guidelines.  Find out which screening plan is best for you, based on your personal history, family history and genetics.

We have the tools to enable personalized breast cancer screening for each woman and will discuss these, this week and the next.

For now, do something to lower your risk for breast cancer, because prevention is even better than early detection!  GO FOR A WALK!  And tune in tomorrow for more.


Together we can prevent at least 86,000 breast cancer cases this year!


This is general content and not personal medical advice, so check with your breast doctor.