The Importance of Breast Cancer Screenings
- Wanda Dench, known on social media for accidentally texting an unknown young man instead of her grandson an invite to Thanksgiving dinner, was recently diagnosed breast cancer after thinking she “didn’t need mammograms anymore.” Now, she’s sharing her story in hopes of inspiring others to continue getting their checkups even as you get older.
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women with average breast cancer risk begin screening mammograms once every two years at the age of 40.
- It’s important to note that women with the BRCA gene mutation, who have a family history of cancer, or have dense breasts are at higher risk and should talk with their doctor about when to begin screening. It may be younger than 40.
- For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
- Women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can hide potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Dench admits that having consistently negative mammograms and no family history of the disease led her to think she didn’t need to continue getting mammograms. It’s important to note there is an ongoing debate on whether mammograms should be used among older women. The medical community has a consensus that women between ages 40 and 54 have annual mammograms, but for women 75 years and older, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) says there is not enough evidence to determine the positives and negatives of mammographies for women 75 years and older.
Read MoreDench, who resides in Arizona and has been dubbed “Thanksgiving Grandma” across the internet, took to social media this week to announce she was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. Hinton, who still enjoys spending time with Dench and her family on the gratitude-filled holiday, also shared her health news on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The beloved grandma wrote, “Hi, my name is Wanda, you might know how we met in 2016 when I accidentally sent him a text inviting him to Thanksgiving when I thought I sent it to my grandson. It went viral and it changed out life for the better and we still plan on getting together for Thanksgiving next month as we have every year.
“But, what I want to let you know today is this month is Breast Cancer awareness month. Earlier this year I came down with bronchitis and had a CT scan to check out my lungs. That’s when a mass in my breast was detected and they suggested I get a mammogram.”
Here is a special message from Wanda🌺 pic.twitter.com/KDTWktDPfN
— Jamal Hinton (@Jamalhinton12) October 16, 2024
Dench’s mammogram ultimately confirmed she had breast cancer.
Speaking to local news station Fox 10 following her social media announcement, Dench admitted she hadn’t had a mammogram for a couple of years.
“I turned 65 a couple of years ago and had decided I didn’t think I needed mammograms anymore since it didn’t run in my family, but lo and behold, it does,” she explained.
Referring to Hinton, who was 17 years old when he was mistakenly texted by Dench in 2016, she said, “He was shocked when I told him, as well as my family members. He and his girlfriend, Mikaela, have been so supportive.
“He calls me on a regular basis just to check in and see how I’m doing and you know, boost my spirits and you know we have chats. It’s just been awesome to have the support from Jamal.”
Wanda Dench is an Arizona grandmother who became famous in 2016 for accidentally texting an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner to Jamal Hinton, then a 17-year-old high schooler.
Hinton, who has since grown a social media following, jokingly accepted the invitation, starting a… pic.twitter.com/jniOz92x05
— Fascinating (@fasc1nate) April 3, 2024
Dench, who is now going through chemotherapy and will soon begin radiation treatment, also said in her cancer announcement, shared on X, that cancer doesn’t run in her family and she as only had negative mammograms in the past.
“In 2022, I turned 65 years old and I thought that would have been my last mammogram and not have to think about it again. But I was wrong,” she wrote.
Dench also pointed out that her cancer diagnosis was certainly a learning experience, further showing her that “because you may be older, we still have a life to live … so continue getting your checkups, and continue to live YOUR life!.”
More on Breast Cancer Screening
- Bi-Annual Mammograms At Age 40 Now Recommended For Most Women, What The New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Mean For You
- Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening
- The Mammogram Debate: Should Women Start Breast Cancer Screening at 30?
- Black Women May Need To Start Breast Cancer Screening At 42, According To A New Study
- 6 Common Excuses for Skipping a Mammogram That You Need to Stop Using!
- Mammograms Are Still the Best Tool for Detecting Breast Cancer — A Warning About Thermography
- How to Avoid False Positive Cancer Results in Women With Dense Breasts: Ultrasounds Used in Addition To Mammograms
She concluded to Fox 10 News that despite her cancer treatment, she is still planning to have her annual Thanksgiving gathering this year.
“We are definitely going to get together. We haven’t finalized the plans yet. I will see whether I can travel down to the Phoenix area so that they can do the cooking in their kitchen,” she said.
“If I’m not up to it, then they will come up here and they can do the cooking in my kitchen.”
FULL STORY: Wanda & Jamal- Year 7❤️
It's the mistaken Thanksgiving text that's become the world's favorite tradition.
Each year I like to focus the story on what's changed in their lives, and this year they've had a lot happen + big changes coming soon👀https://t.co/izj95R61jl pic.twitter.com/v4vunWaJok
— Briana Whitney (@BrianaWhitney) November 24, 2022
Helpful Information About Breast Cancer Screening
The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.
For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
RELATED: ‘Annual’ Screenings For Breast Cancer Survivors May Not Be Necessary, New Study Suggests
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
WATCH: Understanding the BRCA gene mutation
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
RELATED: 3D Mammography Detects 34% More Breast Cancers Than Traditional Mammography
Family History & Breast Cancer Risk
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age
- Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Added exposure to estrogen
- Having children after the age of 30
- Exposure to radiation early in life
- Family history of the disease
RELATED: Is Genetic Testing Right for You?
Different types of genetic testing can help people with a family history of cancer better ascertain their cancer risks. Your doctor will discuss your family history of cancer with you in the context of your type of tumor and your age at diagnosis. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.
WATCH: Understanding genetic testing for breast cancer.
About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
“We encourage only those with a family history to get [genetic testing],” Dr. Ginsburg previously told SurvivorNet. “I would say that if you have anyone in your family diagnosed with a rare cancer. Or if you have a strong family history of one or two kinds of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian, but also colon, rectal, uterine, and ovarian cancer, that goes together in another cancer syndrome called the Lynch Syndrome.
The second test involves the genetic sequencing of your tumor if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer by this point. These genetic changes can be inherited, but most arise during a person’s lifetime. This process usually involves examining a biopsy or surgical specimen of your tumor. This testing can lead to decisions on drugs that might work against your cancer.
“Digital mammography, it turns out, significantly improves the quality of the mammogram… It’s 3D or tomosynthesis mammography,” Dr. Lehman explains.
“This allows us to find more cancers and significantly reduce our false-positive rate. With digital mammography 3D tomosynthesis, we’re taking thin slices through that breast tissue, like slices of a loaf of bread. We can look at each slice independently rather than trying to see through the entire thickness of the entire loaf of bread. So those thin slices help us find things that were hidden in all the multiple layers,” Dr. Lehman adds.
Additional testing can be considered for dense breasts, depending on a woman’s personal history, preferences, and her physician’s guidance.
Screening Options for Women with Dense Breasts
Women with dense breasts should get additional screening to supplement their mammograms. Dense breasts mean more fibro glandular tissue and less fatty breast tissue exists.
The dense tissue has a “masking effect on how well we can perceive cancer and find cancer on mammograms,” Dr. Cindy Ly, a radiology doctor at NYU Langone Medical Center, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
Survivors Encourage Women to Ask Their Doctors About Dense Breasts
Glandular tissue within dense breasts appears white on mammograms, which can help mask potential cancer. The “frosted glass” effect from the glandular tissue can thus mask cancerous areas, especially developing ones. Undetected, these cancers can progress, growing large and advanced. They will then likely require more intensive treatments to cure or can become incurable altogether.
Women with dense breasts may not know they have it based on feeling alone. It’s important to know that breast density is determined by its appearance on a mammogram. Dr. Connie Lehman, the chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, previously explained to SurvivorNet that fatty breast tissue appears gray on an X-ray. Conversely, dense breast structures appear white during an X-ray. Cancers also appear white on an X-ray, meaning the dense breast structures can mask the possibility of cancer. Luckily, advanced mammograms exist to help doctors navigate this obstacle.
WATCH: 3D Mammograms explained.
“Digital mammography, it turns out, significantly improves the quality of the mammogram…It’s 3D or tomosynthesis mammography,” Dr. Lehman explains.
“This allows us to find more cancers and to significantly reduce our false-positive rate. With digital mammography 3D tomosynthesis, we’re taking thin slices through that breast tissue, like slices of a loaf of bread. We can look at each slice independently rather than trying to see through the entire thickness of the entire loaf of bread. So those thin slices help us find things that were hidden in all the multiple layers,” Dr. Lehman adds.
Additional testing can be considered for dense breasts, depending on a woman’s personal history, preferences, and her physician’s guidance. These tests include:
- 3-D Mammogram (Breast Tomosynthesis): This technology acquires breast imaging from multiple angles and digitally combines them into a 3D representation of the breast tissue. This allows physicians to see breast tissue architecture better, even in dense breasts. 3D mammograms are fast becoming the standard way of performing mammography.
- Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): An MRI machine uses magnets to create highly detailed, intricate images of the breast. These are mostly reserved for women with an extremely high breast cancer risk. Dense breasts alone may not be a valid reason to obtain a breast MRI. However, dense breasts in women with genetic mutations, like BRCA1 and BRCA2, or a strong family history of breast cancer could justify obtaining breast MRIs.
- Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI): MBI is a newer imaging technique that uses a radioactive tracer to detect breast cancer. It is beneficial for women with dense breasts. However, MBI is not as widely available as other screening methods.
A new rule from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that facilities offering mammograms must notify patients about their breast tissue density and recommend they speak with a doctor to determine if further screening is necessary. There will be “uniform guidance” on what language to use and what details must be shared with the patient to make the communication clear and understandable.
Breast Cancer Symptoms & Self-Exams
Women are encouraged to do regular self-exams to become familiar with how their breasts feel normally so something like a lump forming can be easily detected. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion.
If you feel something abnormal, such as a lump or discharge from the nipple, you should contact your doctor for further examination.
Below are common symptoms to look out for:
- New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
- Swelling on all or part of the breast
- Skin dimpling or peeling
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple turning inward
- Redness or scaliness of breast or nipple skin
- Nipple discharge (not associated with breastfeeding)
Learn Your Risk and Listen to the Guidelines: An Important Message About Breast Cancer Awareness
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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