Mammograms Are Not Foolproof
The issues surrounding the misdiagnosis of women who have dense breasts when they have mammograms are alarming. The false sense of security most women have is tragic and life threatening because they are not informed of the fact that they have dense breast tissue by various organisations that control mammograms. Women in B.C. have a right to know the implications and vagaries in the way our mammograms are read and interpreted, they are playing with our lives. Delayed diagnosis can kill. To bring this problem into to focus for Island women, the article below is written by an Island woman who...
Read MoreA B.C. case study
Mi–Jung Lee is an investigative journalist and has worked for CTV News in Vancouver for 18 years. She anchors CTV News at Noon and at Five. Mi-Jung graciously spoke with us about her cancer diagnosis, what she learned about breast density and her efforts to raise awareness. When did you start having mammograms? In British Columbia, it used to be recommended that women start getting mammograms at age 40. They have since changed that to every 2 years starting at age 50, but I started at 40 and got mammograms regularly. I was conscientious about that. Please tell us about your diagnosis....
Read MoreWhen ‘normal’ is not ‘normal’
Whew! If you’ve ever had a mammogram, you know that feeling of relief when that letter arrives in the mail saying your results are ‘normal.’ Most women exhale and then toss the letter in the garbage. But we ask, hold on! You’ve done great going for your mammogram, but you need to do one more thing for yourself: ensure the accuracy of your mammogram by finding out your breast density. Sometimes a ‘normal’ mammogram result may not be accurate, especially if you have dense breasts. If you have fatty breasts, you can be reassured: mammograms are about 98 % accurate in picking up...
Read MoreWhat Women in BC Should Know
Do you know if you have dense breasts? No worries, if you don’t. When Dense Breasts Canada surveyed 900 women across Canada, women in British Columbia knew less about their breast density than women in other provinces. Why is that? The answer is simple: unlike many other provinces, British Columbia does not share information about a woman’s breast density. When you have your mammogram, a radiologist assesses and records your breast density, but this important piece of your breast health is never told to you or your family doctor. Does it matter? Yes, it really does matter! If you have...
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