Hello softballkid1961,
How kind of you to worry about your girlfriend! It sounds like your
girlfriend may have had a poor experience with a mammogram in the
past. Most medical personnel however, feel that while somewhat
uncomfortable, mammograms are quick, and are considered worthy of the
brief discomfort.
There are three options for alternatives to mammograms. Actually,
four, but I do not recommend the last option! Ultrasound is not used
as a screening method since it does not detect small areas of
calcification that can indicate the presence of early cancer. Be aware
that insurance may not cover any of these, depending on your
girlfriend?s plan, her age and health. Your doctor?s preference may
come into play also. He may feel a mammogram is the best for your
girlfriend.
1)Thermography
2)MRI
3)Blood Test (Not a good screening test)
4)None of the Above, or, Doing Nothing
Thermography
============
IR (Infrared) imaging has been available for over 25 years, but is
still not greatly utilized. Most insurance plans do not pay for
thermography, which, according to the site below, runs around
$150-$175 USD.
?It uses infrared cameras to detect patterns of temperature change in
tissue. And it may allow you to catch cancer cells at work before a
tumor even forms.? ?The process is simple. The ultra-sensitive
infrared camera doesn't even touch your body - it just captures
high-resolution diagnostic images of your breasts from different
angles. The resulting "pictures" show patterns of skin temperature in
the breast and surrounding tissues. Many factors can influence the
accuracy of a mammogram - but infrared imaging works on just about
every woman?
http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ea2002/ea_020109.shtml
More information:
http://www.iact-org.org/
http://www.healthandlongevity.org/breastcancerscreening.htm
View 2 videos on thermography
http://www.iact-org.org/news/news.htm
This page lists locations that offer thermography:
http://www.iact-org.org/links.html
MRI
===
If a woman actually HAS breast cancer, an MRI is more likely to find
it than a mammogram.
?Of the 821 biopsies, 404 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed. The
MRI was able to detect the cancer in 356 of these women. That
translates to an 88.8% accuracy rate. Of the 417 women that turned out
not to have cancer, the MRI was correct 281 times ? or 67.7% of the
cancer-negative women.?
?Mammography?s rate in correctly diagnosing cancer-negative women is
52.8%. These results suggest that MRI is better at detecting existing
breast cancers than successfully ruling out breast cancer.?
http://breastcancer.about.com/od/prevention/a/mri01.htm
?Annual screening with mammography is already recommended by the
American Cancer Society and other organizations for women 40 and older
at average risk of getting breast cancer. But for women at high risk
-- those with a strong family history of the disease or with a genetic
mutation that predisposes them to breast cancer -- a more aggressive
schedule may be needed.?
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_MRI_Finds_Breast_Cancer_in_High-Risk_Women.asp
?MRI is used primarily to evaluate breast implants for leaks or
ruptures, and to assess abnormal areas that are seen on a mammogram or
are felt after breast surgery or radiation therapy. It can be used
after breast cancer is diagnosed to determine the extent of the tumor
in the breast. MRI is also sometimes useful in imaging dense breast
tissue, which is often found in younger women, and in viewing breast
abnormalities that can be felt but are not visible with conventional
mammography or ultrasound.?
http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/5_14.htm
Blood tests
===========
Blood tests, such as CA15-3, that detect breast cancer, while
available, often do not detect cancer in the early stages, and is
generally used to monitor women who already have breast cancer. Other
tests such as BRCa-1, BRCa-2, or BRCa-3 detect the presence of a gene
that makes women susceptible to breast cancer.
?But you may have heard of a blood test for breast cancer. That
test?called BRCa-1, BRCa-2, or BRCa-3--is a blood test for the genetic
changes which cause affected women to have a much higher risk of
developing breast cancer. Women who inherit these genes have a have a
one in 2 chance of developing breast cancer as well as a greatly
increased risk of ovarian cancer. You may also pass these genes onto
your children, but not every time. Researchers estimate that only
5-10% of breast cancers are due to these genetic changes. Women who
have a family history of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations or a strong family
history of breast or ovarian cancer should speak with a genetics
counselor before requesting this test.?
http://www.drdonnica.com/today/00007593.htm
Please encourage your girlfriend to get screened for breast cancer
regularly, especially if she is over 40. Breast cancer is the leading
cause of cancer deaths in women in the US, with over 40,000 women
dying each year.
http://imaginis.com/breasthealth/statistics.asp
Minimizing Discomfort of a Mammogram
http://imaginis.com/breasthealth/mammography.asp#pain
Benefits of Mammograms
http://imaginis.com/breasthealth/mammo_benefit-risk.asp
Hope this helps you and your girlfriend stay abreast(pun intended)of
mammogram alternatives.
Please request an Answer Clarification, before rating, if any part of
this answer is unclear. I will be happy to assist you further, if
possible.
Sincerely,
crabcakes
Search Terms
MRI and breast cancer
Alternatives mammogram
Thermography
Breast cancer + blood tests |
