Certain Factors May Affect Breast Cancer Screening Access
- Talk show host Kelly Ripa, 53, made light of her mammogram experience by drawing attention to her small breasts in a television segment — while emphasizing the value of mammograms and breast cancer screenings.
- Unfortunately, a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that while 64% to 85% of women between the ages of 50 and 74 received their annual mammograms, women with low-income may lack adequate access to health care and were more likely to skip them.
- A mammogram is a standard breast cancer screening that examines breast tissue for signs of cancer.
- The medical community has a broad consensus that women have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, if you’re at higher risk for breast cancer due to family history or a genetic mutation, you should consider screening at age 40.
While Ripa makes light of her mammogram experience, these breast cancer screening procedures are a vital tool to catch cancer in its early stages if it develops. However, a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that not all women follow Ripa’s path with yearly screenings.
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“You don’t know the fun of a mammogram until you’ve gone with me. Because…what really are they going to put in that vice?” she said, according to People Magazine.
She made fun of her smaller breasts by comparing her chest to the show co-host Ryan Seacrest.
“They would have an easier time with you than with me. Trust me. They have more to work with here than what I have,” Ripa said while pointing to Seacrests’ chest and her breasts.
Mammograms are a standard screening procedure for breast cancer. When you receive your regularly scheduled mammogram coupled with checking your breast with self-breast exams regularly, your chances of detecting the onset of breast cancer increase significantly. A self-exam includes pressing your fingertips along your breast in a circular motion.
RELATED: 6 Common Excuses for Skipping a Mammogram That You Need to Stop Using!
How Access to Healthcare, Economic Status Impacts Mammograms
The CDC examined data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to evaluate mammography use within the previous two years among women between 40 and 74 years old. The takeaway from the data review found that socioeconomic factors and access to quality healthcare factored into women’s willingness and/or ability to receive annual mammograms.
Women with access to health insurance and quality health care were likelier to receive a mammogram. Conversely, women who faced health-related social needs had fewer mammograms.
Adverse social determinants of health that contribute to fewer mammograms include unemployment or underemployment, food stamps, lack of transportation, health insurance and limited income, loneliness, and overall dissatisfaction with life.
The report also pointed out that low-income Black women were more likely to die from breast cancer.
WATCH: Breast Cancer Surgeon Lays Out Ways We Can Close the Gap in Racial Disparity.
While these findings may not come as a total surprise given the circumstances, they highlight the ongoing need to Close the Gap regarding access to cancer care.
SurvivorNet strives to highlight racial and socioeconomic disparities impacting access to quality healthcare. We need to come together to discuss the critical blockers that prevent people in minority populations from accessing cancer care, engaging in basic preventive behaviors, and taking part in clinical trials. By working together and collaborating with partners like NYU, we at SurvivorNet believe we can move the needle. We hope to Close the Gap and help create a future free from healthcare inequality.
Expert Resources on Breast Cancer Screening
- Earlier Mammograms for Black Women May Reduce Breast Cancer Mortality Disparity Rates By 57%; How to Screen for this Disease
- I Have Dense Breasts. Do I Need a 3D Mammogram?
- Millions of Women With Dense Breasts — A New Congressional Law — What You Need to Know
- When You’re Getting a Mammogram, Ask About Dense Breasts
When to Screen for Breast Cancer
The medical community has a broad consensus that women have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should now 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.
WATCH: Mammograms are still the best tool for detecting breast cancer.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, 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 the age of 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
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.
Screening Options for Women with Dense Breasts
Women with dense breasts should get additional screening to supplement their mammograms. Dense breasts mean more fibroglandular 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 the, Chief of Breast Imaging and Vice Chair of Clinical Research and Faculty Affairs at the Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine, told SurvivorNet.
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.
WATCH: What is 3D Mammography?
“Digital mammography, it turns out, significantly improves the quality of the mammogram…It’s 3D or tomosynthesis mammography,” Dr. Connie Lehman, a diagnostic radiologist who specializes in breast cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, 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 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 to share with the patient to make the communication clear and understandable.
How Can I Manage Mammogram Anxiety?
It’s common to feel anxious while awaiting mammogram results. This feeling is often called mammogram anxiety.
If you are awaiting test results and your nerves are running rampant, try doing something that relaxes you, such as exercising or listening to your favorite music. Breathing exercises and meditation can also help you relax.
SurvivorNet has more resources to help you manage your mental health while awaiting test results.
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