It's totally normal to feel emotional when you're called back in for further breast cancer screening tests after a mammogram. Even when everything turns out to be ok, the experience is scary, and the nerves are warranted. "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" and "No Good Nick" actress Melissa Joan Hart, 43, recently opened up about a breast cancer scare, and encouraged all women over 35 to go in for their mammograms.
Read More
Dr. Connie Lehman spoke with SurvivorNet about getting called back after a mammogram.
"The vast majority of that 10 percent of women called back do not have breast cancer," Dr. Lehman told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation about further testing. She went on to explain that getting called back often just means that the doctors need a better image to see an area where there may be, for instance, breast calcifications (which could be a sign of any number of thingsmost of which are not cancer).
Dr. Lehman said that of the women who get called back for more testing, 80 percent are "absolutely fine." The other 20 percent may need a breast biopsy as well, and only about a quarter of those people will have cancer.
But the fact that the experience of getting called back after a mammogram is so common does not make it any less scarynor should it.
"We understand the anxiety that screening for breast cancer can cause," Dr. Lehman said. "And we understand the impact when a woman either gets that phone call or receives that letter saying we found something on your mammogram."
In her Instagram video, Hart went on to share that the emotions were heightened by the fact that she and her husband, Mark Wilkerson, and 13-year-old son, Mason, were about to travel to Africa the next day for a Christian mission trip, where they won't be able to communicate with Hart's other two sons, Braydon, 11, and Tucker, 6, who will remain in the U.S.
"I'm a little unsure what we're getting ourselves into and I'm a little nervous," Hart said. "I'm excited… but I'm nervous, and we're leaving behind two of our boys. So there's a lot going on."
Hart looked tearful in the video as she put her hand to her chest and said, "I'm praying for everybody out there that goes through these things." In the caption, she added, "All is good but just feeling vulnerable today especially. Reminder to all women over 35get your mammogram!!"
RELATED: When Should I Get a Mammogram?
Hart's video coincides with a new law just passed in the state of New Yorkwhere Hart is originally fromrequiring insurance companies to cover mammogram screenings for both women and men beginning at age 35.
The new law lowers the age five years from the previous regulation in the state, that only required coverage for those over 40. In Connecticut, where Hart lives now, the law says insurance policies have to cover one initial mammogram between age 35 and 39, then routine mammograms every two years after age 40.
RELATED: The Mammogram Debate: Should Women Start Breast Cancer Screening at 30?
Separate from her own cancer scare, Hart shared an Instagram photo of her cousin, Nancy, whom she visited in Africa. Nancy has been going through a difficult cancer journey, and Hart shared her support and prayers.
Other states vary in terms of their age cutoffs for covered mammograms, but the trend toward earlier screening in several states speak to the importance of early detection. Finding breast cancer early can make a dramatic difference in terms of how easy it is to treat the cancer.
RELATED: Reducing Anxiety About False Positives in Breast Cancer Screening
View this post on Instagram
Melissa Joan Hart left on her mission trip to Africa the day after her posting the video about her breast cancer scare. She posted an Instagram of her husband, Mark, and son, Mason from the trip.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.