I also have dense breast tissue. I always end up needing an ultrasound. After multiple times of having to come back in for the ultrasound my chart reads to allow time for an ultrasound. This also meant only making my mammogram appointment for when the radiologist is present. I usually have the mammogram and wait while they read it. I always end up with the ultrasound. It usually is done by the sonogram tech and the radiologist comes in and looks and will usually tell me what she sees. I have very cystic breasts.
Last year I had the 3D mammogram. The radiologist office had me sign an appeal form to be used if the insurance company denied it. The insurance company denied it and the radiologist office handled the appeal. It went to an independent medical review board and the decision was overturned and the insurance company paid for the procedure. I’m overdue for my next mammogram and I’m hoping I don’t have to go through the same steps again.
This year will be my first in over 10 years that I won’t have my mammogram at a small one woman radiology practice. It was such a great practice, personal, warm and it made a procedure that can be nerve racking easier. The radiologist sold her practice and has now retired.
I have dense cystic breasts. In addition, I have scar tissue from breast reduction. I get the 3D. At first I had to pay extra for it, maybe $60. Now Medicare covers it. All my close female relatives including my first cousin have had post-menopausal breast cancer. My cousin had breast MRIs for years. It eventually showed evidence of breast cancer and she elected bilateral mastectomy. I had a breast cancer risk assessment and the doc who did it felt I was at no greater risk than anyone else provided I don’t have the gene. The same cousin was tested and does not have the gene so presumably I don’t either. It would be nice to discuss it with someone in the same situation but alas I have no sisters.
There was no history of breast cancer in my family.
Until I started one.
I’ve been told the same, and the last time I had a mammogram I also had to have an ultrasound.
I do, and the last time I went for a mammogram I specifically asked for an ultrasound for that reason and also because I find mammograms very painful. For me, the excruciating pain of being squashed into a pancake is all the evidence I need, that I do, indeed, have dense breasts.
Anyway, I was told that I couldn’t get an ultrasound - the imaging center my Dr. referred me to didn’t have that ability. I’m not sure why, because I live in a major metropolitan area and I do have very good health insurance. They didn’t suggest 3D either, this thread is the first time I’ve ever heard of that option.
Since I do have calcifications, I’ll be sure to ask for one of those options for my next exam.
Wait, can you get an ultrasound instead of a mammogram? Or just in addition to? I would much rather have an ultrasound than a mammogram.
I am going to check with my insurer to find out if they cover 3D or ultrasound. Sounds like I should get one or the other even if I have to pay.
The ultrasound gives different info than the mamo… It’s an additional test, not a replacement.
Hi as an almost 11 year (yay!!) survivor, and a dense breast person but no genes (so not on the scout for anything) I’d still recommend 3D AND ultrasound
Dense breasts here too. Insurance covers the 2D mammo as part of preventive services, but the follow-up ultrasound. only goes toward my deductible, so I pay for that.
@LeastComplicated Oh the pain! When I had a 2D diagnostic mammo my breast was aching for a very long time, several days. I had nerve issues for a month or so after.
Now I’m very careful to make sure that I don’t schedule when I’m pre-menstrual. I have also been advised to take pain killers before the mammo, but as long as I’m ok with the timing , I don’t need it.
I went today for my ob/gyn check up and was told I should have had an ultrasound after my last mamo because of my dense breasts. I remember getting a clean report after the mamo so I was surprised. Going to get my annual mamo next week and see what they say this time. Doctor did say breasts get less dense as we age and they have more fat in them.
My gyn told me that the vast majority of his patients come back with a mammo report of dense breasts.
I had dense breasts. The month after a “clean” mammogram, my mother recommended that I be sure to do a self exam as her doctor found a lump doing a manual exam during her physical. Wouldn’t you know, I found a malignant lump that did not get picked up on the mammogram. With both my mother and I diagnosed with breast cancer, I opted to have a double masectomy. I know studies show it doesn’t reduce the risk of cancer coming back, but it has provided me peace of mind not having to worry about false positives on mamograms or wondering if the lump I feel is simply a cyst or cancer. Fortunately, after surgery and a round of chemo, the cancer was eliminated.
So I just got back my mamo results from this week. No issues, they once again cited dense breasts. The same doctor who scolded me at my appointment last week for not following up with an ultrasound last mammogram, sent me the message “report is fine get another mamo in a year.”
Now I am totally confused. Last year my dense breasts needed an ultrasound I didn’t get and this year my dense breasts don’t? Reliable internet sources (like American Cancer Society and WebMD) discourage these ultrasounds for producing false-positive results which end up in unnecessary biopsies.
Actually spoke to somebody in the office today and they are not recommending an ultrasound based upon my mamo results and the recommendation of the radiologist. I am going to go with this (no family history of breast cancer).
False positive is the best-case outcome of a biopsy! 
Like another poster mentioned earlier in this thread, I also had no family history when I was DX’d with BC 5+ years ago. I don’t mean to make you paranoid and suggest that you need additional tests, but I think the statistic is only 20% of BC is hereditary.
Do make a habit of doing regular self-exams – learn what feels normal so that you’ll know if something is abnormal. My BC was discovered after I felt something odd. I have dense breasts, and the radiologist had to look very long and hard at my 3D scans to find anything amiss. They ordered an MRI which showed the tumor. This close look only happened because I reported feeling something. Had I gone in for a routine mammo without any symptoms, it’s very likely I would have gotten another year of a “clean” scan.
Again, not to be an alarmist … just know your own breasts!
Pay attention to #33 and #36, and it can save your life. Wife had dense breasts and felt bump, but even after that, the subsequent visits to ob/gyn, ultrasound, and mammogram did not tell much of the story (all couldn’t decide what it was, only likely). The biopsy and later the surgery told it was a stage 2A. We were told that dense breasts made it hard for cancer to be detected, so the old fashioned regular (monthly) self-exams are still the best to detect bumps early and then follow up with other diagnosis (the best defined answer likely will be a biopsy). It has been a dozen years ago, and now wife goes to digital 3D mammogram regularly. So the lesson learned here is: The earlier you find it, the higher the survival rate; regular self-exams (you should search the web or go to your ob/gyn to look for more info; still remember wife had a piece of self-exam note/graphs made of plastic (from her Dr’s office) able to hang at the shower head pipe) can save life.
Kaiser here only does the 3D if you ask for it now and only at one clinic. After their pilot study
they determined for whatever reason not to routinely offer it to woman with dense breasts. For
those who do not know the machine is slightly tighter and releases just a tiny bit faster.
I use to have extremely dense breast but after a breast reduction they are no longer dense.
I just happened to discuss 3D when they were doing the pilot and was offered it because they had
forgotten me in the dressing area :-j. Recently when I went I was told they are not going forward with
3D in general. I asked for it anyway and as the equipment is still there did get one.
I have in front of me a phamphlet giving the statistics for Ages 50-74 regarding mammograms.
“Likelihood of a mammogram saving you from dying of breast cancer as you age.”
I had no idea that the highest rate of a mammogram saving a woman’s life is this age group.
40% of woman ages 60-69, 10% at ages 50-59, 5% at ages 40-49.
My GYN is pretty adamant that woman should continue their mammograms and their paps well into
their 70’s and beyond.