Yep - anyone with half a brain knows that Mammograms alone aren't good enough to diagnose women with dense breast tissue, so it is incredible that BreastScreen Australia is still sprouting bullshit to Australian Women! ...
BCNA (and @JJ70 with her Can Do at 40 campaign on Facebook) has been advocating for some time that BreastScreen Australia changes their policies and informs women of their risk ...... in ALL states, not just Western Australia!
But in the mean time, we need to advocate for ourselves - and make sure that we tell our friends, relatives and workmates of the risk of Dense Breast Tissue 'MIS-diagnosis'. Yes, this means you should raise it with your son's girlfriends and wives!
My own Ultrasound was 'unsure' and suggested a core biopsy was needed & that was when I was confirmed as Invasive Lobular Cancer (one of the trickier ones to spot on either Mammogram or US.)
I was out to dinner last night with friends & a middle aged couple (Friends of one of our friends) joined us. With our general chit chat conversation, I said "And are you looking after yourself?" I'd gauged her at being mid to late 40s. She said "Yes" I asked about Mammograms & she already had mammograms as she had a history of cysts (like me) and had been told that she had 'lumpy breasts' (like me) but had never heard of the heightened risk of mis-diagnosis with Mammograms not being suitable for dense breasts, like ours. So, jumping onto my 'you need to know this' mantra I filled her in on the bullshit ...... and she will now pursue an ultrasound once back home again after their holiday!
Keep spreading the word! Eventually it will become law in all states of Australia - that they HAVE to tell us our heightened risk of more advanced cancer, simply due to having Dense Breast Tissue! :(
There is a Facebook Page you can join allied 'Being Dense' that will keep you up to date with World information on the subject! Even if you just click on 'Follow' you'll be notified of any new posts. ;)
Take care, ladies xx