Hi Brenda. Yes, doctors should but most don't.
There is a mammogram register - much like a pap smear register. First your radiographer needs to advise you whether or not you have "dense breasts" as it is much more difficult to detect cancer. Women in this country are not advised if they have dense breasts. Mammograms will only detect 50% of breast cancers; breast scans will only detect 50% of breast cancers; have both and you have 75% chance of detecting breast cancer. If there are still questions, in most other countries including America and UK, women are then sent for breast MRI which detects 100% breast all cancers. In Australia Medicare will not pay for breast MRIs. However, you can hurt your knee playing footie and straight in for an MRI. I have an American Breast Surgeon who doesn't muck around with mammograms. I am post breast cancer 3 years. He does physical exam every six months and annual breast MRI so there are no question marks hanging over my head.
In many states in America it is legislated that women with dense breasts be told. You have a greater chance of developing breast cancer if you have dense breasts. Dense breasts have nothing to do with size or firmness. You cannot tell you have dense breasts until you have a mammogram. Definition of dense breasts:
Dense breasts have less fatty tissue and more non-fatty tissue compared to breasts that aren't dense. Dense breasts have more gland tissue that makes and drains milk and supportive tissue (also called stroma) that surrounds the gland. Breast density can be inherited, so if your mother has dense breasts, it's likely you will, too.
I hope this helps.
Suexx
