Breast Cancer Awareness Month ends next week, but awareness should never end.
Patient Kathy Graham is speaking out about two advanced tools she wants every woman to know about.
“It seemed very ordinary, just that I was answering questions.”
Kathy Graham's doctor’s appointment started with answering questions on an iPad.
“I thought was just a normal fill out these questions before the mammogram, and it did ask questions about my family history, my medical history, and it just seemed like a very ordinary questionnaire I was taking.”
The questionnaire was normal, but new. It's called the Tyrer Cuzick Risk Calculator
Dr. Eugene Kim from Intermountain Healthcare said, “It's basically a model that takes into account a lot of different factors, including things like family history and breast density, and it comes up with a score. So if you score more than 20%, you are considered high risk for developing lifetime breast cancer.”
Kathy's mother, aunt and sister all had breast cancer, so she knew the red flags were there. But that doctor's letter told her there was more she could do to detect cancer early, including what's called an abbreviated breast MRI.
“I found that out when I got my results from my mammogram, back the letter that said everything was okay. But that I taken the survey ended identified me as high risk,” said Kathy.
“Mammogram is using X rays to penetrate the tissue and come up with an image. Breast MRI is using what's called magnetic resonance, or basically different magnet strengths to show different areas in your breast,” said Kim.
The abbreviated MRI isn't better than a mammogram, like a meteorologist using satellite and radar, and Kathy knows the more perspectives, the better.
“My sister said hers was not detected with a mammogram. And then it was probably due to dense breast tissue was why hers was not detected in the mammogram. And she said that perhaps having the MRI would have helped them find it sooner.”
Kathy’s sister was diagnosed with breast cancer 25 years ago, and she’s alive and well. Kathy is optimistic she’s doing the right things to stay healthy. If you find that you are high risk, the breast MRI takes only 10 minutes, and it may help save your life.
To schedule your yearly mammogram and find out if the abbreviated MRI is right for you, visit intermountainhealthcare.org.
