Woman Whose Breast Cancer Was Almost Missed Calls for Density Reporting in Screening
Published
A woman from Whanganui says her breast cancer was nearly missed during a routine screening, and she now wants more information to be given to women about their breast tissue. Dionne Scott was diagnosed in 2024 at the age of 50. She had found a lump in her breast, but it was not picked up during a routine mammogram.
Breast density is a measure of how much dense tissue a woman has in her breasts. Dense tissue can make it harder to see cancer on a mammogram, because it appears white on the scan, just like a tumour can. Women with dense breasts may also have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. At the moment, in New Zealand, women are not always told about their breast density after a screening test.
Ms Scott believes that women should receive this information as part of their screening results. She hopes that by sharing her experience, other women will feel more confident about asking questions and speaking to their doctors if they notice changes in their breasts. She also says that women should never ignore a lump, even if a screening test says that everything is normal.
Health experts recommend that women who notice any unusual changes in their breasts, such as a new lump, skin changes or nipple discharge, see a doctor as soon as possible. Screening is an important tool, but it cannot find every cancer. Discussions about whether breast density reporting should be introduced across the national screening programme are ongoing.
Sources: RNZ
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