Although breast cancer is rare in younger women, when it does happen it's inevitably noteworthy.
Case in point: Back in January, pop singer Anastacia had a routine mammogram before breast reduction surgery. Her doctors at the Weill Cornell Breast Center in New York City spotted calcifications on the x-rays, and the 34-year-old performer was subsequently diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ. She underwent lumpectomy and reconstruction of her left breast, along with the planned reduction in her right one.
"If there is anything I’ve learned from this, it’s to get a mammogram early," Anastacia said in an interview (People, April 28, 2003).
If only it were that simple. Detecting and diagnosing potential cancer in women younger than 40 is tricky business -- a balancing act between choosing the right modality, knowing what to look for in these cases, and calming a patient who fears being struck down in the prime of her life.
In a Women’s Imaging Insider exclusive, three leaders in breast imaging, Dr. Thomas Kolb, Dr. Daniel Kopans, and Dr. Michael Linver, offer their thoughts on contending with breast cancer in younger patients. You can read more here.
In other breast imaging news, advocates of screening mammography have received additional ammunition with which to press their case. A study out of Sweden, available here, confirms that the modality saves lives.
Meanwhile, for the latest in alternative breast imaging, we have an article on pinhole incomplete circular orbit (PICO) SPECT, a technique that proponents believe is potentially superior to scintimammography. For details, click here.
