Facts About Mammograms and Breast Implants

October in National Breast Cancer Awareness month. It’s an important time to spread awareness and educate women about breast health. For a little over a decade, it was suspected that breast implants may be directly linked to causing breast cancer. Technology and research proved that breast implants are not directly linked to causing breast cancer, however, it is important that women with breast implants practice the same caution as women with natural breasts. Early detection of breast cancer greatly increases the likelihood of survival. Early detection methods such as self-exams, breast screenings and mammograms are proven to save lives. To follow are a few facts about mammograms that every woman should know.

• Since 1990, the use of mammography has helped reduce fatalities by 1/3 in the United States.
• After age 40, the likelihood that a woman will develop breast cancer in the next 10 years in 1 out of 69.
• Alarmingly, 3/4 of the women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease and are not considered high risk individuals.
• For everyone 1,000 women who have a mammogram, 100 of them are called back for more imaging tests, 20 women are recommended to under go biopsy to test irregular tissue, and 5 are diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Women with breast implants should have mammograms at the same rate that women with natural breast tissue do, when age appropriate.Breast implants can hide part of the breast tissue during a mammogram, it is imperative that women with breast implants notify their technician so that necessary measures can be taken to ensure that the most amount of breast tissue is visible in the exam as possible. Technicians use a special technique called implant displacement that will not damage your breast implants, but it will benefit your mammogram outcome.

For More Information About Women’s Breast Health and Beauty, Contact Dr. Jennifer Walden

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Jennifer Walden please contact our Austin office at 512.328.4100 or fill out a request form here.