Latest news with #mammogram
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Fast MRI breast screening hopes to find cancers earlier
A new breast cancer study is looking at whether a fast MRI scan might help find "hard to spot" tumours Fast MRI Dyamond study is being led by North Bristol NHS Trust and will scan about 1,000 women, aged 50 to 52, across six NHS sites, including Cheltenham, Swindon and is hoped the MRI scan – which is carried out in around three minutes - will detect breast cancers that may not be picked up routinely by mammograms in women with average breast Lyn Jones, consultant radiologist and the study lead, believes lives could be saved, adding: "We know that Fast MRI can find cancers earlier than mammograms for women with dense breasts." One of those joining the three and a half year study is Diana Dalgliesh, whose sister Alison died in 2023 from breast cancer in her Dalgliesh, who works at Southmead Hospital, said: "Her breast cancer was not picked up on a mammogram which she'd had only a few months before her diagnosis."Perhaps if there had been a different way of screening it might have been [picked up], so I thought if I am able to have an MRI scan, it may detect things earlier than if I just had a mammogram alone."Ms Dalgliesh said she has "little doubt" her sister's cancer would have been picked up earlier, if she had the option of an MRI."I know the type of cancer she had is more easily seen on an MRI than a mammogram, whether it would have changed the outcome I don't know," she added. At age 50 to 52, breasts can look both completely white or dark on appearances are normal, as are all the different combinations of white and dark in between. These differences are called mammographic density or breast breast density can make a small cancer difficult to spot on a Fast MRI is a shortened form of a breast MRI scan that has already been proven to find aggressive cancers smaller than a centimetre for women with dense benefits of Fast MRI include there being no need to flatten the breast – which can cause discomfort and no need for radiation (X-rays).Jointly funded by grants of £1.36m from the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), it will be the first time in the UK that breast MRI scans will be offered to women with average breast density at their routine screening mammogram. Janice Rose, from Independent Cancer Patients' Voice, a patient advocate group, said the Fast MRI technology "could have a huge benefit to women entering the screening programme"."Early diagnosis for breast cancer gives women the best possible outcome," she NHS Breast Screening Programme offers women aged 50 to 70 years old a mammogram every three detecting breast cancers before they can be seen or felt, breast screening already saves around 1,300 lives each year in the UK.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ABC's Deborah Roberts, 64, Shares Important PSA in New Health Update
ABC's Deborah Roberts, 64, Shares Important PSA in New Health Update originally appeared on Parade. is reminding her followers to take control of their health. The ABC News journalist and wife to Today show weatherman took to social media this week to document her latest mammogram appointment, while encouraging others to keep up with their routine cancer screenings. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 Sharing photos from inside a doctor's office to Instagram on Thursday, July 17, Roberts, 64, told her fans, "It's mammogram time," while sharing the personal reason why she takes precautionary measures so seriously when it comes to breast cancer. "I'm trying to be vigilant," she wrote in the caption of her post, noting that breast cancer is prevalent in her family history. "Two of my sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer." "So this is serious business for me," she added under the pics, which showed her wearing a hospital gown while posing next to the mammogram machine. See the new photos of Roberts here. "Fortunately, I've got a team of fab female doctors who stay on my case in the best way!" Roberts added to her followers, while adding, "Hope you are staying on top of your appointments too!" "Thank you for sharing!" one of her followers applauded in the comments, adding, "After many scares and biopsies myself, the importance of these screenings cannot be emphasized enough!!! 💗💗💗" "Thank you for reminding others! 🔥" someone else added, while several other users sent their best wishes to Roberts with messages like, "Hope you get the 'all clear!'" and "Hope all goes well for you." ABC's Deborah Roberts, 64, Shares Important PSA in New Health Update first appeared on Parade on Jul 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
09-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Here's What Every Woman Should Know About Their Risk Of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer surgery scars by partial mastectomy. Breast cancer rates are rising across the United States, with most diagnoses occurring without a clear, predictable explanation. An estimated 85–90% of cases are sporadic, meaning they result from factors such as environmental exposures rather than a known inherited genetic mutation or strong family history. The lack of identifiable causes in most cases is concerning given that nearly 370,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 42,000 women are projected to die from the disease in 2025. Prevention and early detection of breast cancer are key to improving survival and both rely on understanding personal risk. 'The problem is that risk matters, but we are not good at measuring risk,' says Dr. Constance Lehman, professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School and breast imaging specialist. Current Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Current risk assessment focuses primarily on understanding family history and genetic risk factors. A strong family history—especially of breast and ovarian cancer—may suggest inherited mutations, like BRCA1/BRCA2. A mature African-American woman in her 40s wearing a hospital gown, getting her annual mammogram. ... More She is being helped by a technologist, a blond woman wearing scrubs. Mammograms can find cancer and also help estimate future risk by assessing breast density. While most women with dense breasts do not develop breast cancer, dense tissue does increase risk. Most radiologists use a scale called BI-RADS to rate breast density, with higher scores indicating more dense tissue and greater risk. The BI-RADS scale, however, relies on human interpretation and readings can vary between radiologists, making results inconsistent. Ancillary risk assessment tools, like the Tyrer-Cuzick and Gail models, gather information from patient questionnaires, such as 'any second-degree relatives with breast or ovarian cancer?' These answers estimate the likelihood of developing breast cancer. As these tools rely heavily on patient recall, they can also be inaccurate or incomplete. Health Inequities with Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Many of the current risk assessment tools, such as the Tyrer-Cuzick and Gail models, often underperform in racially and ethnically diverse populations—especially Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous women—due to limited representation in the original data used to train these models. In a study using the Tyrer‑Cuzick risk calculator of over 15,000 women, Black women were less likely to be classified as high-risk compared to white women, 10.7% vs. 17.5%, despite having similar incidence rates and higher mortality. This suggests that the model underestimates risk for Black women, increasing likelihood of inadequate monitoring, delayed diagnosis, and worse outcomes. Future of Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Doctor and patient discuss breast cancer screening 'Many women have never discussed breast cancer risk with their doctors,' Lehman says. 'Some calculate their score online, others fill out a questionnaire sent by their health system. It's chaotic.' To address this gap in care, Dr. Lehman founded Clairity, Inc. and developed Clairity Breast, an FDA-authorized platform that uses AI to analyze standard mammograms and generate a five-year breast cancer risk score. Unlike traditional risk assessment models, like Tyrer-Cuzick and Gail models, which rely on survey data from the patient, Clairity Breast uses the mammogram itself to assess risk—making it the first widely used model to do so. Their data set was also developed using images from a diverse patient population, unlike older models built on data primarily from racially homogenous populations. Clairity Breast is not a diagnostic tool, meaning it does not tell patients they have active cancer. Instead, it looks at mammograms and assesses risk of future cancer. 'This is a prognostic test,' Dr. Lehman emphasizes. 'We take a four-view standard mammogram and our model assesses it and generates a percentage risk score for the next five years,' Lehman states. The AI is trained to detect subtle patterns of concern on the mammogram that are invisible to the human eye. Dr. Andrea Merrill, a breast surgeon at Sentara Breast Surgery Specialists in Charlottesville, Virginia, sees promise in Clairity's approach. She says that currently about 10% of breast cancers go undetected on imaging, even with MRI. 'It's very possible that with more time and improvements, AI could eventually help detect subtle changes that indicate a cancer that normally wouldn't be seen,' she says. Merrill adds that current tools fail to detect cancer in women under 40 who don't meet criteria for high-risk screening. For patients detected to have increased risk by Clairity Breast, doctors 'can add supplemental imaging, such as MRI or contrast-enhanced mammograms, to detect cancers earlier and treat them at an earlier stage,' says Merrill. 'It might also inform treatment plans that include prescribing medications to reduce their predicted risk of breast cancer.' Clairity Breast launch in 2025 Clairity Breast is expected to become available in 2025, initially as a self-pay option. The company is working with insurers to pursue coverage, but cost remains a concern in regards to assuring access to all, especially marginalized groups. Though excited for this new technology, Merrill cautions patients against delaying care until Clairity Breast is released. 'I would not wait for this tool to get your mammogram,' Merrill emphasizes. 'Current screening mammography is still very effective and detects the majority of breast cancers.'
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Woman who uses wheelchair turned away from mammogram appointment
Advice given to all women between 50 and 74 resonated with Carol Taylor. As a quadriplegic on the other side of 50, she takes a proactive approach to her health. So she recently booked a screening mammogram expecting a simple procedure. It turned out to be anything but. When she made the appointment with Lumus Imaging, a private imaging service on the Gold Coast, she said she explained her disability and let them know she used an electric wheelchair. Just days before the scheduled scan, Ms Taylor said she received a call telling her it had to be cancelled because she wasn't able to stand with assistance. "Standing for me is something I haven't done for 23 years," she said. Ms Taylor acquired her spinal cord injury in a car accident. She is paralysed from her chest down and has paralysed hands, but the lawyer, artist and world's first quadriplegic fashion designer will tell you it doesn't stop her from doing much. Accustomed to advocating for herself, she got on the phone to book the mammogram she knew she was entitled to. With help from her husband, Robert, she attended Breast Screen Queensland's clinic, where she had her scan quite easily. Kirsten Pilatti from Breast Cancer Network Australia said all women deserved access to screening but said women with disability did not always have a positive experience. "This is not the first time we have heard that people with disabilities have felt traumatised, isolated and even shamed with breast screening," she said. Three weeks after her mammogram, Ms Taylor was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. Although aggressive, her cancer was caught early, so with chemotherapy, radiation and other treatments, her prognosis is good. The possible outcome of delaying her mammogram was not lost on her. "Imagine discovering it at stage four," she said. Ms Pilatti said early detection saves lives. Dr Phil Lucas, CEO of Lumus Imaging, said the company takes patient care and accessibility very seriously. He said women who use wheelchairs can have mammograms at all of its sites, but some might have to book at particular locations for other scans, such as ultrasounds. "We are reviewing our screening and service protocols to identify where we can better support people with disabilities who need to undertake imaging services," he said. "As part of that focus, we will deliver training where necessary." Data shows access to cancer screening can be a matter of life or death for people with disability. Research Fellow at Melbourne University's Disability Institute, Dr Yi Yang, analysed global data about cancer rates among people with disability. She said people with disability faced inequalities during the entire process, from screening, through diagnosis and treatment. "What we found for breast cancer is that people with disability are more likely to miss out on breast cancer screening that can help with early detection," she said. "People with disability are also more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage for breast cancer, which all leads to consistently lower survival rates." BreastScreen Australia, and the state-based programs that deliver the service, all provide information about accessibility for people with disability. They list accessible locations and the ways people can be assisted, including extended appointments, sign language interpreters and allowing support people to accompany patients. However, many also clearly state possible barriers to having a mammogram. Ms Taylor said Australia's breast screen program currently took a "patchwork" approach to offering information and screening to women who use wheelchairs. "That can only result in negative impacts for early detection and survival rates," she said. A spokesperson for the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing said the BreastScreen Australia National Accreditation Standards required services to meet the needs of women with a disability by ensuring physical access for women in wheelchairs, longer appointments were available and staff were appropriately trained. They also said if a woman with disability was unable to undergo a mammogram, she should be encouraged to discuss other screening options with her GP. A spokesperson for Queensland Health said BreastScreen Queensland strove to reduce barriers for people with disabilities and support their full participation in screening. BreastScreen NSW said women who use a wheelchair could have their mammogram while seated and if their wheelchair was unable to be effectively positioned for the X-ray, they could be transferred to a more suitable wheelchair. Ms Taylor has just completed her fourth round of chemotherapy. She's lost her hair and become acquainted with the fog of "chemo-brain", but she isn't letting it slow her down. Throughout her treatment, she has posted videos online to encourage others to have regular checks.
Washington Post
08-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Surprise, the No Surprises Act hasn't stopped shock medical bills
Elisabeth Rosenthal is senior contributing editor at KFF Health News and author of 'An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back.' Last year in Massachusetts, after finding some lumps in her breast, Jessica Chen went to Lowell General Hospital — Saints Campus, part of Tufts Medicine, for a mammogram and sonogram. Before the screenings, she asked the hospital for the estimated patient responsibility for the bill using her insurance, Tufts Health Plan. Her portion, she was told, would be $359 — and she paid it. She was more than a little surprised weeks later to receive a bill asking her to pay an additional $1,677.51. 'I was already trying to stomach $359, and this was many times higher,' Chen, a physician assistant, told me.
