Breast cancer survivors must continue tests
Dr. Gail Weingast |
TESTING GUIDELINES BREAST AND CERVICAL GRANT PROGRAM AT BACKUS |
Breast cancer survivors don’t always get regular mammograms after a few years, but it is especially important for them to be vigilant.
According to a University of Massachusetts Medical Center study, only 63 percent of breast cancer survivors continue annual mammograms five years after surgery.
Gail Weingast, MD, a diagnostic radiology specialist on the Backus Medical Staff with an interest in mammography, said women are encouraged to get follow-up mammograms, but often are afraid.
“Women have a lot of fears about recurrent disease, they often are anxious to begin with, but it can be nerve-wracking after you’ve already gone through it once.”
Women who have had breast cancer are three to four times as likely to develop a new tumor (in the same breast or the other one) as women who have never had the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. They are also at risk of having their cancer return in the same breast if they didn't have a mastectomy. Regular mammograms can help find recurrences or new cancers at an early stage, when they are easier to treat.
“The earlier we find it, the better the long-term prognosis,” Dr. Weingast said.
Women who regularly saw a gynecologist or primary care physician were most likely to keep up with screening, according to the study. It encouraged primary care doctors and gynecologists to stay involved in the follow-up care of their patients who are breast cancer survivors.
About 2.3 million U.S. women have been treated for breast cancer.