Sarasota, FL (WWSB) – According to the American College of Radiation, women under the age of 40 should have an ultrasound rather than a mammogram if they detect a suspicious lump. Sara Floyd, Ph.D., breast imaging radiologist at SMH, says this is because ultrasound is better suited to examining lumps and finding their classification and characteristics. The California woman who was denied a mammogram was 29 years old, Floyd said.

“Unfortunately in this case, this woman was very young, 29 years old, well below the age at which patients are even generally recommended to start screening mammograms,” Floyd said.

There are exceptions to the recommendation, Dr. Floyd said, and if a patient has a family history of breast cancer, screening should begin before age 40.

“For example, if you have a mother diagnosed in her 40s, it is actually recommended that the patient start screening mammograms 10 years before that age.” , is highly dependent on the patient’s family history.”

All lumps are a concern, but not all lumps are cancerous. Floyd said women should do their own physical exams in addition to their annual check-ups. Plus, if women feel something isn’t right, Floyd encourages them to follow their intuition and take it seriously.

“Patients really need to advocate for themselves, so if there is something that concerns them and that sort of thing is shrugged off or not taken seriously by their doctors, they really need to push the issue forward.” “They could even consider another doctor.”

Cancerous lumps can also spread to the lymph nodes under the arm, says Floyd.

Copyright 2022 WWSB. all rights reserved.