Hello bOObs Bloggettes:
This breaking news story is very appropriate to end Breast Cancer (BC) Awareness Month. Some of you may have seen this two days ago, but NBC Nightly News did a piece on BC screening — and it wasn’t a happy story (see link below).
It just so happens that the key doctor in the film is also in my “bOObs” documentary. This breast surgeon was kind enough to take the interview a few years ago; in fact, it was filmed at the hospital featured in the NBC piece.
You may have to watch the clip twice to understand all of the nuances of the storyline (I did!) but this is the gist of it as far as I can gather: The hospital had contracted out to a radiology group but they weren’t specialized in breast cancer (BC) analysis. Specifically, these specialized doctors are called “Breast Radiologists”, and the doctor(s) in the radiology group were “General Radiologist(s)” instead.
I have to say, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of a specially in radiology, and I’ve been looking into BC screening going on 7 years now. So what the heck? I guess this is something else we need to find out when we’re getting our films read (MRI, ultrasound and/or mammograms). We need to ask our doctors if whoever is reading our films knows what the heck they’re doing and are called a Breast Radiologist.
Here’s why:
Many women’s screening films (and it sounds like most if not all were mammograms) at this radiology office were being read incorrectly and, hence, many women’s BCs were being missed until years later. One exasperated doctor in the film even pointed out that they’d missed a BC “the size of a tangerine.” The breast surgeon said “These were [missed cancers] that were not subtle.”
My guess is dense breast tissue (DBT) was a large culprit in the radiologist not being able to read, at least some of, the scans right. Others may have just been read wrong. Remember that DBT and cancer both appear white on a mammogram so it is oftentimes difficult to differentiate between the two. That’s why an ultrasound should also be ordered (and paid for) in addition to the primary screening tool of mammography for women in the top two categories of DBT. (see my previous blogs on this issue)
When the hospital (finally) asked that over 6,000 breast scans be re-read by BC radiology specialists; they found an additional 25 BCs that were previously missed.
Now, this is just an educated guess, but I’m thinking that, due to the dense breast tissue (DBT) issue and based on my years of research, there are many other cancers that were missed in those scans. Let’ s hope the number isn’t too high and that they’ve told all those women to go somewhere else and get screened immediately.
The question is: How often is this happening at other hospitals and radiology practices?
You’ve read my blogs that have pointed out the inaccuracies of mammography, but no one has any real way of knowing exactly how many BCs are being missed by the radiologists reading them. Remember: Reading something like a mammogram film or a biopsy slide for a pathological conclusion are subjective. This means that there’s much room for human error in reading them — and therein lies the problem.
Anyway, we probably haven’t heard the end of this story as I have a feeling women all over the U.S. were calling into NBC News editors to complain of similar stories. I’ve certainly been told by many of you and others that have screened my film that their BC was missed. Very sad.
bOObs BOTTOM LINE: Ask your doctor if whoever is reading your BC screening film(s) are called a Breast Radiologist.
Blog at you soon, thanks for reading and helping to spread the word! (Please see the “share” links below.) And we’d love to hear comments from you! (see below as well)
Stay healthy,
Megan
Megan Smith, M.S.
Director, bOObs: The War on Women’s Breasts
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