Mammogram While Breastfeeding

My sister was told she has dense breast tissue, so a mammogram will not pick up anything, she has to have an ultrasound done in place of a mammogram. My sister is well endowed, so to speak and that is why she has dense tissue, it literally means she is large chested, my mother is the same way and they told her the same thing and she had an ultrasound done too.

Hi,
Yes I'm one of the younger ones (28). But I have had experience with this. My Dr. wanted me to have a mammogram to assure himself that all I had was cat-scratch fever. They couldn't get a reading because they were too dense(thick). They then made me have an ultra-sound on them to find out that way. I for one would take this as a complement. It basically means your body is still young. I hope this helps!
B.

Hi Becky,

I just went throught the same thing. My daughter is now 11 months, but when she was eight months I discovered what seemed like a lump in my breast. They made me pump right before the mammogram and also performed an ultrasound. They found an area that was also classified as "dense breast tissue" and told me that it looked fine, but I should definitely have a follow-up about 4 months after I stop breastfeeding my daughter just to be sure. I guess it takes that long for the breast tissue to resort back to a normal consistency. I felt better having the ultrasound since it sort of backed up the mammogram saying that it was just dense tissue. They also told me to monitor the lump and report back if it grew larger or became more firm. Best of luck to you.

My sister had breast cancer years ago. I was supposed to get a mam last year but got a surprise a month before I planned to go. Obviously I didn't do it because I was pregnant but I asked about it and was told that nursing causes really dense tissue so it is hard to read a mam. I don't plan to get one until 6 months after I stop nursing. I still do my own monthly exams. My sister has a totally different life style from mine and does not take care of herself as she should--also a heavy smoker though she won't admin it.

I was told that I could not have a mammogram until my child had been weened at least 4 months, because it would not show up as an inaccurate reading. As soon as I was able, I did get a mammogram and it showed that I had breast cancer. I was only 36. My advice to you is to get another mammogram done after your child has been weened at least 4 months. I had it done because of my family history and that I am positive for the gene mutation (BRCA-1) I would tell you and all other women to take these serously. I did, and it literally saved my life. Take care.

J.

My mother had breast cancer and I am sorry to hear about your sister. Did she catch it soon? There are really great doctors out there and great treatment. My mom is now 6 years cancer free! I had a mammogram while I was breastfeeding. I was worried that I would leak everywhere and the radiologist lady said don't worry we see it all the time. So, I guess it just depends on the hospital that does it. I would ask what they mean by "dense breast tissue". I would ask anything that you don't understand and they should be fine with that since your sister just got diagnosed. Keep in mind that this is your health and it's up to you to fight for good health. Call your doctor if you are concerned or have questions about anything, if you don't get the answers go to a different doc. You can never be too sure when it comes to making sure you are and will stay cancer free. Good luck. If you have any questions or need support please contact me via email ____@____.com

Just wanted to ad that by breastfeeding you are cutting your risk of breast cancer by 50% (maybe it's more) if you nurse for 2 years out of your life. You have been nursing for 12 years so good for you, just nursing cuts your risk!

So are you still nursing and had a mammogram? They usually won't do a mammogram until you've been done nursing for 3 months (i.e., finished nursing in Jan - they'll do mammo in April). The problem is that they can't see everything accurately cause of the milk ducts, etc. But if you were all clear and that's what they told you, then you should be fine! Did you do it at Northwestern? They're the best...

I am sorry to hear about your sister. I hope she responds well to treatment. As far as your mammogram goes, you should request another test a few months after your youngest has weaned. If you are very concerned due to your sister's diagnosis at an early age you can get a genetic test (BRCA-1?) to see if you are more likely to develop breast cancer.

I had my first mammogram at 34, a few months after weaning my son. I also have dense tissue and had a biopsy to examine a suspicious area. I have had 3 mammograms since and it has been fine. You have done the right thing in getting the mammogram. You should also speak to your OBGYN about the results. Make sure the radiology lab sends results to him/her.

I had the same issue and was told to pump and dump before the mammogram and it went fine. I went to northwestern.

I had a close friend have a mammogram while breastfeeding and the doctors even did a biopsy and had her headed toward breast cancer treatments. They had sent her report off to a specialist and failed to mention the mom was breastfeeding. Once my friend talked personally with the specialist and told her she was breastfeeding everything changed. The specialist changed her diagnosis completely and said she was fine.

Hi, Becky. I have been told by both my OB and mammogram person to wait three to 6 months after nursing to have a mammogram. That being said, if it was recommended to you that you have one, you might want to inquire about breast ultrasound instead. It can read more closely and specifically, and does not compress the way a traditional mammogram does. I have had it done a couple of times because they saw something in the mammogram and wanted to investigate further - turned out to be just a cyst.

There is a place in Northbrook Court - Medical Imaging is the name, I believe - that does the ultrasound. Maybe give them a whirl?

Good luck!

N.

my OB said NOT to get one cuz your breasts are dense and lumpy and can't see stuff. It concerned me cuz i had my first at 35 and had to get a surgical biopsy last yr... this yr was my first one after that but i'm also breast feeding. I don't think they can see through all that stuff. So dense just means like a dense forest, hard to see animals w/so many trees. Ya may have to go back after you stock BF. So using that term isn't alarming at all.

I did extended nursing with my son, and I've had mamograms during breastfeeding. At that time, it was extremely difficult to find a lab that would DO the mamogram on me. They said they wanted to wait until I was done. The problem was, they found spots they were concerned about on the last mamo I had, just before I got pregnant. So my OB insisted that I have a mamo right away, and he called around to find a lab that would agree. They just weren't very familiar with breastfeeding at that time.

I checked at the time with LLL, and they said it was okay to have it, but I did pump for a while afterwards and dispose of the milk. I had a stockpile of pumped milk to work from in the freezer, during that time.

I've had to have regular mamograms since my late 20s. My sister had lumps, and my aunt had breast cancer, so I was considered high risk. They wanted one baseline mamo, and regular ones after that to keep things monitored. I also have dense tissue, and it has caused concern before, but the follow up mamo alleviated the concerns.

I'd recommend contacting the La Leche League. I would expect them to have the most current and up to date info on mamograms and breastfeeding, and what precautions to take.

Good luck!

In my experience, most MD's will recommend an ultrasound of the breast when you are nursing. From my understanding, the mammogram is not as good at differentiating all of that dense tissue when breastfeeding.
Good luck to you!

Dense breasts I was told that also ,and I had to go in for a repeat. I t was very scarry for me being that I've allready had stomache cancer. They did another exam then an ultrasound.All came out fine but needless to say I still worry. Just remember keep up the mammograms yearly ,since you know that it is in your family. good luck