From: AnnFonfa@aol.com To: Ian Komenka Subject: Questions on your recent paper? Date: Sun, 9 May 2004 12:13:09 EDT "The development of interval breast malignancies in patients with BRCA mutations" 1. Were the women being followed told that their mammograms showed dense breast tissue? (All six patients who developed interval disease exhibited dense breast tissue on the previous mammogram. Focused breast ultrasonography was able to identify the tumor mass in 3 of 4 patients (75%).) 2. Why more frequent, why not just use the variety of modalities? It may lead to less exposure to ionizing radiation in the subset of our population more susceptible to breast cancer. We are interested in your reply. Thank you. Dr. Ian Komenaka responds: The radiologists, oncologists, and surgeons typically inform the patients about the findings, including the density of their breasts. I cannot say for sure because this was a retrospective review and some of the studies were done years before I arrived at the medical center. It seems that 12 month intervals are inadequate because the average time to develop a new breast mass on physical examination was 5 months. Currently at Columbia, we do use a variety of imaging modalities every 4 months. There has yet to be a study finding another screening modality that could replace/substitute for annual mammography. But until more data is available, more definitive recommendations cannot be made. Thank you for your interest Ian Komenaka, MD Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.