Stacey Vitiello, M.D.

Mammogram
MRI
This 40-year-old woman has a strong family history of breast cancer. Her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer the previous year at age 44, and after learning more about breast cancer than she’d ever wanted to [..]
Mammogram
MRI
These are screening mammogram images from a 48-year-old woman with family history of breast cancer in her mother. She had a benign lump removed from her right breast several years before. The scar is designated by a [..]
Mammogram
MRI
This is a 39-year-old woman with family history of breast cancer in her sister at age 40. Her mammogram reveals dense breast tissue, with no suspicious findings:
[..]
Mammogram
MRI
These are mammogram images from a 63-year-old woman with no family history of breast cancer. She has a screening mammogram every year, and believes that if she were to develop breast cancer, it would be found early [..]
Mammogram
MRI
These are images from a 46-year-old woman with no family history of breast cancer. She felt a lump in her left breast. Mammogram was negative. MRI clearly shows a mass (circled in green), which was proven to be a cancer [..]

By Stacey Vitiello, MD

It matters who reads your mammogram. If your study is read by a radiology doctor (radiologist) who practices general radiology or another radiology subspecialty and only reads a few mammograms per week, you are probably not receiving the best care. Yes, the guy is board certified and is licensed by law to read your mammogram. But I am licensed to read all radiology studies as well, even though my specialty is breast imaging. Doesn’t mean I should muddle through interpreting the next brain or shoulder MRI that comes my way.

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By Stacey Vitiello, MD

Yes, it matters where you choose to go for your mammogram! The most basic requirement is whether a facility is accredited under the MQSA (Mammography Quality Standards Act). The accrediting body for most states is the ACR (American College of Radiology), which has a list of requirements and tests that facilities must comply with in order for the centers to achieve accreditation. They look at things such as equipment and film quality, radiation dose, credentials of the mammography technologists and of the radiology doctors

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By Stacey Vitiello, MD

Never ignore a lump. When you feel a lump and mammogram and ultrasound (also known as a sonogram) are negative, there is still a 2-3 % chance that the lump is cancer. Have your doctor refer you to a breast surgeon. They might want to perform a needle biopsy in the office based on what they feel, or they may advise surgical removal of the lump in the operating room. If the doctor doesn’t test the lump, and you still feel it, seek a second opinion from another surgeon. You know your body better than anyone.

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By Stacey Vitiello, MD

If I am at high risk for breast cancer, what imaging tests should I be having each year, starting a what age?

If you have a strong family history of breast cancer (mother or sister premenopausal), start having your mammogram 10 years younger than the age that relative was diagnosed, OR at age 40, whichever is younger; but not before age 25. For example, if your sister had breast cancer when she was 44, you should start having your mammogram at age 34. If your mother had breast cancer at 60, you would start having your annual mammogram

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By Stacey Vitiello, MD

Why are there laws in some states regarding women receiving their breast density information?

A wonderful grass-roots organization has been founded by women personally affected by the lack of information given to them regarding the density of their breasts (www.AreYouDense.org), and they are doing everything they can to address this issue for all women. Because of their advocacy, laws have recently been passed in Connecticut, Texas, Virginia, New York and California, requiring that women be informed of their density

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What Smart Women Need to Know About Breast Cancer