NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Grammy award-winning artist and breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow and OB/GYN Dr. DaCarla Albright are helping to educate women, especially those with dense breasts, on why they need to make screening a priority.
A recent survey by Hologic, the company behind the "Genius 3D Mammography" exam, found that only one-third of women across the United States are aware that the density of a woman's breasts impacts their risk of developing breast cancer.
Crow and Dr. Albright spoke with 13News Now about what every woman needs to know when it comes to breast cancer screening.
Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and she said her life has changed as a breast cancer survivor.
"I think any woman that's been diagnosed or any person that's been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness will tell you that it really changes the face of your life," said Crow. "It certainly re-programs the way you make your decisions and it certainly helps you to not sweat the small stuff. But... it's also given me the opportunity to go out and speak to my fan base -- which is made up of moms and sisters and daughters and grandmothers -- and be able to talk about the technology and how it's really come so far. And until we have a cure, earlier detection is our best weapon. And we're learning more and more about dense breast tissue, which is what I have, and what that means as far as the risk factor is concerned."
Before she was diagnosed, Crow said she knew nothing about the impact that breast density has on breast cancer screening.
"I knew I had dense breasts only because whenever I would get a mammogram, it always seemed to sort of come up," she said. "Now that we know more about dense breasts and what that looks like on a mammogram and how it replicates what cancer looks like, we're able to work with that information. And certainly, the Hologic 'Genius 3D' Mammogram is giving us a better opportunity ton rally be able to detect early forms of cancer."
Dr. Albright said that dense breasts can make breast cancer screening more challenging.
"I think the biggest thing to know about breast density is that sometimes, it can obscure a legion on a mammogram," Dr. Albright said. "So first, get your mammogram, get screened. Once you have your mammogram, talk to your doctor and see if there's a report about density on your mammogram so you know and you're aware of your status. And then, the best thing you can do is get a 3D mammogram, because regardless of any breast density that you may have, that's going to actually be the best imaging technology for all women."
Dr. Albright explained "breast density" and what it means to have dense breasts.
"Our breasts are composed of fat, fibers, tissue, and glandular tissue. And breast density is just an increased amount of fibers and glandular tissue in the breast," she said. "And when on a mammogram you see breast density it looks whiter, and unfortunately, so does cancer. So, it can make a cancer legion more difficult to detect on a mammogram. So, that's why it's very important to know the level of density that you have, and definitely, 3D mammography is going to be the better screening technology to see through that density to image better and evaluate a patient for cancer."
Crow hopes women will learn from her experience as a breast cancer survivor.
"We don't have a cure, and technology is improving every day," she said. "It's incredible how far we've come from even 45 years ago, when you didn't see a lumpectomy. Generally, they did a mastectomy. We've come so far with our treatments and now that we have a 3D mammogram, we can look at things much more closely. We have far less false positives. But, I think my words of encouragement would really be about knowing your family history and being diligent, because it can be the difference in early detection -- which can save lives -- or having a much more challenging situation."
Crow said women should be diligent in scheduling mammograms.
"I'm a single mom. We get really busy. We also push it aside because we don't really wanna know... we say, 'Well, I'll do it next year.' And my main message is: early detection can save lives. And I have the good fortune to be a public figure and speak about it from experience. In my situation, because I had dense breasts, there was something suspect on my mammogram and my wonderful OB/GYN said, 'Look, let's not wait the six months that is being recommended. Let's find out what's going on here.' And that could've made the difference in my having chemo or a more challenging situation than what I had."
To find the nearest Hologic Genius 3D Mammography Exam facility, visit www.mygenius3d.com/find-a-facility
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