is having a grandma w/ Brest cancer.......?

Question

a good reason to get a mammogram done in ur 20's?

Answer 1

The genetic predisposition to breast cancer is predominantly MATERNAL. If your grandma is your mother's mum then there is a chance than you may carry that gene.
Regular monthly breast checks should start as early as possible so that you become familiar with your breasts which enables you to determine what is normal and abnormal for your breasts. Your local doctor can teach you how to perfom your exam correctly. Remember it is important to perform the check at the same time each month, preferably the week after your period has finished.
If you happened to find a lump then make an appointment to see your local doctor. They will examine your breast and refer you for a mamogram and ultrasound. Mamograms are not very reliable in determining the presence of a lump because in young women, the breast tissue is very dense. The ultrasound will provide more useful data. If the lump can be seen on ultrasound then they will perform a fine needle biopsy to take a microscopic sample of tissue to look at undera microscope to determine the presence of cancer cells.
My local doctor discovered a breast lump earlier this year and my local doctor referred me for an ultrasound and mamogram. Mamogram results didn't show anything as I am 29 and my breast tissue is quite dense. The ultrasound also came back clear. The sonographer who did the ultrasound said that they could feel the lump when he examined me with his hands, but could not see the lump on the ultrasound (the probe can detect tissue 10cm deep and my lump was only 2 cm from the surface). He told me that this was great news and my lump was just normal breast tissue.
I continue to check my breast every month so I know what's normal and what isn't. For the record I didn't regularly check my breasts for lumps. It was when my doctor was examining me that she discovered it and asked me how long it had been there for.....being an Emergency Nurse, I was very embarrassed! My Nanna (dad's mum) and an aunt (my dads sister and nanna's daughter) have both had breast cancer. However I am not considered 'at risk' because the gene runs paternally (dad's side) not maternally (mum's side).
To answer your question, no, mamograms are not a good reason to get a mamogram in your 20's. Your breast tissue is too dense making diagnosis of lumps unreliable. Regular monthly breast exams is the best screening tool for breast cancer. An ultrasound of suspicious lumps will determine whether futher investigation is warranted.
Hope this helps. Best of luck.

Answer 2

you should do it once every one to two years regardless. sorry to hear that, but having a grandma with it has no bearing on you having it.

Answer 3

It's possible but I would recommend checking with your primary care physician or gynecologist to see what they say.