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Menstrual Cycle May Affect Mammogram Sensitivity and Accuracy

by DP Nguyen 15 Comments

No woman wants to hear that she has breast cancer, but every year in the United States, over 260,000 women will discover that they have breast cancer. In fact, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), and it is the second leading cause of death among women. (Lung cancer is the first.)

Because of the high breast cancer statistics, doctors and healthcare professionals recommend that women undergo regular mammogram screening to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages. According to a new research study, published in last month’s issue of Radiology, women should consider scheduling their mammograms for the first week of their menstrual cycle – i.e. the week that you’re bleeding.

Researchers found that mammograms conducted the first week of your menstrual cycle may be more accurate, since your breast tissue may be less dense.

Breast Cancer Screening Controversy Prompted Study

In 2009, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force – an independent panel of health care providers who decide on medical guidelines based on clinical research – shocked the medical community by announcing that women should wait to have routine mammograms starting at age 50, not age 40. The task force argued that there was strong evidence that mammogram screening reduced a greater number of breast cancer deaths for women between 50 and 74, than for women between age 40 and 49.

Despite this announcement, the American Cancer Society, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and major medical centers around the United States maintained that women over 40 should have routine mammograms.

Dr. Diana Miglioretti, PhD, a senior investigator from Group Health Research Institute and author of the new research study, and her co-authors wanted to examine the heart of this recent controversy.

Mammograms and their Accuracy

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray of your breast. There are two types of mammograms: screening mammogram (which is a routine mammogram and looks for any signs of breast cancer) and diagnostic mammogram (which is used to diagnose breast disease in women who may have symptoms of breast cancer or they received an abnormal result from the screening mammogram).

While mammograms are fairly accurate, they can occasionally give out false positives and they also miss a small percentage of breast cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, mammograms don’t work as well in younger women, due to their breasts being dense. Dense breasts can hide a tumor.

Breast density may vary slightly at different times of the menstrual cycle. Because of this fact, Dr. Miglioretti and her team wanted to know whether mammograms conducted at different stages of the menstrual cycle are more sensitive to finding breast cancer or more specific for ruling out disease.

Group Health Study: The Details

Dr. Miglioretti and the researchers on her team examined 387,218 screening mammograms from premenopausal women. Of these, 1,283 mammograms were linked to an actual case of breast cancer.

In the first week of a woman’s menstrual cycle (when she is having her period), her breasts are less dense and not engorged. The researchers found that mammograms were more sensitive at detecting breast cancer during this first week. They found that mammograms were 80 percent more sensitive during week 1 of the menstrual cycle –  this means that a doctor can identify breast cancer from the mammogram 80 percent of time when cancer is present. During the other weeks of the menstrual cycle, sensitive ranged from 67 to 73 percent, which leaves undetected breast cancer.

The increased sensitivity was only for women with a mammogram screening in the past two years, not for first-time screenings. Dr. Miglioretti says that when a first screening finds a cancerous tumor, it’s a relatively large tumor. For women who’ve had mammograms before, when a tumor is found, it is usually smaller.

In addition, the research study only looked at screening mammography, not diagnostic mammograms.

Take Home Lesson

Early breast cancer usually has no symptoms. When you start to experience symptoms, the tumor tends to be larger and it is more likely to spread beyond the breast. Early detection saves lives, and even though the mammogram screening guidelines have been pushed to age 50, I personally recommend that all women over the age of 40 have routine mammograms.

The statistics are scary. If you’re a woman, your risk of having invasive breast cancer at some point in your life is around 1 in 8, and your risk of dying from the disease is 1 in 35.

Get routine mammograms, and consider scheduling it during your period. Your breasts are usually less tender, and the procedure will be more comfortable.

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Filed Under: PMS, Women’s Health Tagged With: Menstrual Cycle May Affect Mammogram Sensitivity and Accuracy, breast cancer, breast cancer detection, breast cancer screening, early breast cancer, mammogram screening guidelines, mammograms, menstrual cycle, menstrual cycle mammogram, pms

About DP Nguyen

DP Nguyen is founder and editor of My Pregnancy Baby. She’s a mother of the cutest little boy, and is an experienced health author and blogger. She's been writing about pregnancy and women's health since 2008.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Denise says

    July 22, 2014 at 9:13 am

    Thanks for the great information you provided! I had a repeat mammogram a week ago because the week before that showed something so they wanted me back for more views. So they took several new images and came to the conclusion that it was blood vessels pressed together. So they didn’t need to do an ultra sound at that time. The written results I got in the mail said I have dense breasts. This is the first time my report has ever said that. So I was thinking since I was having PMS symptoms last week that might explain the dense breast report. I will now have my mammograms during the week I’m bleeding and see what happens. It says to come back in a year for another mammogram. I’ve been a wreck after reading the report. Wondering if I should ask for an ultra sound or MRI?

    Reply
  2. Janet says

    January 6, 2011 at 3:56 am

    I am your newest follower ~ following you back.

    You can find me at:

    http://www.homeward4.blogspot.com

    🙂
    Janet

    Reply
  3. Christina Anne Lucas says

    January 5, 2011 at 4:27 pm

    Thanks for following The Blog Entourage! I’m following yu back! Don’t forget to add your link to my free directory. http://theblogentourage.blogspot.com
    Just go to your category/page, then use the Linky Tool.

    Reply
  4. Kat M. says

    January 5, 2011 at 2:29 am

    oopsie….Forgot to let you know I am following you on twitter now. You can find my at @CMsmommy

    Reply
  5. Kat M. says

    January 5, 2011 at 2:28 am

    Great Post! That is very useful information. BTW I love the name of your blog:) Thanks for dropping by my blog and for the follow, I returned the favor!

    KM
    http://www.SAHMingitontheplains.blogspot.com

    Reply
  6. 30ish Mama says

    January 5, 2011 at 4:08 am

    Hi, I’m #300 on your google friend connect following you back! See you around.

    Reply
  7. Frugal Invitation says

    January 5, 2011 at 3:16 am

    Hi!
    I’m your newest follower from Totally Tuesday. I’m looking forward to reading your blog.

    P.S. I’m hosting a Welcome Wednesday hop. Head on over and link up to gain some new followers.

    Frugal Invitation
    http://www.frugalinvitation.com

    P.S.S. Great article!!!

    Reply
  8. Sandi from "Great Stuff" says

    January 5, 2011 at 12:48 am

    Great info! I look forward to reading more of your posts.
    Thanks for following “Great Stuff”!

    Reply
  9. Jules says

    January 4, 2011 at 11:02 pm

    Ugh. I know the day is fast approaching when I have to do the boobie smoosh. Thank you for the information!
    Thank you too, for following Ad Bits! Following you back now!
    ~Jules @ http://www.adbits.blogspot.com

    Reply
  10. tvs take says

    January 4, 2011 at 10:29 pm

    Good info to share! Great blog. Now following you from 6 in the Nest blog hop. When your free come visit me and Happy New Year

    Reply
  11. Traci66 says

    January 4, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    Thank you for following me. I am now following you too.

    Reply
  12. Moncheriblog says

    January 4, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    Following you via Tuesday Blog Trail. Hope you will follow me too @ http://masalabowl.blogspot.com/2011/01/day-234-tuesday-blog-hop.html

    Reply
  13. Kaentrenos says

    January 4, 2011 at 6:40 pm

    Great post, very helpfull!
    Following you from the blog hop!
    Please when you get a chance could you follow me back?
    Cheers!

    http://www.kaentrenos.net/2010/09/rosinha-herejust-to-tell-you.html

    Reply
  14. Rose says

    January 4, 2011 at 6:20 pm

    Great Post. Breast cancer runs in my family so its always nice to read about the latest informaion/findings on the topic! Thanks for stopping by and following Tips for Saving. I’m now following you back!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Breast Cancer Detection: Self-Exams and Mammograms | My Pregnancy Baby says:
    January 5, 2012 at 11:32 am

    […] it as uncomfortable. However, it’s one of the best ways to detect breast cancer.The reason mammograms are effective in early detection efforts is because they can detect tumors before they’re […]

    Reply

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