Going beyond the mammogram: talking women’s health

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Good Morning, Arizona talked about the importance of getting your regularly scheduled mammogram. If you’ve done that, what’s your next steps?

On Monday, Dr. Sharon Thompson joined Good Morning, Arizona to talk about the next steps women should take to care for themselves and what should be on their mental radar to look out for. Above all else, don’t be afraid of extra testing--prevention is what’s key. “The most common reason is that you’ll get a call back is that there was something they didn’t see or something they want to see better,” said Dr. Thompson. “Sometimes there’s an area the radiologist can’t say anything about because they weren’t able to see it very well...Try not to panic when you get that phone call.”

She said that when women reach their late 40s and early 50s, oftentimes dense breast tissue can be difficult to read so a follow-up is sometimes needed. The doctor said that in some cases, women may be referred for a 3D mammogram for any number of reasons. “Maybe you also have a family history, may there’s something else going on like a medication or a therapy you had in the past that may impact things,” Dr. Thompson said.

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