THE BREM BLOG
EXPERT EDUCATION ABOUT EARLY DETECTION, ACCESS TO DIAGNOSTIC TESTS FOR WOMEN IN NEED, AND PHYSICIAN TRAINING.
Common Causes of Breast Pain and How to Manage It
Breast pain is a common experience among women, and it’s not always related to cancer. Learn more about the different causes of breast pain and how to manage it.
What are Dense Breasts? What You Need to Know About Dense Breast Tissue
What is breast density and why is it important? How does a woman know if she has dense breasts? Can she tell on her own? Is having dense breast tissue a risk factor for breast cancer?
These are just a few of the questions Brem staff asked Dr. Salman, a Brem Fellow and diagnostic radiologist. In this short interview, you will learn everything you need to know about dense breast tissue and what you need to do if you have dense breasts.
A Breast Imager's Perspective on the Impact of COVID-19
The fictional Ms. Smith has gotten her annual screening mammogram every April. Given that her mother, grandmother, and two sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer before 50 and had the BRCA breast cancer gene, she was vigilant about her breast health and never missed an appointment… until 2020.
As the COVID-19 pandemic intensified in March 2020, Ms. Smith was furloughed from her job and lost her mother, who was a nursing home resident. At the end of March, she received a letter in the mail stating that her annual screening mammogram would need to be rescheduled due to the pandemic.
Those Confusing Guidelines...
As a Brem Breast-Imaging Fellow, my patients ask me these questions about screening every day. Breast cancer screening guidelines have always been confusing. But recently they have become even harder to follow. I want my patients – and all women – to have a better sense of how to get properly screened so that they can maximize their chances of finding early, curable breast cancers. Here’s how to make heads and tails of the recent guidelines.
A Physician's Perspective on Volunteering for the Brem Foundation
I am a Brem Breast Imaging Fellow. I spend my days learning the most cutting-edge techniques in breast cancer diagnosis and understanding how to be a compassionate physician. Part of my role includes reaching out to communities by volunteering to support the Brem Foundation’s life-saving work. This year I had the privilege of doing so – but in an unconventional way – at the Washington Football Team’s annual breast cancer awareness game.
A Lifesaving Investment: 3-D Mammography
Technology is always evolving—including breast imaging technology.
Think of it like this: I usually upgrade my smart phone every two years, when I renew my contract with AT&T. In return for committing to another two years of service with AT&T, the newest smart phone is available for a discounted price (for example, we will assume it is $400 less and the final cost is $200). The newest smart phone usually weighs less, has more storage space, has longer battery life, and also functions faster than the older smart phone. The “last year” smart phone model is also available as an option. Although still functional, it weighs more, has less storage space, has a shorter battery life, and functions slower. But this phone is $500 less and the final cost is $100.
A Brem Fellow in the Military
Hydrangeas are blooming along the brick sidewalks, the heavy evening air is stirred by a breeze, the savory scent of a neighbor’s grill wafts past, the charming glow of lightning bugs brighten the night, and herds of tourists crowd the sidewalks … these are the signs of summer in Washington, DC. As the 4th of July approaches and we fire up our grills and pack our picnic baskets, we also reflect on our independence. Not just our country’s independence, but the individual liberties that freedom grants each of us. For many of us, we also think about our military.
An Annual Mammogram Might Not Be Enough
There is so much discussion in the media about annual mammograms. The American College of Radiology (ACR), Society of Breast Imaging (SBI), and the Brem Foundation recommend annual screening mammography for all women without other risk factors at age 40. But, for some women, screening breast MRI is critical to finding early, curable breast cancers. This powerful and life-saving screening tool can save your life. But to get it, you must know your family and breast health histories.