Dr. Weigert on Screening Women with Dense Breasts

Jean Weigert, MD, head of breast imaging for the Hospital of Central Connecticut, discusses the benefits of screening women who had normal mammograms but dense breasts.

To make the process easier for the patient and the doctor, patients are given a “reflex to ultrasound if dense” order sheet, Weigert says. Some women do not want to have the ultrasound done, but once women are told they have dense breasts, they are more likely to come back.

Weigert says this has also helped patients be consistent about receiving their yearly mammogram and ultrasound. This process has also helped doctors find cancers when the lesions are smaller, and treatment is less expensive and less stressful for the patient.