breast cancer in the family and implants...

Jendy · 01-05-2008, 10:02 PM

Just wondering if any of you have a family history with breast cancer and still went ahead with implants? If so, I'm wondering about saline and silicone and if one is easier than the other to read on a mammogram? Personally, my mom has had breast cancer and her sister had it also. They both were in their 50's-post menopausal, and are cancer free. I know I have a long time before I hit 50 and need to worry, but not sure if saline or silicone makes it harder or easier to read a mamogram. I had one ps tell me it's easier to read a mammogram with saline, but not sure? What are your thoughts??

HOT MAMA · 01-05-2008, 10:11 PM

I have a friend who's mother had breast cancer and had reconstructive surgery after a double massectomy. She(the mother) now has saline implants. Her daughter(my friend) was so impressed with the results she now has saline implants too. I don't know if they went with saline because of the cancer though. Glad to hear they are noe cancer free. What does your mom think about it?

avbjessup · 01-05-2008, 10:32 PM

I'm not sure about the fill type, but it is definitely easier to read a mammogram with unders. It would also be helpful to find a mammo tech who is experienced in giving mammograms to women with implants - there are special techniques to displace breast tissue and such. I don't know how old you are, but hopefully by the time you are older the tests and treatments for breast cancer will have improved significantly over what they are now.

*starkarros* · 01-05-2008, 10:41 PM

I have a family history of breast cancer ~ my grandma had it and was in her mid 50s when she had it ~ my mom I wouldn't know if she would have gotten it because she passed away about 6 years ago when she was in her mid 40s ~ I did tell my PS about this but didn't feel I needed a mammogram before hand (since some PS' require it if you're at that age for one) ~ I believe it's easier to read with saline (at least from what my friend said who has saline) ~ I chose silicone even though I have the family history of breast cancer ~ I like the way silicone feels and wanted it over saline ~ I hope you don;t stress out too much ~ It IS a big decision and definitely something to think about when doing this...but I feel I;ll tackle that obstacle IF it comes way ~ GOOD LUCK on your decision

Jendy · 01-06-2008, 09:11 AM

I'm definately getting unders. My mom hasn't really expressed one preference over the other yet as far as saline vs. silicone for me. My ps wants me to have a mammogram before my breast augmentation, so we know what my breast tissue looks like before my breast augmentation. I think what I'm going to do is as the radiologist at my mammogram appointment what he/she thinks based on my family history. I know I heard before that saline is easier to read because you can see through it, but silicone is more cloudy? My concern is that the radiolgoist says saline is better or is easier to see on a mammogram, but I don't want rippeling either and haven't made up my mind yet whether or not I want silicone based on the rippeling issue.

cdnsarx3 · 01-06-2008, 10:14 AM

I've heard that saline is easier for the rads to read

avbjessup · 01-06-2008, 01:04 PM

From the Mayo Clinic:

"Screening for breast cancer with routine mammograms may be more challenging. Additional images offering special views of your breast are often necessary. The images also may be harder to interpret because cancers can be obscured by the implant itself. You might have to visit a specialized facility experienced in mammography for women with breast implants. Your doctor might also recommend additional imaging tests — such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — to check for signs of breast cancer."

01-05-2008, 10:02 PM	#1
Jendy Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: White Lake, Michigan Posts: 83 Thanks: 8 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	breast cancer in the family and implants... Just wondering if any of you have a family history with breast cancer and still went ahead with implants? If so, I'm wondering about saline and silicone and if one is easier than the other to read on a mammogram? Personally, my mom has had breast cancer and her sister had it also. They both were in their 50's-post menopausal, and are cancer free. I know I have a long time before I hit 50 and need to worry, but not sure if saline or silicone makes it harder or easier to read a mamogram. I had one ps tell me it's easier to read a mammogram with saline, but not sure? What are your thoughts??

01-05-2008, 10:41 PM	#4
starkarros Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New York Posts: 2,735 Thanks: 987 Thanked 999 Times in 908 Posts	I have a family history of breast cancer ~ my grandma had it and was in her mid 50s when she had it ~ my mom I wouldn't know if she would have gotten it because she passed away about 6 years ago when she was in her mid 40s ~ I did tell my PS about this but didn't feel I needed a mammogram before hand (since some PS' require it if you're at that age for one) ~ I believe it's easier to read with saline (at least from what my friend said who has saline) ~ I chose silicone even though I have the family history of breast cancer ~ I like the way silicone feels and wanted it over saline ~ I hope you don;t stress out too much ~ It IS a big decision and definitely something to think about when doing this...but I feel I;ll tackle that obstacle IF it comes way ~ GOOD LUCK on your decision __________________ Age - 27 5'1 1/2 - 100 lbs Ribcage - 26" PreBA - Deflated 30DD (wore 34C bras but at my largest I was 34D~wrong band size but VS didn't make push up bras in my real band/cup size) PostBA -30F/FF (wear 34DD and get band altered) HP Mentor Silicone Memory Gels Unders Left - 350cc ~ Right - 325cc breast augmentation date: Dec 27, 2007 Andrew Smith, MD

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01-05-2008, 10:11 PM	#2
HOT MAMA Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: pittsburgh, pennsylvania Posts: 163 Thanks: 10 Thanked 51 Times in 49 Posts	I have a friend who's mother had breast cancer and had reconstructive surgery after a double massectomy. She(the mother) now has saline implants. Her daughter(my friend) was so impressed with the results she now has saline implants too. I don't know if they went with saline because of the cancer though. Glad to hear they are noe cancer free. What does your mom think about it?

01-05-2008, 10:32 PM	#3
avbjessup Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Laramie, Wyoming Posts: 569 Thanks: 84 Thanked 230 Times in 189 Posts	I'm not sure about the fill type, but it is definitely easier to read a mammogram with unders. It would also be helpful to find a mammo tech who is experienced in giving mammograms to women with implants - there are special techniques to displace breast tissue and such. I don't know how old you are, but hopefully by the time you are older the tests and treatments for breast cancer will have improved significantly over what they are now.

01-06-2008, 09:11 AM	#5
Jendy Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: White Lake, Michigan Posts: 83 Thanks: 8 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I'm definately getting unders. My mom hasn't really expressed one preference over the other yet as far as saline vs. silicone for me. My ps wants me to have a mammogram before my breast augmentation, so we know what my breast tissue looks like before my breast augmentation. I think what I'm going to do is as the radiologist at my mammogram appointment what he/she thinks based on my family history. I know I heard before that saline is easier to read because you can see through it, but silicone is more cloudy? My concern is that the radiolgoist says saline is better or is easier to see on a mammogram, but I don't want rippeling either and haven't made up my mind yet whether or not I want silicone based on the rippeling issue.

01-06-2008, 10:14 AM	#6
cdnsarx3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ontario Posts: 149 Thanks: 61 Thanked 34 Times in 29 Posts	I've heard that saline is easier for the rads to read

01-06-2008, 01:04 PM	#7
avbjessup Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Laramie, Wyoming Posts: 569 Thanks: 84 Thanked 230 Times in 189 Posts	From the Mayo Clinic: "Screening for breast cancer with routine mammograms may be more challenging. Additional images offering special views of your breast are often necessary. The images also may be harder to interpret because cancers can be obscured by the implant itself. You might have to visit a specialized facility experienced in mammography for women with breast implants. Your doctor might also recommend additional imaging tests — such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — to check for signs of breast cancer."