From the Podium to the Patient Chair

I recently spoke at a conference about breast cancer screening. It was my first time presenting on the topic since my own diagnosis in March 2026.

My first slide covered risk: based on data from 2021 to 2023, about 13% of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. My next slide showed the American Cancer Society’s estimates for 2026: 321,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). As I looked at that slide, I realized I was one of those new cases.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I decided to share my journey from screening to diagnosis to treatment. I had plenty of raw material. I filmed my mammogram, planning to use it as a PSA about how quick they usually are. I took pictures while I had extra views and a breast ultrasound, with no idea I’d need a biopsy the next day. Still optimistic, I photographed the tech and assistant at my biopsy. I even took a picture of the moment I got my diagnosis. I didn’t want to, but it felt like an important moment.

The response to these posts has been overwhelming, and your comments have been amazing.

There are a few things I want to be very clear about.

1. Mammograms feel different for everyone

We are all wired differently and perceive pain differently. Our breasts differ in size and sensitivity. For some people, a mammogram is quick and easy. For others, it can be painful and even leave bruising.

Still, early detection through screening can mean the difference between surgery alone and needing chemotherapy.

2. My fast turnaround was a privilege

My results came back very quickly. That was because I received my care at the hospital where I have worked for 24 years, and it was a privilege. I always knew that waiting was the worst part for my patients. Now I understand that on a completely different level.

I plan to work with my administration and colleagues to make it better. Part of the problem is supply chain delays for the needles and materials needed for testing. Part of it is systems and staffing. This happens not just at my small hospital but nationwide.

Success leaves clues. I’m studying breast centers that do this faster and better to learn how we can improve. One step at a time, one hospital at a time, we can do better.

3. False positives are real

My results were positive for cancer. But several people who responded to my posts shared that they’d had false-positive mammograms: the images looked abnormal, but the biopsy was negative. This is a known limitation of mammography. Callbacks for more testing cause real anxiety and distress, and women who’ve had a false positive are less likely to return for their next screening.

I understand being wary of a test after a false reading. But those images are valuable. They give radiologists a baseline to compare against, which helps them spot real changes and makes future readings more accurate.

What about radiation?

When I discuss screening mammograms in my office, some patients worry about radiation exposure. A modeling study that helped inform the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found that the benefit of annual screening starting at age 40 outweighed the risk of radiation-induced cancer death by about 60 to 1.

In that study, annual screening of 100,000 women ages 40 to 74 was estimated to cause 125 breast cancers and 16 breast cancer deaths from radiation. Over the same period, early detection prevented 968 breast cancer deaths.

The bottom line

My mammogram found a cancer I couldn’t feel, and I had no real risk factors. Because it was caught early, I was treated with surgery and a small amount of radiation. I had choices I might not have had with a later-stage cancer.

New technologies are being studied as alternatives to mammography, and I hope they will be more comfortable and even safer. But for now, mammograms are what we have. And for that, I am thankful.

Schedule your mammogram. Then tell a friend to schedule hers.

Sources

•  American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2026

•  Miglioretti DL, et al. Radiation-induced breast cancer incidence and mortality from digital mammography screening: a modeling study. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2016.