Breast x-rays, better known as mammograms, are typically used to detect breast cancer. But the pictures also show whether arteries in the breast have calcified.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Women who show up for mammograms are gauging their risk of breast cancer, and it turns out they have an opportunity to gauge their risk of another disease. Jackie Fortier with our partner KFF Health News has the story.
JACKIE FORTIER, BYLINE: Breast X-rays, better known as mammograms, are typically used to detect breast cancer, but the pictures also show whether arteries in the breast have calcified.
HEATHER JOHNSON: It looks like a thickened white line.
FORTIER: That’s Dr. Heather Johnson. She’s a preventive cardiologist in Boca Raton, Florida. She says those thick white lines are sometimes associated with heart disease risk and are unrelated to breast cancer. They’ve been visible on mammograms for decades, but the information hasn’t typically been shared with patients. Johnson says women want to know.
JOHNSON: They want to be aware and also be able to have the next steps available to address it.
FORTIER: At Dr. Johnson’s practice, looking for calcifications in the arteries of the breast is part of a routine mammogram and doesn’t cost extra. But some mammography practices are charging – sometimes over $100 – to have artificial intelligence algorithms look for those calcifications. Often, this extra cost isn’t covered by insurance, says Dr. Sadiya Khan. She’s a preventive cardiologist in Chicago.
SADIYA KHAN: It should raise a flag. Why isn’t a health insurance company paying for it? Probably because the evidence isn’t strong enough to suggest that they should be paying for it.
FORTIER: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States. But Khan says looking for calcifications in breast arteries is not a proven screening tool.
KHAN: Just because you have breast artery calcification does not mean you have calcification in your heart arteries or have heart disease, and vice versa. So the false reassurance is also a potential concern.
FORTIER: How can you tell if you’re at risk of heart disease? You can fill out an online risk calculator with your doctor. There’s one on the American Heart Association’s website. It takes into account your blood pressure, cholesterol and weight, among other health indicators. These are proven metrics that can point to a risk of heart disease, and it’s free.
I’m Jackie Fortier in Los Angeles.
INSKEEP: Jackie with KFF Health News. Michelle Andrews also contributed.
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