Q & A: Does it matter who the radiologist is that reads my mammogram or other breast imaging studies? Why?
- It matters who reads your mammogram. If your study is read by a radiology doctor (radiologist) who practices general radiology or another radiology subspecialty and only reads a few mammograms per week, you are probably not receiving the best care. Yes, the guy is board certified and is licensed by law to read your mammogram. But I am licensed to read all radiology studies as well, even though my specialty is breast imaging. Doesn’t mean I should muddle through interpreting the next brain or shoulder MRI that comes my way. Thinking about it now, I am “qualified” to read Peyton Manning’s next MRI of his neck. Do you believe that anyone in their right mind would let me do this? My point: You and your life are just as important as the talented Mr. Manning’s career. Don’t settle for less than the best.
A well-done study published several years ago proves and quantifies this point. The link to the journal article is here. The researchers found that specialty-trained breast radiologists find significantly more cancers, and at earlier stages, than the general radiologists.
Tags: breast cancer prevention, mammogram, Q&A to Honor Pink October 2012, Specialty Trained Breast Radiologist
