A Michigan nonprofit aimed at breast cancer awareness has launched a GoFundMe campaign that will help women with dense breasts afford the extra level of screening needed to properly check for a potential cancer diagnosis.
Operation Breast Density — which helps educate and raise awareness related to a particular problem in mammogram reporting — seeks to provide 100 women at high risk for breast cancer with free Whole Breast Ultrasounds and/or Rapid/Fast MRI screenings. The goal is raising $50,000 by June 30 to start the screenings.
The standard cost for a Whole Breast Ultrasound averages around $300 and a Rapid Breast MRI is approximately $500. Insurance often doesn’t cover this additional level of breast cancer screening.
Dr. Shoshana Hallowell, founder of Operation Breast Density, is a breast cancer survivor who promotes accurate screening and risk assessment for women with dense breast tissue. She says regular mammograms can miss a cancer diagnosis up to 50 percent of the time for women with dense breast tissue, who should receive additional imaging for a complete diagnosis.
Research shows that 45 percent of all women have dense breast tissue and 95 percent of women are unaware if they have dense breast tissue or not.
“It is so important that women understand the risks associated with dense breasts and work with their doctors to make sure they are being screened properly,” Hallowell says. “The cost of necessary imaging should never be a barrier to an accurate cancer assessment. This GoFundMe campaign can help save lives by catching cancer at an earlier and treatable stage.”
To donate to the Self Defense For Women With Dense Breasts campaign, visit www.gofundme.com and type Shoshana Hallowell in the search bar. For more information about Operation Breast Density, see www.operationbreastdensity.org.
