Ladies, your boobs
Ladies and allies! There are three things you need to know about your boobs:
I had the opportunity to meet an unsung hero in the world of breast cancer prevention, Brendan Foley, who took the time to school me in one of the dire ways our healthcare system has failed women, and what we can do about it.
1. There is a better way to screen for breast cancer and no one knows about it.
It’s not a breast-squashing mammogram, the industry standard, where your boob is clamped in a vice and then ex-rayed, but a whole breast ultrasound that takes a comprehensive scan of your chesticles.
“Mammograms hurt a ton and can burst implants. An ultrasound doesn’t hurt AT ALL. Further, it’s better at early detection of breast cancer.”
It’s a pleasant experience, made even more enjoyable by a beautiful office that’s more like a spa than a doctor’s office, complete with heated robe and slippers, lovely lighting, and artwork by and for women.
Not only is it more comfortable in every way, this ultrasound can see through dense tissue, something 40% of us have (way more in some groups). Dense breast tissue can mask or cover cancer and raises the risk of developing breast cancer.
This device can work with implants without squashing or popping them, and, bonus, can find ruptures and leaks in implants. The scans create a 3D rendering of your chest, which allows the AI software behind the hardware to track your bits and bobs over time.
The machine plugs into a regular outlet and is mobile, easily traveling to offices or homes. Also, there is no radiation. I think this one deserves repeating— heated bathrobes. Delightful.
2. The reason you don’t know about this superior option is that mammograms get reimbursed by the government, and ultrasounds do not. It’s a politics thing, also known as complete and utter bullshit.
This device gets little to no recognition despite being in 500 hospitals in the United States, because it costs the hospitals money to use and doesn’t make them money, except in a few states where “supplemental imaging” gets reimbursed after a mammogram, (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey).
Plus, no one gets an ultrasound instead of a boob pancake, just access to one after a pancaking. Outside those states, your only option is to pay out of pocket or use FSA/HSA funds for a private scan.
3. Mammograms aren’t covered until you are 40 (it used to be 50), but it should really be 30! It’s not covered younger because cancer at stage 3 or 4 makes hospitals tons of money to treat and so the incentive for early, proactive detection isn’t there.
Full recovery in early detection (stage 1 or 2) is high (90%+), as opposed to stage 3 or 4, which drops to 66% (Komen). Eve’s saying is “Find It Before You Feel It!” and doesn’t require a doctor referral.
I had the privilege of meeting the son of the inventor of this magical ultrasound device, Brendan Foley, at a Femtech event at Trellis Coworking & Events. He shared that he opened a clinic in Cow Hollow to bring this tech to women for $350 for a full scan, 2,000 pictures, and an ai-assisted doctor’s report delivered within 24 hours.
He is passionate about women’s health and raising awareness about this device that is simply heads and shoulders (and breasts!) above the mammogram that we’re all painfully subjected to once we gain permission.
“Our mission goes beyond just offering screenings; it's about empowering women with the knowledge and support they need throughout their breast health journey. By initiating conversations about early detection, screening options, and awareness, we strive to reduce the impact of breast cancer on individuals and families worldwide." Brendan Foley - President and co-founder
What can be done? First, sharing this post can help women and allies understand this healthcare failure and immense opportunity— a groundswell of grassroots support is how anything and everything actually happens in this country. Second, consider get a scan at Eve Wellness, and then sharing a review on Eve’s Google and/or Yelp pages to help get the word out locally.