- With Mayo Clinic internist
Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.
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Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.
Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.
Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, certified by the American Board of Family Practice, has been practicing medicine at Mayo Clinic since 1995 with special interests in breast diseases and women's health.
She is a consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, and the Breast Diagnostic Clinic. She is an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn.
The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native stresses education and patient-related research and has been active in both areas since joining Mayo Clinic. She is the primary investigator at Mayo Clinic of several clinical trials evaluating new agents for the prevention of breast cancer and identification of biomarkers for early detection of breast cancer. Her other research and clinical interests include managing the health of women who are at increased risk of breast cancer, breast pain and hot flashes, and developing patient education decision-making tools for breast-related concerns. She is director of the Breast Diagnostic Clinic and is a member of the Women's Health Executive Committee. Dr. Pruthi has been newly elected as a member to the board of directors for the American Society of Breast Disease. She has assisted with a variety of articles for MayoClinic.com.
"Having an opportunity to share information with my patients in the way that will help them to understand and be able to make educated decisions about their own health is very important to me," she says.
"The Web has become a major information site for people, and I want them to get the best and accurate information to be able to make informed choices for themselves, their family members and friends."
Cancer (4)
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- Mammogram: Can it find cancer in dense breasts?
- Breast implants: Do they interfere with mammograms?
- see all in Cancer
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Question
Conflicting mammogram results: What should I do?
Before leaving on vacation, I had a digital mammogram that showed a concern in each breast. I went to a clinic at my vacation destination to get a follow-up mammogram. The second film mammogram showed no concern. Should I assume that everything is OK?
Answer
from Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.
The answer to your question isn't straightforward. Most abnormalities found on screening mammograms turn out to be insignificant — in other words, not breast cancer — when additional views are completed. In most cases, it doesn't matter whether a mammogram is digital or film. In your case, what is most important is whether staff members at the second facility reviewed the images from your earlier mammogram. They need to do this to understand what the concern was and to determine which additional views may be needed. If the second facility didn't have these images, it would be best to return to the first facility to complete the original exam. Or you can have the films from the second facility sent to the first facility for review in order to decide if you need additional imaging.
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