Are Mammograms Really Saving More Lives? with Dr. Jenn Simmons

One in three women will be told their mammogram results require follow-up. Yet despite decades of annual screenings, the same number of women die of breast cancer every year. Something is deeply wrong with how we screen for and think about this disease.

Breast health has become deeply personal for me. Two years ago, I was told my calcifications may have changed and was pushed toward a biopsy, an MRI with contrast, and more mammograms. That experience sent me down a path that completely changed how I approach breast cancer screening, and it led me to Dr. Jenn Simmons.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jenn Simmons, founder of PerfeQTion™ Imaging, for a second conversation that goes even deeper. The American College of Physicians just released a position paper in April 2026 confirming that screening mammograms do not increase survival for any age group. We break down what that means for you, what QT imaging actually is and how it works, and what every woman needs to know about screening smarter, not just earlier.

What I Cover In This Episode

• Mammograms and the Medical Establishment

The American College of Physicians released a position paper in April 2026 confirming that screening mammograms have no proven survival benefit for any age group. Instead of responding with science, mainstream radiology organizations responded with fear. We break down exactly what this landmark paper means for you, why 35% of eligible women are already opting out of mammograms, and what that tells us about where breast cancer screening is headed.

• How QT Imaging Actually Works

QT Imaging was not created to replace mammograms. It was created to solve a real problem: how do you safely and accurately screen women with dense breasts, high-risk mutations, or implants? Dr. Simmons walks through how QT collects 200,000 times more data points than MRI and creates a true 3D image of the breast without radiation, compression, or gadolinium dye. You will also learn why QT is fundamentally different from the standard ultrasound your doctor orders in the office, and what the Mayo Clinic’s first comparative study found when measuring QT directly against MRI.

• The Over-Biopsy Crisis

80% of breast biopsies performed in the U.S. come back benign. QT’s ability to measure a lesion’s doubling time means you no longer have to rush toward biopsy every time a small finding appears. Dr. Simmons explains exactly how she uses this data to monitor and watch, when something actually requires clinical attention, and why the psychological, financial, and physical cost of unnecessary biopsies creates a cycle that is very hard to escape once it starts.

• The Truth About DCIS

Jenn Simmons does not consider DCIS cancer, and she makes a compelling case for why it urgently needs a name change. Autopsy studies show that one in five women have microscopic evidence of breast cancer at death from completely unrelated causes. Women are being pushed toward bilateral mastectomies for findings that would never progress to invasive disease in the vast majority of cases. You will understand why the fear surrounding this diagnosis is doing more harm than the condition itself.

• A Prevention-First Protocol

Real breast health is not about finding cancer earlier. It is about creating conditions in your body where cancer cannot take hold in the first place. Dr. Simmons shares her full prevention protocol, including the tears test, an at-home screening tool that detects biological precursors to breast cancer before anything appears on imaging. You will also learn how metabolic screening and her proprietary risk questionnaire work together to give you a true and complete picture of your personal breast cancer risk.

• Access, Cost, and What Is Coming

With eight centers currently open and 50 expanding across the country, QT Imaging is becoming more accessible every year. We cover what QT costs today, when insurance coverage is realistically on the horizon, and what CPT tracking codes going into effect in January 2027 mean for you. You will also learn how to access Dr. Jenn’s full risk analysis program even if a PerfeQTtion™ Imaging center has not yet opened near you.

About Dr. Jenn Simmons: Dr. Jenn Simmons is an integrative oncologist, author of The Smart Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer, and founder of Real Health MD and PerfeQTion™ Imaging. She spent 17+ years as Philadelphia’s top breast surgeon before her own illness led her to functional medicine. She now helps women at every stage of the breast cancer journey truly heal.

Resources and People Mentioned:

• Season 1, Episode 13: The Smart Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer with Jenn Simmons, MD: 
• Season 1, Episode 41: Healing Through Hardship: My Experience with Toxic Mold Exposure, PTSD, and a Cancer Scare
• Season 2, Episode 1: Love, Loss, and Faith: How Grief, a Cancer Scare, and Spiritual Journey Transformed My Life
• Prenuvo full-body MRI (no contrast). Use this link for $300 off.
• My Instagram video on alternatives to mammograms.
• PerfeQTion™ Imaging 
• The Smart Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer by Dr. Jenn Simmons
• Keeping Abreast Podcast by Dr. Jenn Simmons

Connect with Dr. Myers:

• Website: https://www.dramymyers.com/
• Dr. Myers’ Inner Circle: https://www.drmyersinnercircle.com/founding-member
• Newsletter: https://www.amymyersmd.com/pages/newsletter
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dramymyers
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dramymyers

Connect with Dr. Jenn Simmons: 

• Website: https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjennsimmons
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DrJennSimmons

Episode Timestamps

• 00:00 Mammogram Survival Debate
• 00:41 PerfeQTion Origin Story
• 02:02 Show Intro and Guest Welcome
• 04:33 Why Women Opt Out
• 07:40 Mainstream Guidelines Shift
• 10:00 MRI Limits and Gadolinium
• 12:08 NIH Inventor Breakthrough
• 14:40 What PerfeQTion Actually Is
• 16:44 3D Data and Doubling Time
• 19:49 Avoiding Unnecessary Biopsies
• 22:06 Overdiagnosis and Wisdom Trial
• 26:15 Prevention Beyond Imaging
• 29:13 Double Standards and Fear
• 37:15 Rethinking DCIS Label
• 37:58 DCIS Fear And Overtreatment
• 38:59 Rising Early Onset Cancers
• 40:53 Immune Disruption And Turbo Cancers
• 42:10 Politics And Medical Blind Spots
• 46:02 PerfeQTion Imaging Versus MRI
• 48:10 Biopsy Cascade And Titanium Clips
• 50:05 Autoimmune Spectrum And Implants
• 55:09 Screening Plan Self Exams And Tears
• 59:40 Thermography And Center Rollout
• 01:04:02 Insurance Codes And Advocacy
• 01:05:47 Where To Find Dr Jenn Simmons
• 01:07:32 Three Health Habits And Wrap Up