Dr. Stacy Smith-Foley

Meet Dr. Stacy Smith-Foley, Medical Advisor to My Density Matters March 12, 2024

Dr. Stacy Smith-Foley, a breast radiologist with nearly two decades of experience, uses her knowledge and multiple platforms to raise awareness about something that had concerned her for years: the cancer risk for women with dense breasts.

“Before we had 3D mammography and supplemental screening with ultrasound, there was always this part of me that felt like we weren’t doing enough,” she said. “Over time, more data became available proving women who have the most dense tissue, have the greatest risk [of developing breast cancer].”

As the director of The Breast Center at Carti cancer treatment center in Little Rock, Arkansas, she ensures patients receive the appropriate supplemental screenings, risk assessments, and genetic testing.

When she found the My Density Matters team as they were just getting started on social media, she realized an ideal match and signed on as a Medical Advisor.

“My Density Matters fully aligns with the work that I’ve been doing for many years, the work that helps educate and empower women to take better care of themselves,” she said.

While her days are generally packed with reading mammograms, MRIs, and ultrasounds; performing procedures like biopsies; and interacting with patients, she takes time at the end of the week for a little fun.

“Some people knit. Some people garden. We make Tik Toks on Friday afternoons,” she said.

Along with her colleague, Dr. Yara Robertson, a breast surgeon, Smith-Foley shares her wisdom on the wildly popular video sharing social media platform under the handle @breastfriends4eva.

Check it out and you’ll find the two doctors dancing, often while wearing hot pink scrubs, and sharing important messages about breast health.

Her video explaining the four different levels of breast density drew more than 26,000 views on two different channels.

“People of all ages are looking to social media to find information. Our goal is for them to find accurate information. And we try to present it in a way that is a little less scary,” she said.

While some patients are fearful when they find out they have dense breast tissue, Smith-Foley tries to ease the worry.

“It’s just the way your body’s made, but it’s something that you need to be aware of so that you can take additional steps if needed, to get the best, most comprehensive, thorough screening,” she stated.

As a regular speaker at the annual meeting of the Radiologic Society of North America and a co-author of several peer-reviewed journal articles, Smith-Foley sees herself as a leader amongst her community of breast radiologists who are not universally embracing supplemental screening.

“We all have to have on-the-job training and continuing education. Technology pushes us and new scientific breakthroughs push us to expand our knowledge base and what we’re offering to our patients,” she said.

Meet other members of the My Density Matters Medical Advisory Board.