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Re: BREASTHEALTH: Mammograms

From: anonymous@obgyn.net
Sat, 14 Feb 2009 10:45:38 -0600 (CST)

I share you concerns!! I too had my first Mammogram a year ago at the age of 41. Here in the states the recommended age is now 35 or 40. I ended up having several ultrasounds, a failed attempt at an MRI and after two visits with breast surgeons a surgical lumpectomy. The mass removed thankfully was benign. However, the ordeal I went through has left me fearful of having another mammogram. I am convinced they will always find an abnormality and I will just end up in a never ending cycle of biopsies and fear. There is a chart in my doctors office that says a known risk factor for Breast Cancer is repeated biopsies!! Now I understand that Mammograms are all digital and pick up much more, hence the higher likelyhood for abnormal yet benign findings. The bottom line is I was very unhappy with the 3 month ordeal I went through after last years mammorgram, but I will be a lot more unhappy dead so I will have future mammograms. I just wish our brains would catch up with medical advancement so we can really understand what it is these pictures are showing us and have optimal screening and treatment.

mjak

At Fri, 13 Feb 2009, Margot wrote: >
>I had my first mammogram this year (age 50 - the starting age in
>Australia - an optional Test, of course)
>I had a very unpleasant 48 hours - several mammograms, ultrasound and
>then several biopsies - it was a false positive, no cancer.
>I had to wait 24 hours to get the all clear, so it was an anxious time.
>I have since researched the value of mammograms and have found a lot of
>worrying matters..false positives, the dilemma of ductal carcinoma in
>situ and a new study that found women having regular mammograms are more
>likely to get breast cancer - they suspect from the squeezing of the
>breast tissue.
>I always do my research before agreeing to cancer screening - there are
>risks as well as benefits and it's being offered to a healthy person -
>it has to pass my risk v benefit test.
>At the moment the risks are outweighing the benefits...
>I'm thinking of stopping mammograms and instead seeing a female breast
>cancer physician recommended to me for an annual or bi-annual exam.
>Do any of you have concerns about mammograms and the likelihood of harm
>to your healthy patients? (I understand from a legal point of view you
>probably have to recommend the mammogram, but I also, assume you could
>simply present the information to the patient and allow her to make the
>decision. After all, all cancer screening requires informed consent...)
>Thanks for your time.

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