Is a mammogram a good idea?

I just went in for an annual exam, and my doc said annual mammograms are recommended for women age 35 and up. I'm 36. I'm still in the states, this is covered completely by insurance. She was not suggesting that I needed the test based on any family history or an abnormal finding of any kind.

I looked into online, though, and have seen some things about possible bad effects of the test, and have also seen that it's not really needed in women until they are in their 40s or 50s. Any thoughts?

Groovy,

Just to add my 2 cents and in no way am I meaning to preach..

I am 41 and a breast cancer survivor. I was 36 when diagnosed and cancer does not run in my family at all. It was a day that changed my life. My cancer was horrifc, the most aggressive form of cancer, fast growing and life threatening and permanently disfiguring.

They are starting to suggest to women that a mammogram is a good idea to have at earlier ages because sadly more young women are getting breast cancer at higher rates. I believe they want to be proactive.

Not to sound cliche but early detection is the very best form of survival and in fact did save my life. Sadly most women arent proactive and dont perform self breast exams every month so as to find our own lumps.

A mammogram is "one of" the best ways to find breast cancer but not the only way. Self breast exams are the very best way to find lumps and being proactive with your health and going to a doctor once a lump is found is the best way to save our own lives.

With that said 20% of all mammograms do NOT find cancer. My mammogram did NOT diagnose my breast cancer. My breast exam did. In fact the mammogram tech told me I was fat and it was fatty tissue, I told her to sod off and I went to my surgeon. A mammogram is not horribly painful at all but to some it does hurt. There are very few side effects and are very rare.

However, with my experiences the last 4 years I would urge you to have a mammogram yearly if you can just as a precaution and to also take your life back into your hands and learn how to do self breast exams.

Remember... Nothing is EVER free here in America with regaurds to the health care system so take it while you can.

Not preaching...All this coming from a compassionate heart who never wants anyone to go through what I had to endure...

Cheers,

Kath

Why wouldnt you want to have one if its recommended by your doctor and covered by insurance?

Katadina, thanks for sharing your story.

Im 39 and have never had a mamogram. I believe once my GP (England) told me they dont do mamograms for women under fifty. FIFTY??

i asked at my surgery as well (i'm only 26 but curious) if there's no family history, they don't do it for anyone under 50.  if there's family history then 40.

MY old GP back in the states gave me one everytime I had a spear. Even when I was 18. But then again my aunt has breast cancer

I have a lot of breast cancer in my family, but still in the US my primary care doc didn't think I needed one before 40.

My ob/gyn in the states said the average is to do your family history, find the person who died from breast cancer (their age) and have your first mammogram 30 years younger than they were.

Example:  My grandmother was 52 when she died from breast cancer so I should have had a base line mammogram at 32.

Some of the guidelines that the NHS sets forward are just stupid.  Pap smears every 3 years?  Teeth cleaning every two years?  That's just ridiculous.

Do what you think is right and having a baseline at a young age is not a bad thing.

~BEG

Some of the guidelines that the NHS sets forward are just stupid.  Pap smears every 3 years?  Teeth cleaning every two years?  That's just ridiculous.

Soooo agree!

I'm only 31, but my ob-gyn told me he'd order a mammogram if i requested it.  Granted, I have a great relationship with my doc, i've been going to him for years and he's very flexible with things.  I'll miss him when we move. 

We have no family history of breast cancer, but loads of other types of cancer.  Does anyone know if other types of cancer can make you pre-disposed to breast cancer or is it only a history of breast cancer that makes you more likely to get it?

have it.

i had my baseline at 25 after finding a lump. turned out to be nothing more than a fibroid cyst, but better safe than sorry.

my gram never had one. two years ago, when she was 85, i found a lump while giving her a bath (she's had a stroke & is paralysed on her right side). we talked her into seeing her doctor about it, and after a mammogram & biopsy, we learned it was malignant (on 24 december--great christmas that was). so, at the age of 85 and partially paralysed, she underwent a lump- and lymphectomy and radiation. been all clear now since the surgery.

but my point is this: if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone. cancer is a nondiscriminatory f*cker.

do those self-exams in the shower--don't be too scared. and fight your doctors for scans if you sense anything--anything--out of the ordinary.

i cannot believe i have to wait another 18 years before i qualify to have a mammogram in the uk. they can bite my pasty white ass if thry think i'm not gonna hound them for one way sooner than that.

argh! i can't find it but less than 2 months ago there was a really helpful website in a healthcare/insurance post.

basically it listed all the "female" cancers- ovarian, breast, etc... and it seperates relatives into 1st (sister,etc.) and 2nd degree (aunt,etc).  it says when you should have additional screening...

anyone else remember this post?

as for the original question- get it done.

Katadina, thanks for sharing your story.

Im 39 and have never had a mamogram. I believe once my GP (England) told me they dont do mamograms for women under fifty. FIFTY??

Pebbles, sad but true for alot of years and I think the UK is changing now to some degree and there are alot more laws regulations coming into play so that may very well change soon Ihope.

MY old GP back in the states gave me one everytime I had a spear. Even when I was 18. But then again my aunt has breast cancer

GOOD! They do tend to be more attentive when a family member has had the cancer.

I have a lot of breast cancer in my family, but still in the US my primary care doc didn't think I needed one before 40.

Chary are you in England now? Because if you are in the US, find another doctor, that dr was is an idiot. Im sorry to offend but with a family history they need to be proactive and if they arent, you arent getting good care and that is not fair to you. If you are in england find a doctor, explain the amount of cancer and do all you can to get a mammogram done. With your family history they should have no problems with it.

Some of the guidelines that the NHS sets forward are just stupid.  Pap smears every 3 years?  Teeth cleaning every two years?  That's just ridiculous.

I have to agree with this statement although with regards to cancer once you have had it or a bad family history of it from all the research I have done they seem to take very good care of you. Sadly though it does seem to be a postal code system where some get better care than others depending on the hospital the live near.

We have no family history of breast cancer, but loads of other types of cancer.  Does anyone know if other types of cancer can make you pre-disposed to breast cancer or is it only a history of breast cancer that makes you more likely to get it?

Tristessa, prostate cancer is the sister cancer if you will to breast cancer. If prostate cancer is in the family you have a higher chance of getting breast cancer. For instance I have a son and a daughter and now that I have had breast cancer my daughter is a higher risk for breast cancer and my son is a higher risk for prostate cancer. So far this is the only link that they have found but I have to wonder if many years from now they will find an ovarian cancer/breast Cancer/prostate cancer link.

i had my baseline at 25 after finding a lump. turned out to be nothing more than a fibroid cyst, but better safe than sorry.

my gram never had one. two years ago, when she was 85, i found a lump while giving her a bath (she's had a stroke & is paralysed on her right side). we talked her into seeing her doctor about it, and after a mammogram & biopsy, we learned it was malignant (on 24 december--great christmas that was). so, at the age of 85 and partially paralysed, she underwent a lump- and lymphectomy and radiation. been all clear now since the surgery.

but my point is this: if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone. cancer is a nondiscriminatory f*cker.

do those self-exams in the shower--don't be too scared. and fight your doctors for scans if you sense anything--anything--out of the ordinary.

i cannot believe i have to wait another 18 years before i qualify to have a mammogram in the uk. they can bite my pasty white ass if thry think i'm not gonna hound them for one way sooner than that.

Niku2
bless your grandma for having to deal with all of that such an older age. It must've been so hard on her am bless you for your fighting spirit because that Spirit will save your life if cancer ever does come. You of cancer in the family now and at an early age he found a cyst. That in itself should be enough for a mammogram yearly for you.

I will end this long e-mail with these last few thoughts. I don't care what country are in if you have cancer in your family and have ever found a cyst in your breast keep battling them and be an advocate for yourself and get a mammogram done.

First and foremost learn how to do breast exams they are not hard once you know your own breasts you will be able to tell if there is something different about them. Do them in the shower, lay down on your bed and before you go to bed lay on your back with your breasts flat and examine them. Make sure you examine under your arms and your collarbone and if you ever have a lump on your neck make sure you address that with the doctor.

My mother-in-law had breast cancer in the UK and was very well taken care of but had a completely different way of treating her. My treatment here in America was very aggressive but my cancer was very aggressive and I was very young. The UK has less documented cases of breast cancer than the US. But currently has a higher fatality rate.

That is going down and they are working really hard with new rules and regulations that the hospitals have to follow to find it earlier and keep people safe.

But I don't care what country you are in, if you don't do breast examinations you are more apt to find it later than sooner than later comes with a whole new set of complications.

But if there is one thing I say with the deepest passion in my heart please hear this. They offered me breast implants and told me I would feel beautiful again and they hoped that that would help alleviate some of the horror. But they never told me that breast implants don't work for every person, they never explained the extreme pain and a horrible health crisises that come with some implant's. Now at 41 I'm more flat-chested than a 10-year-old and although I'm secure in who I am it has been a long hard ride and I would never wish it on anyone.

Jane Plant is an author in the UK per book is entitled "your life in your hands". It's a good read for some her methods may be a bit extreme but her point is clear. We have to be our greatest advocate, we have to care more about ourselves than the medical professionals in any country do. We have toyell b*tch and scream to get what we need,
because it's far better than being a statistic.

And remember cancer doesn't just affect you it affects everyone loves you. My daughter still has panic attacks because my cancer affected her so much.  So do this one little thing and learn how to do self breast examinations. If you ever want to talk PM me. I have contacts in the US and the UK, and I know the good hospitals in both countries.

Thanks for listening,

Kath

I just went in for an annual exam, and my doc said annual mammograms are recommended for women age 35 and up. I'm 36. I'm still in the states, this is covered completely by insurance. She was not suggesting that I needed the test based on any family history or an abnormal finding of any kind.

I looked into online, though, and have seen some things about possible bad effects of the test, and have also seen that it's not really needed in women until they are in their 40s or 50s. Any thoughts?

How would you feel if you didn't get one and you got cancer?  The "possible" bad effects are completely outweighed by the good it can do if it catches cancer in time.

I'd get one.

Some of the guidelines that the NHS sets forward are just stupid.  Pap smears every 3 years?  Teeth cleaning every two years?  That's just ridiculous.

Damn straight.  DF went for his six month checkup soon after I moved here and was back home within 20 minutes - I said, "how on earth did they manage to clean your teeth so fast?!" and he said, "what do you mean, clean my teeth?"   

I've had to schedule three separate appointments (none lasting longer than 20 minutes!) just to get an exam, x-rays, one filling and a cleaning.  I have horrible teeth, though (genetically, I mean - nice and straight from years of orthodontia, but terrible integrity, thanks to my parents), and I've only had two instances of "no cavities" in my LIFE with six-month checkups/cleanings, so I'll be damned if I'm going to wait two years between cleanings here.  My teeth would probably all fall out!

And the bit about the pap smears is shockingly obtuse.  Sure, the NHS saves money that way, but you know what?  I don't care if I have to fly back to Boston or NYC every year and take care of it myself at Planned Parenthood, I'm *not* waiting three years between smears.  My health (and peace of mind) is worth at least that much.

Re: the OP's question - I'm only 26, but I'm already starting to think about mammograms.  Personally, I'm all for them,and I think they should be made available without censure as early as an individual feels they're necessary. My grandmother was a breast cancer survivor and we've got other forms of cancer in our family as well (though thankfully not my parents or sister - at least, not yet  ).  Today is the 12th anniversary of a friend's mother's death from ovarian cancer, discovered much too late, and the father of my best friend from high school and college - a man I've known since I was five years old - is currently coping with a late-stage diagnosis of lung cancer, so the issue of cancer prevention and diagnosis has been on my mind quite a bit, recently....