HOW STUPID IS THIS ???

Irishred

I finished radiation on Sept 30, 2009,  My first mammogram was 12/28/2009,.  So I went in and got the mammogran of ONLY THE BREAST THAT HAD CANCER???????????????/  WHY WOULD YOUR RAD ONC ONLY REQUEST A MAMMOGRAM OF ONE BREAST AND NOT BOTH.  God  I think all doctors are insane.  Please someone tell  me that my doctor is crazy and not me !!!!!!!!!!!!!

MarieKelly

That's how it was done for me too, Irish.  Had the mammogram that got me diagnosed in 2/2004, then had lumpectomy in 3/2004. Six months later, I had a mammogram ONLY on the breast that had cancer. I asked the mammo tech why only that one side and was told that 1) insurance wouldn't pay for another mammo on the healthy breast until 1 full year had passed and 2) you shouldn't subject breast tissue to unnecessary radiation and since there was nothing suspicious in that breast just 6 months prior, there was no need for it. She told me a mammogram would be done bilaterally again the following February and then anually thereafter...and that's what has been done ever since.   I was OK with that - it makes sense to me.

somanywomen

Doesn't make any sense to me....It's all about money....I guess they feel guilty about the almost $2000...a day that they bill for radiation treatments (of course ins. companies usually have them accept a lot less)...but I'm with you....I want both checked when I have re-check....Maybe if we say that we feel something in other breast they will have to do both....It's worth a try!!....I hope somehow I can have MRI or Ultrasound, I can not imagine putting my poor lump breast through another mammo....Good luck......

dlb823

I just had the same thing happen... 6 month follow up ordered, which I'd assumed was for both sides, and when I got there they only did one breast (my Diep reconstructed one), about which there had been a little concern 6 mos. ago.  I was speechless for a few minutes -- it seemed so stupid not to do them both.  But then I decided it was probably good not to get any more radiation than absolutely necessary.   Deanna