Extremely sad story

Lexylulu

My daughter who is 36 years old called me today about a friend of hers the same age. She took herself to the emergency room with stomach pains. Come to find out she had stage 4 breast cancer which had spread to many organs and her spine. She had never had a mammogram because she was under 40. She passed away yesterday leaving 3 young daughters. I'm beside myself with sorrow.  Since my diagnosis my daughter gets mammograms every year.  This over 40 thing has to stop!

Maureen1

How very sad...it's just heartbreaking...I hate this disease, my deepest sympathies to you and your daughter on the loss of such a young friend...I wish we could protect our daughters and cure this beast!

Italychick

I agree. I am pushing my 37 uear old daughter to get an MRI, she has dense breasts. She got a mammogram but I told her that isn't enough. If insurance won't pay I will. She had a fibroadenoma removed when she was around 32, and I told her she has to be diligent, particularly since my diagnosis. I wonder how many women we lose early because the cancer isn't found soon enough.

614

How awful.  I am so sorry for your daughter and for her friend and friend's family.

Tresjoli2

I am proof positive that preventative screens work. I shudder to think what would have happened to me if I hadn't gone the week after I turned 40 for my "baseline". What if I had waited six months. Ithink 40 is pushing it and I scream when I hear 50.

edwards750

OMG what a sad story. The scary thing is new government regulations coming down next year will impact all of us. One in particular won't pay for yearly mammos. The government will bedeciding who is worth saving. Outrageous.

My sister and I both have BC. We are in our 60s. Our mother had BC when she was 68. We were and are diligent about mammos. More and more younger women are being DX with BC. This could have been treated. Prayers for that family. I can't imagine their pain.

Diane

ballet12

Hi Edwards, do you have a link to this information. Does this apply to Medicare only, or private insurance?

Thanks

luvmygoats

Lexy - I'm so sorry for the pain caused by this nasty disease to all of us. Your daughter's friend I just cannot imagine the pain.

Most insurances will follow what Medicare does. This is the link Edwards has previously posted with an additional article from the Washington Post. This is very similar to the increased spacing on negative Paps.

http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/...

edwards750

Thanks luv.

Diane

Trini213674

Very sad story... My sister (38), passed away with breast cancer last December and I was diagnosed in March of this year. She was my only sibling. I grieve for her more than I am concerned with my own cancer sometimes. My sister's daughter is 12 years and now lives with me. I worry about her getting breast cancer. We can't wait until she is 40 for her to get tested! I feel very deeply for those three little girls who just lost their mother, I have first hand experience with children trying to cope with the loss of their mother. My nephew (17) and his sister are having a really difficult time dealing with their loss. When I see them struggling to cope each day, it adds to my pain. My core focus is trying to help them move on as slowly as it may be, but I also have my cancer to deal with. I don't think people ever get over the death of a loved one, I know we certainly will think of my sister everyday for the rest of our lives. So I am dealing with the loss of my only sibling, two kids who miss their mother everyday and my own cancer!

edwards750

kayb - I will look for the link. One of the ladies on another forum I frequent posted it. We have a BC support group at our church and a radiologist is part of our group. She told us at the meeting earlier this month that new government regulations were going to be imposed in 2016 and we wouldn't be happy about them. She mentioned limiting annual mammograms among other restrictions. It is the government's never ending quest to save money on on health insurance. No public outrage because people don't know about it yet.

Diane

ICanDoThis

The reason that women under 40 don't get mammograms is that the radiation that a healthy women gets from a mammogram is more likely to cause damage to her body than it is to detect a tumor that should be treated. You know, like when your dentist puts a lead apron on you to protect you from radiation when he takes pix of your teeth?
And, they aren't even sure that detecting BC early save ANY lives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/health/study-add...

The young women I know who started mammos early because of family history (yes, they really do that) so rarely find a tumor...

Yes, it is hideously sad that this young woman died. And I want cancer to be gone. Really. I know WAY too many women who have died of this disease. But over- irradiating the population isn't the answer

HLB

I agree. Mammos are not that great for ppl under 40, esp with dense breasts. I had a mammo 41 and found the cancer myself 2-3 months later. MRI would be better but good luck getting those paid for as a yearly screening tool.