Sign the Petition Against the new Mammography Guidelines

Thank you for taking the time to do this.   

Sheri Attinato-Solly

Debbi Poynter - Cypress, Texas.

 I am 26, will be 27 in March.

I was always told I couldn't get a Mammogram till 30 or older.

In Feb 2008 I was hospitalized with Kidney trouble and a ct scan showed the lower half of my left breast and there was a mass, the doctors at the hospital told me to have it checked out.

My PCP actually listened and referred me to one of The Rose Breast Centers in Hosuton, the end of feb i had a exam, then an ultrasound, and then my first mammogram at the age of 24. I then had biospsies and went back in april 2008 and october 2008.

I changed docs and they referred me to a breast surgeon and in junly 2009 a ultrasound showed one of the original lumps had gone, so i had two, but one was growing. I had a followup 6 month ultrasound yesterday and there are two new small lumps around my largest one that keeps growing, so that totals four lumps now, the larger one has continued to grow, so my surgeon is worried, she has me scheduled for a lumpectomy jan 13th.

They should not change the guidelines because what if there are other young women like me who don't have caring doctors that mention what they saw on scans, and it is too late when they become sick and then they say "oh you have breast cancer and it is bad."

 Big hugs to those who were turned away by your doctors, and I hope good news comes soon.

Barb Canaday

Age 43

Found lump on self-exam; confirmed BC stage IIa (4.6 cm) via mammogram.  Zero family history. 3 young children and an aging mother who depends on me.

If I had waited until I was 50 to have a mammo, I would be dead.  You can bet I've got a clause in my will instructing my executor to sue the pants off any government agency that places restrictions on my care which then costs me my life... 

My hope is that every one of those panelists ends up with BC outside the scope of the guidelines they're foisting off on the public, so they get a first hand view of what death looks like. If only.

I was diagnosed at 38 --before current baseline regulations that are in place now. I'm turning 40 this year (2010), and should've had my baseline mammogram at this age. 

 I'm flabbergasted at the fact that guidelines for a mammogram are possibly going to be moved back to age 50, when so many women 21, 23, 25, --you get the idea are being diagnosed with breast cancer.  I chose not to have children- but these young women are being diagnosed BEFORE getting married and starting their families.  Give us young women the chance to live our lives instead of having some of us say goodbye too soon

I was diagnosed in 2006 at age 36.  My OB/GYN saved me by ordering a simple "baseline" mammo. He didn't feel anything, or even suspect anything.  He wanted to have my baseline mammo for comparison when I turned 40 and began regular mammos.  I was stage 1 (almost stage 2) and triple positive.  I did lumpectomy, TCH chemo, Rads, hysterectomy, oopherectomy, and am now on arimidex.  I turn 40 in 4 days and I KNOW I would have never met this milestone had it not been for my wonderful Dr!  If anything, we should have the recommended age for mammograms LOWERED!  BTW, I was very disappointed to hear that Dr. Susan Love not only agreed with the new guidelines but is very supportive of the new healthcare bill that would do a HUGE disservice to breast cancer patients and survivors.

In this day where women and children are being treated for Breast Cancer as young as 11 in greater numbers, it is imperative that all women should be screened from an early age on.  The first mammogram may not be conclusive and while it is expensive, it is imperative that the entire screening process be sped up.  In my case, my nipple had inverted overnight and the mammo that had been done 2 months earlier showed nothing abnormal.  Twelve weeks later the report and path report showed a stage I with no node involvement after a biopsy.  A double mastectomy was necessary as the MRI my surgeon ordered showed a larger tumor and that the other breast was already showing signs of major problems to come.  My only regret is that I did not go to the breast surgeon faster.  He allowed me one good cry and I have not cried over having cancer to date.  I have shed tears for the rapid growth that changed possibly the outcome.  A tumor does not just grow from a 1.3 to a 2.7 in 9 weeks.  It is what it was and the faster we got it out and started treatment the better.  The day I had my mastectomies, of the 7 patients there for Breast Cancer, 3 were under 18, 1 was 25 and one was 38.  I was 61 and the last patient was 74.  

It is a different world and mammos save more lives than not.  I do not think any woman or man who is suspect of a problem would truly mind having the biopsies and would be very thankful if the report came back accurately.  

The idea that a mammogram should not be given until age 50 is ludicrous.  Obviously, the committee is not reading the daily news that tells of so many being dx under 30 and 40.  I hope it does not effect their daughters, but if it did it would certainly change their feelings.

my digital mammos had been perfect.  If the nipple had not disappeared, I might not be alive.  If the women of my chat room had not been there for me I would not have made it through the rough days and nights.  

A missing nipple, inverted was scluffed off by every dr prior to the biospy, but every article I read said to persevere and get to the bottom of it.  All articles incidated a tumor but most said it was inflammatory bc and in my case it was invasive.  By the time of surgery the tumor looked like a peonie from my nipple to my collar bone.  I love flowers but believe they belong in vases or in the garden, NOT IN MY BREAST. 

Michelle Friedman:  diagnosed at age 41, highly suspicious calcifications found on baseline mammo.  No family history, excellent physical condition, healthy eater, breastfeed three children.  Surgeon said it sat there for years, and I was lucky it was not more aggressive.  I COULD NEVER FEEL A LUMP, even after diagnosis.  If not for mammography, it would've just continued to spread.

Holly Tabor, diagnosed with triple negative stage II on Aug 21, 2009. If annual mammogram had not been required, it would not have been found--the tumor was high and deep, not palpable. The cancerous lymph node was the same--not palpable. Without screening, I would be living on borrowed time, instead of cancer-free, and half finished with chemo! Don't take other women's lives away from them!

I am 34~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hello!~

1997: 1.1 cm lobular invasive tumor found on sonogram; not visible on mammogram;

2009: 2 cm lobular invasive found after undergoing breast lift;, not seen on mammogram taken three weeks prior, not seen on sonogram 6 months prior; not detected on breast MRI immediately prior to mastectomy..

More Screening: More self-exams.  Better detection.  Let us worry about the false positives.

THIS IS OF SUCH GREAT IMPORTANCE....THIS IS NOT A COLD, YOU ARE SAVING LIVES. WHAT PLANET ARE YOU PEOPLE FROM?

I was diagnosed at 43 with Stage III - Triple Negative Cancer 4 postive nodes. 

No family history of any type of cancer.  Although I a lump six weeks before my regular mammogram was scheduled, the mammogram found the cancerous lumps in both my breast and lymph nodes.

Diagnosed after first mammogram- Thank God I had it as early as I did!

Age 58, Diagnosed bilateral DCIS after 8/14/09 routine mammogram showed microcalcifications.  No lump, no symptoms.  Thank God for routine mammogram! 

Susan Swanson - Age 41 at diagnosis with 1st ever mammogram.  No history at all, only had one due to the previous guidelines and watching my momma have them faithfully.  That mammogram allowed my cancer to be found early and saved my life!