Too Many Mammograms

Absolutely! Unfortunately the medical profession will disagree because it is profit driven. And, sadly, we will never know if it would have devolped to a full blown cancer AT ALL!

I have been doing an independant study for the last 20 years. I have asked thousands of BC patients who had a lump "how they discovered their lump." Their response is almost always "they discovered it themselves...." Then I ask if they were receiving mammograms and they usually respond with something like "yes, and i had just had a mammogram three months prior and it didn't catch it!".....

Odd isn't it? And they say they felt a lump the size of a grape and the mammogram three months prior did not catch it???

Then there are a few people who actually say a mammogram discovered their BC... But upon further inquiry they too report that while the mammogram did final analyze and "diagnosis" the BC  they had actually had  felt a lump as well which took them to the doctor. They ultimately confuse the issue of how they discovered their problem.

So bottom line is there has never been a formal study of the "discovery" of a lump and its relationship to getting mammograms. And we know studies cost money and the medical profession doesnt spend money in this way. Its easier for them to keep paying off their mammogram amachines and profiting from this.

I have a bad habit of leaving bottled water in my car and drinking it when I am riding around. I read that this is dangerous to let the plastic heat up an it changes its chemical compound makeup. So if its dangerous to eat or drink out of plastic that is heated up then how about all the microwave meals Ive ate? Im also not so sure that we have more younger people with bc or do we just hav more test to find it earlier? I was grilling some chicken the other day and pulled a thigh out and just stared at it... I have been on several farms an never seen a chicken that would have a thigh this big. Hormone fed meat and milk are also linked to bc. Magnetic fields in the enviroment such as near power lines have also been linked to cancers. I have worked in radiology for the last 15 years. I have definitely received more radiation than I should have. I wore a film badge at my neck to monitor the amount received. The badges are worn at your neck because the most sensitive areas to radiation would be your eyes and thyroid. We also shield ovaries if possible to protect the eggs. A fetus is also super sensitive to radiation. But I have wondered did my breast cancer come from my work? Did I drink too many bottles of hot water? Too many bbq chickens? Or could it be genes?

????  Just think how hot the bottles must get when being trucked from manufacturer to the stores and/or distribution centers.  I think one must decide if plastic bottles are the best way to buy your water.

I was dx with IDC, but had only had one mamm in my life, 5 years prior.  I found the lump myself, in an area that they couldn't get into the mammogram machine (inner-upper quad, near the center of my chest).  Hx of two or three (I can't remember now) lung x-rays about 20 years ago.  No family hx of any kind of cancer - I'm the first.  I'm still baffled...

Ldcald, you are exactly right about it possibly being dangerous. Thats why a doctor has to evaluate the benifits vs the risk. Mamo images dont have near the radiation dose as say a catscan has. However we wouldnt xray someone every day and you have to have an order from the doctor. The newer equipment gives off less dose and also creates a dose report of that exam which is kept in patient file. There are agencies that come in and verify that dose is kept to minimum and that equipment is working correctly. Its also not easy to get a mamo if you are young unless there are symptons present to justify need.

If you have a lump or hx of breast cancer than the benefit of early detection outweighs the risk.

Anyway I just wanted you to know that the dose for a mamo isnt as high as it was 10_15 years ago. Now heres a laugh for you. Mamo didnt catch my tumor. lol

Healing hugs to you all.

I have ilc which grows different then idc. Its like lattice work instead of a round lump. The ultrasound showed something so they could biopsy it and the mri showed it at over 5cm. It turned out to be 3 tumors with the biggest at 2.9 cm. Here is another funny coincidence. I had saline implants placed like fifteen years earlier and the radiologist told me that implant probably saved my life because it blocked it from attaching to my chest wall. Ironic. However the tumor had probably been growing for ten years. Ilc is known to not get picked up on scans but because it only makes up 10% of breast cancer there arent many studies done on how to better detect it. By the time you feel it, its usually big.

Wel melcbee,

You look great so I hope all is well with you! And who wouldv'e guessed, implants saved your life? Makes sense though! lol!

You are right ct is definitely a higher dose than mamo.

Hi Rosy. Im glad your mammo went well. You should just tell the doctor that you are not comfortable doing a mammo more than once a year and see if they will alternate with mri. Just tell him no you are not doinv it but once a year.

Hey Rosy I copied this for you. I Hope it helps.



http://www.imaginis.com/mammography/benefits-and-risks-of-mammography



To put mammography dose into perspective, a woman who receives radiation therapy as a treatment for breast cancer will receive several thousands rads. If a woman had annual screening mammography for fifty years (two x-ray views per breast), beginning at age 40 years and continuing until age 90, she will have received a total of 10 rads to 20 rads per breast over the course of 50 years.

I have no idea on percentages. The idea of twice a year screening is to catch it early if you're high risk.

I've been under careful watch for years due to huge family history. My tiny bc was in a suspicious area of my yearly mammo. My BS said we would not have felt it for about 8 years.



That may not be the usual story, but it is my story and I'm grateful to have caught it early.



I'll never know what caused it. All I can do is keep learning how best to care for myself. One of the reasons I opted for BMX was to avoid further radiation.



Trusting God to help me accomplish my purpose before my time is up...whenever that will be.