Fear of Mammogram

lola12
lola12 Member Posts: 127
edited March 2016 in Stage I Breast Cancer

Hello All-

I am a stage 1A IDC survivor with my 5th year cancer free approaching on August 1! Tomorrow, I go for my yearly mammogram and I have such anxiety. I do not know if it is the 5 year mark, or just typical scan anxiety. I have read the positive statistics but still fear the new of something bad. I had my yearly MRI 6 months ago and all was great.

I am bringing my sister for her mammogram and I am stressing over hers also. Is this unfounded? I would love to hear from other Stage 1 survivors.

Lola

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Comments

  • april485
    april485 Member Posts: 3,257
    edited July 2015

    I am not stage 1, but what you are feeling is very normal for any scans/mammos etc. and a big anniversary like the
    "5 year survival" that everyone always talks about is just bringing you a bit more anxiety I think. BTW, 5 year survival is something you already have achieved if you think about it! Winking Just know that this is a universal thing with most of us. You are perfectly normal and will likely have a great outcome. Wishing you a good mammo!


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  • ml143333
    ml143333 Member Posts: 658
    edited July 2015

    I think scanxiety is a real thing for many of us.  I hope that your 5 year aniversary will be another NED one!

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  • sandylo
    sandylo Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2016

    hi lola i have just completed my five years had my final mamagram and discharged and put on another five years of tamoxifen and referred back to my go after eleven days of taking it in having breathless spurts don't mind the hot flushes but dizzy head I don't like good luck on your final mamagram I've not had any scans in five years x sandy

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  • etnasgrl
    etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
    edited February 2016

    I think you are totally normal! Shoot, I'm not even out of active treatment yet and I'm already stressed about my mammogram in June! LOL!
    I wish you all the best!!! Here's to a clean mammogram!!! (For you and your sister!)
    ((((Hugs))))

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  • StaceySue2U
    StaceySue2U Member Posts: 281
    edited February 2016

    Even before my breast cancer I had major scanxiety, so bad that it lead to me going 4 years without getting a mammogram. The fear of being told I had cancer was just more than I could deal with. My fear of future mammograms is one of the reasons I've decided to just have bilateral mastectomy! I do not want to deal with the anxiety each time.

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  • bluepearl
    bluepearl Member Posts: 961
    edited February 2016

    Being diagnosed with breast cancer can lead to a form of PTSD....of course we are worried. However, worry doesn't accomplish anything. I worried but still was diagnosed with a second primary in the other breast, very small....and THAT'S WHY MAMMOGRAMS ARE IMPORTANT. If you have cancer, find it early. Keep that in mind. It is either there or it isn't, but if it is, find it early!!!

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  • april485
    april485 Member Posts: 3,257
    edited February 2016

    ThumbsUp

    Well said bluepearl!

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  • Carol1313
    Carol1313 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2016

    I live in the USA , I had stage 1 breast cancer ,had lumpectomy in sept. 2015 ,radiation and am currently taking Letrozole. No chemo . I am at a onco score of 20. My oncologist wants me to have a mammogram March 2016! Is this too soon after surgery ? She said they need a baseline to compare future mamos with. Is this true. sorry ,I do not trust any of my doctors. Im afraid of more radiation.

    Please advise soon. Thank you ,Carol

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited March 2016

    I had the same profile as you, Carole: Sep. 2015 lumpectomy, Nov. radiation and started letrozole New Year’s Eve--and my surgeon & MO say I should have my followup mammo in August (one-year anniv. of the mammo that discovered the ‘focal asymmetry’ eventually diagnosed as IDC)! The last mammo I had was the morning of my surgery, right after getting the radioactive seed implanted--so there’s no “baseline” of my breast without the tumor & its margins removed. However, I had to have a CT as part of the planning for radiation, and the tumor-cavity & its seroma shows up clearly; so I guess that’s my new “baseline.” My MO doesn’t test for tumor markers or order bone or PET scans in non-metastatic patients, so I can’t really say I’m “in remission” or “NED” (since they haven’t yet looked for “evidence of disease”), so I guess “early-term survivor” is probably the most accurate descriptor of my status.

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  • Reader425
    Reader425 Member Posts: 653
    edited March 2016

    I had the new baseline mammogram 6 months after radiation. Radiation changes the tissue so I was also told they needed a new baseline for comparison. So it makes sense to me.

    Good luck!

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  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 3,731
    edited March 2016

    I have three more weeks of radiation and I'm worried about one year mammo in April. There's still the "other" side.

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