The idea that a tumor is ‘burst’ from a mammogram machine is a false idea. Breast cancer isn’t a cyst or cystlike in anyway.
While the effects of radiation are serious and limiting exposure to radiation something we should all do, in all regards, there is no evidence that a reasonable amount of mammograms cause an increase in breast cancer. I wouldn’t limit my time on a plane to avoid radiation, but I wouldn’t play with radion because it makes a good toy either.
That being said, I think we likely do get too many mammograms on a whole. I believe age should be a limit at the high end. If you make it to breast cancer free 80 years and you are doing monthly exams, I doubt the need for annual mam’s. Perhaps yearly is more than necessary for younger low risk woman too.
I think overall generalizations of Mammograms = Bad or Reducing Mammograms = Obamacare are both fallicies.
Thank you. I was just about to post something similar.
That being said, I think we likely do get too many mammograms on a whole. I believe age should be a limit at the high end. If you make it to breast cancer free 80 years and you are doing monthly exams, I doubt the need for annual mam’s. Perhaps yearly is more than necessary for younger low risk woman too.
I agree. And I would add that aggressive treatment for breast cancer in a woman 80 years old or older may well kill her more quickly than the actual disease – there comes a point of diminishing returns.
Women under 40 or even 50 probably don’t need a yearly mammogram unless they have a maternal family history of breast cancer or are otherwise in a high risk group. But I will also add that this is always true. My ex-husband’s niece was in her mid 30’s when she was diagnosed. Unfortunately while a mammogram found a small lump, her doctor told her to wait and have another mammogram in a year to “see if it grew”. The tumor did grow and aggressively and by the time she finally went to another doctor, it was too late. After a double mastectomy and chemo, she died a few years later. The mammogram could have saved her life if her first doctor had not taken a “let’s wait and see” attitude.
I think overall generalizations of Mammograms = Bad or Reducing Mammograms = Obamacare are both fallicies.
If I understand correctly, preventative services including mammograms are covered and actually expanded under the “Affordable Care Act”. There was a few years ago a “recommendation” that women under 50 did not statistically benefit from mammograms and that there were too many false positives that led to unnecessary biopsies, but that did and does not mean that women under 50 are not covered for mammography. My insurance plan covers it for women under 50 and will continue to do so under Obama Care….at least for now.