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My concern is that the "smashing" of the breast will lead to cancer spreading. I remember a story my mom told me about her mom getting hit by a car (rear ended) and how that seemed to make her colon cancer more aggressive. But this has bee suggested by doctors and nurses as well. There is a book called "what your doctor won't tell you about BC" I also am not thrilled about the radiation. Sure... radiation is not bad if you do it once every 10 years. But this is typically 1x per year. Far too much for my liking.
And if you don't believe me the rate of breast cancer has hardly moved in 20 years. Perhaps that is because there is a built in tests that causes it?
However, because there are far too many apologizers out there, at the moment this is the only option the medical industry has for us.
I understand however there are 4 or 5 promising test on the horizon. One is an optical light test that can be just shined on you and it will show up problems. But it is still being tested. I suspect the sudden movement because (1) the doc's know mammograms are causing cancer and (2) women just like you are getting fed up and not doing it any longer.
I get thermograms. I understand that it will not find early cancers but for me that is the best I can do.
Some in the industry now suggest mammograms every two years instead of every year.
I have asked my doctor for ultrasound (which also has major drawbacks) but she won't approve it without a mammogram.
What is a thermogram? Seems silly a doctor won't do an ultrasound. I really do wonder how much of this is about $$$$$. They get paid for every mammogram from insurance companies now.
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Originally Posted by oldgardener
Maybe you could check into getting MRIs instead of mammograms. I know a woman who does this.
Thank you. I will have to check with my OB/GYN. She just pushes so hard every year for mammograms. It's like she gets paid for them. I don't mind paying for scans of some sort. I'm paying for the ultrasounds after the mammograms anyway.
What is a thermogram? Seems silly a doctor won't do an ultrasound. I really do wonder how much of this is about $$$$$. They get paid for every mammogram from insurance companies now.
Thank you. I will have to check with my OB/GYN. She just pushes so hard every year for mammograms. It's like she gets paid for them. I don't mind paying for scans of some sort. I'm paying for the ultrasounds after the mammograms anyway.
Please let me know what you find out. I was told by my doctor that MRIs are out too without a mammogram. Both Ultrasounds and MRIs are supposedly second wave tests. They will not turn up the early cancers... and thus they are paired with Mammograms -- I have been told they won't do them as a first line.
A thermogram is a device that looks for heat signatures in your breast, the idea being that cancer needs blood to sustain itself and that will show up on the thermogram. No one touches you at all. They just point a camera at you.
The problem is that it won't show up early cancers. The cancer would have to be advanced.
I just had my second mammogram in 2 years and really don't ever want to have one again. It's 3 days later and I'm still in pain and have bruising. Last time I was in pain for a week and the bruises lasted over 2 weeks. Not exactly thrilled with purposely shooting radiation directly into my breasts on purpose either. Crushing my breasts between plates that clamped down can't be good for the tissue and blood vessels either. I have dense breast tissue. The imaging office showed me a chart with 4 categories of density and I have the densest type.
What other options are out there besides mammograms? I have only had 1 family member with breast cancer and 2 mammograms in 6 months didn't catch it. By the time doctors finally listened to her, it had spread to a few ribs, shoulder blade, and lymph nodes.
A recent study has shown, that women whom ARE in control of the "squeezing device" are more likely to squeeze harder than a nurse. This theoretically, gives a better image to scan.
The other result was the anxiety after the procedure is worse than the discomfort from the procedure. IOW, the stress caused by "not knowing" the results causes anxiety.
To the OP~ You don't HAVE to have a mammogram, ever again. But dying from an un diagnosed cancer too late is an awful way to die. Especially, if it was preventable via early detection...
Or, you can have them removed, but that's no guarantee either...especially with a family history of BC.
Please let me know what you find out. I was told by my doctor that MRIs are out too without a mammogram. Both Ultrasounds and MRIs are supposedly second wave tests. They will not turn up the early cancers... and thus they are paired with Mammograms -- I have been told they won't do them as a first line.
Are you sure that's what your doctor said? If so I would look for a new doctor because that just isn't true. MRIs are far more sensitive and better at detecting early, tiny cancers than mammograms are.
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A Dutch study found that screening by MRI detected 79.5% of invasive breast cancer, compared to 33.3% for mammography and 17.9% for clinical breast exam.
A Canadian study concluded that MRIs were more sensitive and more specific in detecting small breast cancers than mammograms, ultrasounds or clinical breast exams.
My second breast cancer was found on an MRI, NOT a mammogram (the first, I found myself). I had had a mammogram six months earlier and it showed nothing.
My sister gets only MRIs because she has small breasts with dense tissue, difficult to mammogram well, and the MRI is more accurate.
I never had a problem with pain from mammograms, and I can't have them now because I had a double mastectomy, but if I had to choose just one, I would go with the MRI every time.
A recent study has shown, that women whom ARE in control of the "squeezing device" are more likely to squeeze harder than a nurse. This theoretically, gives a better image to scan.
The other result was the anxiety after the procedure is worse than the discomfort from the procedure. IOW, the stress caused by "not knowing" the results causes anxiety.
To the OP~ You don't HAVE to have a mammogram, ever again. But dying from an un diagnosed cancer too late is an awful way to die. Especially, if it was preventable via early detection...
Or, you can have them removed, but that's no guarantee either...especially with a family history of BC.
I had a diagnostic mammogram + ultrasound so I got the results immediately. I managed to schedule it during the beginning of my period. I can tell you that it was pretty uncomfortable, particularly on the left side that tends to get tender. Even a couple of days later I kept waking up feeling like someone was stabbing me in the left breast. I don’t have super regular periods and some months I have tenderness and some months I don’t, so there is not any way to time it to avoid pain.
ss20ts, I feel for you & I don't blame you! I really don't know what the alternatives are to regular mammograms, but I'll keep an eye on this thread because we're in 2020 now & you'd think w/ all the scientifically technological advances that they would have invented a much more body-friendly, holistic method to do mammos.
I had my very 1st mammo in Oct 2018, I believe, at age 43. (I also happened to have my 1st pap smear around that same time too.) There's cancer on both sides of my family & 2 or 3 aunts on both sides specifically had breast cancer. I was kind of dreading getting a mammo done, but I knew I had to do it eventually for the 1st time. To me, it honestly wasn't quite as bad as I thought & I'm specifically talking about the squeezing/mashing. And I had no pain or bruising in the following days. But I definitely realize that various people's bodies are more sensitive w/ what hurts is discomforting, etc.
I did request a FEMALE to do the ammo (& pap smear) because I would NOT under any circumstances have been able to do it w/ a man doing either!
I also prefer as many all-natural methods as possible to do things, so I'm not thrilled about radiation either. Plus, I had a few MRIs & chest x-rays since 2017 to 2019.
(BTW, the pap smear wasn't as bad as I thought either. The lady dr was in & out w/ the procedure fast.)
My second breast cancer was found on an MRI, NOT a mammogram (the first, I found myself). I had had a mammogram six months earlier and it showed nothing. .
Yes.. she said there was nothing else but mamograms that would pick up the small calcifications.
She told me they didn't do MRIs for breast cancer unless you got a mammogram.
See, you HAD a mammogram right? I don't want to have the mammogram. And without that... my doctor says they will not do an MRI.
If you have a place that will do an MRI, let me know.
I'm thinking it was that particular technician who was clearly VERY rough. That amount of bruising and pain is not normal.
Be warned that MRI's and ultrasounds are expensive. And probably not covered by your health insurance without a physician documenting why you medically need one. Get a pre-approval IN WRITING or be prepared to shell out $1,000 plus for an MRI.
Do we even want to discuss how much MORE pain you AND your family will have if a cancerous lump goes undiscovered?
Yes.. she said there was nothing else but mammograms that would pick up the small calcifications.
She told me they didn't do MRIs for breast cancer unless you got a mammogram.
See, you HAD a mammogram right? I don't want to have the mammogram. And without that... my doctor says they will not do an MRI.
If you have a place that will do an MRI, let me know.
I think you need a second opinion from another doctor. I wish I could recommend something for you, but I don't know where you live and you need a doctor's order for an MRI.
I had a few mammograms years ago, but I have only had MRIs for the past six years. I can't have mammograms any more because after mastectomy I have no breast tissue to squeeze.
My sister has only had MRIs for cancer screening for about ten years. She never gets mammograms, because her doctor said the MRI is more accurate and sensitive for people with very dense breast tissue.
About the price, I'm about to have another MRI next week (I've gone almost three years without one, and it's time.) We have insurance, but because we haven't met the large deductible I am going in as a cash customer. The cash price is $670. Through insurance, I have been billed as much as $4000.
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