Unprofessional?

**professor~yaffle**

nell36 wrote: »

Would just like to comment in relation to the person who chooses not to attend a routine mammogram unless she is symptomatic. Please, please reconsider. I was diagnosed at the age of 42 with a Grade 3 advanced breast cancer last year. I was too young for routine mammograms and it was only because I had shooting pain in breast for a week that I initially went to the GP. Couldn't feel lump, GP couldn't feel lump, Registrar in breast clinic could feel a lump but I insisted on a mammogram. Within minutes of having that my life changed significantly. Ultra sound and mammogram showed a tumour of 2.6 cm that positioned in the breast so I could not feel it and cancer cells had spread to 7 of my lymph nodes. Apart from one week of breast pain (which I have been told umpteen times by health professionals is unusual - in fact its not!) I was not symptomatic and had I been of an age to have routine mammogram then it potentially would have been picked up at a much much earlier stage. I appreciate what you say about the potential risk of mammogram, but I understand the research suggests that the benefits outweigh the risks and I can honestly say no one wants to go through all the treatment I have been through in the last year and continue to go through to keep me alive.

This is a very emotive post, written, I suspect, with the intention of scaring people. Naturally I am very sorry to hear about your illness, but routine screening of asymptomatic women is only offered to patients over 50 for very valid clinical reasons. (too much risk of false positives, and women having traumatic treatment they do not need). And even then it's not without its problems.

Obviously there are going to be rare exceptions. We had a lady on here who was diagnosed with a very nasty breast tumour aged only 40. However, as a general rule, routinely screening younger women is NOT a good idea, which is why they don't do it.

A similar thing occurred when that young girl died of cervical cancer recently and people (who, with respect, know very little about the subject) started stamping their feet and demanding that all young women aged 16+ have smears, which of course is nonsensical. You cannot make clinical decisions based on knee-jerk reactions to one-off cases.

Most importantly I would also like to say no-one should be getting health advice from a bunch of anonymous strangers on an internet forum! If anyone's in doubt, consult with a professional.

zaksmum

**professor~yaffle** wrote: »

This is a very emotive post, written, I suspect, with the intention of scaring people. Naturally I am very sorry to hear about your illness, but routine screening of asymptomatic women is only offered to patients over 50 for very valid clinical reasons. (too much risk of false positives, and women having traumatic treatment they do not need). And even then it's not without its problems.

Obviously there are going to be rare exceptions. We had a lady on here who was diagnosed with a very nasty breast tumour aged only 40. However, as a general rule, routinely screening younger women is NOT a good idea, which is why they don't do it.

A similar thing occurred when that young girl died of cervical cancer recently and people (who, with respect, know very little about the subject) started stamping their feet and demanding that all young women aged 16+ have smears, which of course is nonsensical. You cannot make clinical decisions based on knee-jerk reactions to one-off cases.

Most importantly I would also like to say no-one should be getting health advice from a bunch of anonymous strangers on an internet forum! If anyone's in doubt, consult with a professional.

I'm sure it wasn't written with the intention of scaring people!

The lady has gone through a very bad time health wise (and still is)
and is in fact urging us to attend our routine mammograms.