Breast scan. No medical advice

DUKE

I felt a lump so went for a mamo, the scan showed up clear but I had breast cancer. As much as I fear all that t*t clamping, I'd be too scared not to.

Pollycat

alertleaf wrote: »

No need. You can do self checking at home, and if you find anything to panic, then you can consult a doctor.

Just curious - do you really think self-checking your breasts on a regular basis does the same as having a mammogram?

donnac2558

So those who do not believe in going.

Do you go for Smear Tests?

If yes, why one and not the other?

Breast screening quick and painless, usually over in less than 15 minutes.

As the ad for testicular do not die of ignorance

Dill

All health checks are voluntary, and all have pros and cons.

Torry_Quine

Dill wrote: »

All health checks are voluntary, and all have pros and cons.

I don't want health screening to ever be compulsory and people do have the right not to avail themselves of the opportunity. Personally though I can't understand why anyone would not go.

Kim_kim

alertleaf wrote: »

No need. You can do self checking at home, and if you find anything to panic, then you can consult a doctor.

Unfortunately my mum was riddled & had no symptoms & no lump.

teddysmum

alertleaf wrote: »

No need. You can do self checking at home, and if you find anything to panic, then you can consult a doctor.

Sorry,but this is nonsense.


Self checking is a supplement to and not a replacement for the scan. It's an extra precaution because it is possible to develop a cancer (possibly too small to detect by touch) between scans.

helcat26

Go
It was the most efficient NHS clinic I have attended, in a booth, undress top, go through, left right, go back get dressed - under 10mins tops- finding parking was the most irksome bit of it.


It is uncomfortable but not painful, so routine to the scanners it is not embarassing


My questions to you are-
Do you really know what you are looking for when you self check?
Would this not give you peace of mind?
Don't you think we are lucky this is offered in the UK?
Finally if you do not go and circumstances change down the line will you kick yourself?

theoretica

I have been looking at the numbers - it seems about 15,000 cancers are picked up this way each year, and of those 1300 lives are saved, 4000 are people who would have survived anyway and the rest die. What I haven't seen a good analysis of is how much the 10,000 or so women diagnosed with breast cancer after screening who die anyway are helped by it being picked up earlier than otherwise. There are statistics that say if it is picked up early women are more likely to survive for five years after diagnosis, but how much of that is just because counting the five years started earlier? Has anyone seen anything good on this?

Upsidedown_Bear

theoretica wrote: »

I have been looking at the numbers - it seems about 15,000 cancers are picked up this way each year, and of those 1300 lives are saved, 4000 are people who would have survived anyway and the rest die. What I haven't seen a good analysis of is how much the 10,000 or so women diagnosed with breast cancer after screening who die anyway are helped by it being picked up earlier than otherwise. There are statistics that say if it is picked up early women are more likely to survive for five years after diagnosis, but how much of that is just because counting the five years started earlier? Has anyone seen anything good on this?

I'm sure I've seen something about that but can't find it now. Will keep looking.
Did find this which is interesting:
Making sense of screening