Breast scan. No medical advice

stormbreaker

Two friends went, no symptoms both diagnosed with breast cancer within months of each other. One has made a full recovery the other is still fighting:o

I've found two lumps by self examination, the first at 21 and was not treated very well. The second in my 40s and got a mammogram. Thankfully both times turned out to be false alarms.

I wouldn't dream of not going.

Floss

I've lost a great aunt, an aunt and my mother to breast cancer. I have also lost my dad to stomach cancer and a grandparent to pancreatic cancer. I had a benign breast lump removed in 1992 and have had numerous cysts drained since 1998. For the last 10 years following my mums death I had annual mammograms, now have them every 2 years and DH says my boobs should now glow in the dark

Would I ever not go? Nope. The risk of being exposed to too much radiation doesn't concern me (plus I live within 30 miles of Sellafield and 15 miles of a fuel rod plant, and started my working life at a UKAEA research site), the risk of my contracting cancer outweighs that and I attend every screening test that I am offered. If I am diagnosed as a result, it has done it's job. Not attending is in my view foolish and of more risk to your health.

OP if you decide NOT to go, please remember to cancel the appointment.

suki1964

Thank you all for posting

It's not the radiation or even that actual mammogram that is making me think twice about going , it's the possible unessecary treatment

Even the lit they send out says 3 out of 4 who are treated should never have been, that even though they were positive the cancer was never life threatening

That is the scary thing for me

Yes I have lost family, all my aunts have succumbed to breast cancer

My dad and Fil both succumbed to lung cancer. Mother in law died of stomach cancer. Mother is living with bladder cancer.

I will think on for a while more. My appointment isn't for a while yet so I've got a couple of weeks and they will still have time to reissue the appointment

elsien

Have you thought about going to the GP to talk it over a bit more with regards to your individual risk factors?
May have changed, but when I attended a breast screening clinic with a friend some years ago it was a bit like a conveyor belt, with no time really allowed to ask questions other than the most basic "where do I put it" type ones.

Sagz_2

suki1964 wrote: »

Thank you all for posting

It's not the radiation or even that actual mammogram that is making me think twice about going , it's the possible unessecary treatment

Even the lit they send out says 3 out of 4 who are treated should never have been, that even though they were positive the cancer was never life threatening

That is the scary thing for me

But if you have a scan you will not be forced to have treatment IF something is found to be amiss.

Why not have the scan and cross the treatment bridge if you need to?

My first mamogram found "something", but a simple biopsy showed it was a cyst and could be left alone. I will be taking up every invite from our wonderful nhs.

Dill

suki1964 wrote: »

Thank you all for posting

It's not the radiation or even that actual mammogram that is making me think twice about going , it's the possible unessecary treatment

Even the lit they send out says 3 out of 4 who are treated should never have been, that even though they were positive the cancer was never life threatening

That is the scary thing for me

I knew there was a risk of traumatic and unnecessary treatment but I didn't realise it was 3 out of 4.

75% of women subjected to surgery, chemo and radiation therapy (and all the possible side effects) as a result of these mammograms should never have been treated? :eek:

OP have you been tested for the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes? If not it might be worth asking?

Alice_Walker

Dill wrote: »

I knew there was a risk of traumatic and unnecessary treatment but I didn't realise it was 3 out of 4.

75% of women subjected to surgery, chemo and radiation therapy (and all the possible side effects) as a result of these mammograms should never have been treated? :eek:

OP have you been tested for the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes? If not it might be worth asking?

No, that is completely incorrect. The three in four refers to people invited back for further investigation, which will be an examination or scan or biopsy. Out of the 4 in 100 that are invited back, three will not have cancer and hence not require surgery, chemo etc.

GwylimT

Dill wrote: »

I knew there was a risk of traumatic and unnecessary treatment but I didn't realise it was 3 out of 4.

75% of women subjected to surgery, chemo and radiation therapy (and all the possible side effects) as a result of these mammograms should never have been treated? :eek:

OP have you been tested for the BRCA1/BRCA2 genes? If not it might be worth asking?

Something such as a biopsy (small needle into breast tissue) is considered unnecessary treatment if it turns out to be calcium deposits or anything but cancer or a cyst. They do not carry out cancer treatment without thoroughly testing the mass.

A biopsy is carried out on all masses to see exactly what they are, luckily most are harmless, however people not knowing what the words unnecessary treatment actually refer to can be very dangerous.

All though the three out of four refers to call back, just like with a smear sometimes there needs to be another test or a physical examination, it doesn't refer to the number having any form of treatment.

Torry_Quine

Alice_Walker wrote: »

No, that is completely incorrect. The three in four refers to people invited back for further investigation, which will be an examination or scan or biopsy. Out of the 4 in 100 that are invited back, three will not have cancer and hence not require surgery, chemo etc.

That sounds more likely.

Pollycat

GwylimT wrote: »

Something such as a biopsy (small needle into breast tissue) is considered unnecessary treatment if it turns out to be calcium deposits or anything but cancer or a cyst. They do not carry out cancer treatment without thoroughly testing the mass.

A biopsy is carried out on all masses to see exactly what they are, luckily most are harmless, however people not knowing what the words unnecessary treatment actually refer to can be very dangerous.

All though the three out of four refers to call back, just like with a smear sometimes there needs to be another test or a physical examination, it doesn't refer to the number having any form of treatment.

Well, after I had my first mammogram and was called back for a biopsy to be later told it was just calcium deposits, I was bloody pleased that someone had taken the time to invite me for testing and follow it up.
I know what I'll be doing when I'm next invited for a mammogram (or a smear test).