Hmmm, I felt like it was important to comment here. I’ve done a lot of research on breast cancer and after my research I sincerely believe that the machines that do mammograms cause about as much cancer as it detects. Early detection sometimes detects nothing but people still go through serious procedures, sometimes up to a masectomy out of fear. Only later to find it wasn’t actually anything.
Because it’s radiation, and not the good kind you get from the sun, it can actually CAUSE some cases of breast cancer. (and yes I know many disagree with me on this point, but getting a healthy amount of unprotected sun exposure can prevent breast cancer. Reams of research on natural vitamin D…as in from the sun not a pill…and breast cancer prevention. More people up north get breast cancer than in the south and more black women get it than white women. It is definitely linked with vitamin D and the sun)
In addition I’m very troubled by the fact that more and more people are being encouraged to get mammograms younger and younger, when all this extra radiation exposure actually raises their risk of developing breast cancer.
As for myself I won’t have a mammogram until age 50. I might not even have them then. I realize I could be putting myself at risk, but I also believe that mammograms can put people at risk and too few people know about the dangers of “early detection.”
Read, research, study all sides, then make an informed decision, but don’t just run off blindly in praise of the cult of breast cancer fear.
“Mammograms increase the risk for developing breast cancer and raise the risk of spreading or metastasizing an existing growth,” says Dr. Charles B. Simone, a former clinical associate in immunology and pharmacology at the National Cancer Institute.” In addition, mammography provides false tumor reports between 5 and 15 percent of the time. False positive results cause women to be re-exposed to additional X rays and create an environment of further stress, even possibly leading to unneeded surgery.”
Thanks for sharing your point of view, Z. 🙂
Yes, do the research, absolutely. Then make an informed decision.
Without delving too far into personal anatomy details, I have chosen to get a mammogram every year since I turned 30 because self-exams alone aren’t going to be particularly conclusive for me. Cancer of just about every form runs rampant on both sides of my family. I’ve seen what it does. It ain’t pretty. I have two kids to take care of. To me the risk of exposing myself to radiation–even running the risk of possibly unnecessary surgery–is worth it.
It’s also why I contribute what I can to breast cancer research, in the hopes of finding less-intrusive and more accurate ways of diagnosis.
If so, schedule your mammogram. Right now.
R.J. Keller 
They are always feeling me up.
Hmmm, I felt like it was important to comment here. I’ve done a lot of research on breast cancer and after my research I sincerely believe that the machines that do mammograms cause about as much cancer as it detects. Early detection sometimes detects nothing but people still go through serious procedures, sometimes up to a masectomy out of fear. Only later to find it wasn’t actually anything.
Because it’s radiation, and not the good kind you get from the sun, it can actually CAUSE some cases of breast cancer. (and yes I know many disagree with me on this point, but getting a healthy amount of unprotected sun exposure can prevent breast cancer. Reams of research on natural vitamin D…as in from the sun not a pill…and breast cancer prevention. More people up north get breast cancer than in the south and more black women get it than white women. It is definitely linked with vitamin D and the sun)
In addition I’m very troubled by the fact that more and more people are being encouraged to get mammograms younger and younger, when all this extra radiation exposure actually raises their risk of developing breast cancer.
As for myself I won’t have a mammogram until age 50. I might not even have them then. I realize I could be putting myself at risk, but I also believe that mammograms can put people at risk and too few people know about the dangers of “early detection.”
Read, research, study all sides, then make an informed decision, but don’t just run off blindly in praise of the cult of breast cancer fear.
“Mammograms increase the risk for developing breast cancer and raise the risk of spreading or metastasizing an existing growth,” says Dr. Charles B. Simone, a former clinical associate in immunology and pharmacology at the National Cancer Institute.” In addition, mammography provides false tumor reports between 5 and 15 percent of the time. False positive results cause women to be re-exposed to additional X rays and create an environment of further stress, even possibly leading to unneeded surgery.”
Thanks for sharing your point of view, Z. 🙂
Yes, do the research, absolutely. Then make an informed decision.
Without delving too far into personal anatomy details, I have chosen to get a mammogram every year since I turned 30 because self-exams alone aren’t going to be particularly conclusive for me. Cancer of just about every form runs rampant on both sides of my family. I’ve seen what it does. It ain’t pretty. I have two kids to take care of. To me the risk of exposing myself to radiation–even running the risk of possibly unnecessary surgery–is worth it.
It’s also why I contribute what I can to breast cancer research, in the hopes of finding less-intrusive and more accurate ways of diagnosis.