What do all ladies dread? Getting their boob squished by a cold steel plate and being told to HOLD STILL. Yep, that is right….mammograms are not pleasant but are they necessary? I debate this question every working day in my practice.
I do believe it is YOUR choice to do it or not but what do I tell patients who ask my opinion? I say this…”since the invention of mammogram, breast cancer detection has improved drastically. Cancer is caught earlier and treated and then women are CURED and SURVIVE. The new digital technology exposes you to far less radiation than the old mammogram machines so maybe they are safer. No one knows for sure if the squishing/procedure causes any harm or not. I do tell patients to get a baseline mammogram at 45 years of age…then if you decide to do yearly or every other year that is up to you!
Our local hospital will NOT do an ultrasound on a suspicious lump unless you have a mammogram first….sucks but it’s true. I can’t tell you how many times I have sent someone to check out a suspicious area and they end up with a $650 bill and a “come back in 6 months” note…Ridiculous if you ask me.
I have offered thermograms in my office as well. A doctor comes in twice per year and does them for my patients that chose this diagnostic method. The thermograms are very cool and I think someday will be the standard for cancer detection. NO radiation, no squishing, no invasiveness at all….Thermograms detect heat in the body tissue – cancer and other problems usually emit more heat than normal body cells. Insurance does NOT cover thermograms yet but may in the future.
I hope I haven’t confused you more….the bottom line is mammograms are your choice! If you have any increased risk for cancer (family history, personal history, drink/smoke, fibrocystic breasts, etc..) you should have a baseline young and proceed yearly. Self breast exams and your physician are the first line of detection and mammograms/ultrasounds/thermograms are the next line. Good luck and I hope your boobies are healthy!
rgds
dr.gb