Our Breasts Are At Risk - Red Alert

[Toughy]

The same panel that wants to eradicate mammograms in women under 50 also wants to put the brakes on teaching women to do self examination. I think that is ten kinds of lame.

Did you read the link to Susan Love's website that was 10 FAQ? She explains the research that has been done around BSE (breast self exam) and the reason for her stance against BSE. She herself has been involved in a whole bunch of breast cancer research and is a leading authority...and if you care she is a big ole dyke.

I think 'eradicate' doing mammograms on women under 50 is a bit over the top. High risk women will still be able to get screening mammograms with appropriate follow-up for suspicious results.

Again Dr Love explains the research and why it makes no sense to do screening mammograms on low risk women between 40-50 yrs old. It's about the density of breast tissue and the incidence of false positives in low risk women between 40-50 and the follow-up testing required if a radiologists thinks there might be a tumor. Dense breast tissue shows up white on mammogram and so do tumors. Hard to tell the difference. After age 50, women's breast tissue becomes far more fatty and shows up as gray and tumors are white. Much easier to read the mammogram.

This is not some new conspiracy by white men who don't give a shit about women's health. This has been discussed among women's health advocates and clinicians for at least 15 years. A good portion of the research has been done by women clinicians and radiologists.

It's about the risk/benefit analysis. Mammogram is not without risk, particularly if you are talking about yearly mammogram starting at age 40. 10 years of xray exposure that produces false positive results (and the awful I'm scared shitless I have breast cancer when I don't) and really has little benefit in low risk women.

There is some interesting data around how exposure to xray can cause cancer......