Breast Cancer Detection: Get a Mammogram

Breast cancer is scary. One day I hope it will be preventable. But for now, the most important thing a woman can do is to get regular breast exams and after age 40, annual mammograms so if it is present, it can be detected early. The earlier it’s found, the better a woman’s chances for successful treatment.

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray exam of the breasts that can find abnormal changes in breast tissue that cannot be felt during a breast exam. It is used for women who have no breast complaints and for women who have breast symptoms, such as a change in the shape or size of a breast, a lump, nipple discharge, or pain.

Not every breast cancer can be found on a mammogram. One type in particular is called Inflammatory Breast Cancer. There are no lumps or bumps; just an inflamed, warm, swollen breast. IBC requires a biopsy to make the diagnosis. But breast exams and mammograms help find most types of breast cancer.

Protect your breasts. Let your doctor check them and get a mammogram.

Listen to the Mammogram Song and Video to learn more and visit www.DoctorSeibel.com for more information on women’s health and menopause. You can also download the Mammogram Song and other women’s health tunes.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Winn A.

4:24PM PDT on May 6, 2012

Thanks

send a green star

Bob P.

4:27PM PDT on May 5, 2012

thanks

Michele W.

1:52PM PDT on Apr 27, 2012

Women know their own bodies best. Self examination is of great importance.

JosÃ¯Â¿Â½ M.

12:42AM PDT on Apr 24, 2012

Yes! please get a mammogram if you have small problems in your breast is easy to fix it and through the mammograms a doctor can see that small problems

Jane B.

7:36PM PDT on Apr 1, 2012

Fact: There is no safe lower dose of radiation, radiation kills living cells. Radiation in a jet for 10 minutes repeatedly can cause cancer because radiation is "cumulative". You should limit the amount of radiation you get just like you should stay out of the sun as much as
you can. The lower the "power" of the x-ray machine, the more dangerous it is to human tissue. Mammography machines are inherently low powered because they penetrate "soft tissue" which isn't very "thick". When somebody tells you to do something always ask about the side effects and after that, "follow the money". And decide what is best for YOU!

Nimue P.

7:06PM PDT on Apr 1, 2012

I've had mammograms but not sure if I'll have another one. They're now saying that having a mammogram does damage the breasts and can cause cancer, also if cancer cells are present the pressure on the breast can cause the cells to metastasize. There are also false positives and false negatives. I just don't know if something which detects cancer but in some cases causes it, is a good thing. So it might only be a small risk, but who wants to be one of that minority? I'm with Carolyn, check yourselves, ladies!

Gail N.

2:55AM PST on Jan 16, 2012

Mammograms do not cause cancer. The amount of radiation you are exposed to during a mammogram is equal to sun radiation exposure in a jet plane for 10 minutes, very minimal. They find small breast cancers before one can feel them through self exam. No test is perfect, not even an ultrasound but mammograms still find over 80% of all tumors.Thermograms are not approved, nor or they an acceptable standard of care for tumor location, which is why insurance companies won't pay for the test.

Nurse Gail -breast cancer survivor since 2004

KS G.

12:30AM PDT on Oct 8, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Jackie T.

6:40PM PDT on Oct 7, 2011

I heard not long ago that the stats on mammograms is proving that they are an unreliable medical expense. Self breast exams is the best. Too many mammograms are read wrong and like this article said, they don't detect all types anyway. Sure, there are those that have found something, but according the information I was given, they are few and far between. And it states that those that are found were treated the same as someone who found it with a self-exam and had the same outcome. Remember, they have not found a cure yet. They are just detecting it and then they're cutting it out and overdosing the body with chemo and radiation in "hopes" (and I say hope because it doesn't always work) that it doesn't spread. It's a crap shoot no matter what.

Also, as I've said in previous posts, they are nowhere near finding a cure for cancer after billions, yes billions, of dollars have been given to this cause. Get new scientists in there. Somebody is wasting the money. Researchers should be spending more time and effort on the root cause. Right now after these billions of dollars we're just cutting it out and hoping for the best. Cancer doesn't discriminate and you have a 50/50 chance. I'm not meaning to sound cold, but as I get older of course you start losing friends and family members to this disease. Some succeed and some don't. Some were healthy and some weren't. It is just a game of chance. So where have the billions gone???

Susan V.

8:13AM PDT on Oct 7, 2011

Dream on....there will never be a cure as long as mammograms exist! Thermography is the way to go....non evasive and more accurate. The pink washing machines are a farce!