http://www.care2.com/greenliving/should-i-get-a-mammogram.html
Should I Get a Mammogram?
Q: I am not 40 yet, but should I get a mammogram now since both my mom and her mother had breast cancer (although it was post-menopausal in both cases)?
A: This is a question that I get asked frequently. As you probably know, the general recommendation is for women to have a mammogram every one to two years beginning at the age of 40 and annually after the age of 50. More aggressive screening (beginning at younger ages) is recommended for women who are at higher risk–those who have already had breast cancer or who have a mother or sister who developed breast cancer BEFORE menopause.
There’s not enough scientific evidence to say that for women in your situation earlier mammograms will have a benefit in terms of earlier diagnosis and survival. It is certainly tempting to say that you should go ahead and have the mammogram if it will give you peace of mind, but this would not be good advice either.
Mammograms are a particularly poor imaging tool for finding tumors in young women because both the tumors and breast tissue are dense. If you get a mammogram now, there’s a significant chance that the X-ray will miss any tumor you might have or that it will find something that leads to a biopsy but turns out not to be cancer.
The best advice I can give you is this: See your doctor yearly for a breast exam and be attuned to any changes in your breasts. Most lumps, dimplings, or strange thickenings are found accidentally. Any redness, tingling, pain, or nipple discharge should be discussed with your doctor.
If you cannot shake the fear of the potential of breast cancer and want some type of evaluation, then discuss with your doctor whether you should have a breast MRI which is better at examining the dense breast tissue of younger women. Bear in mind that it is possible that your insurance will not cover the cost.
I am glad to hear that you are concerned about doing the right thing because even in this day and age with so much media attention given to breast cancer, the number of women who don’t follow the recommended guidelines for screening is startling.
Learn more:
All about the breast exam
How to prevent breast cancer
Dr. Brent Ridge is the health expert for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. You can call and ask him a question live every Tuesday at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 112 (1.866.675.6675). You can also follow along as he learns to grow his own food and raise goats on his farm in upstate New York by visiting www.beekman1802.com.
Got a health question for Dr. Brent? E-mail him at drbrent@care2.com.
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Help yourself: In this sort of battles, lots of things can become a weapon to fight the cancer. Do not forget to enjoy the beauties of nature: try to find a few minutes at night to watch the sky, moon and stars. Have a walk, time to time, in a garden and breathe deeply, look around you, as if you were just born and discovering everything, lights, flowers, blue sky, perfumes, colours. Every day, take a few minutes to fill your eyes and soul with beautiful images. Find opportunities to laugh, watch comedies, play with your pet, spend quality time with peaceful friends and family members. Every single minute of pleasure, peace of mind and joy is also part of the treatment. And try to find some extra help with hollistic treatments like homeopathy. Choosing to add a little something in the battle gives a feeling of self-help and more control on what is going on. You can make it, like many others!
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I wish we would hear and read more about the prevention of breast cancer. Why is it AFTER you get it, the Drs. tell you to eat organic, drink bottled water, etc. I don't get it. How about bras? I read they cause breast cancer, too. Is that true?
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I second the caution against Mammography, for all the reasons stated (the radiation, and the breast compression - which injures delicate tissues) Instead, opt for either MRI or even better Thermography, as previously suggested. Thermography is much better able to detect abnormalities in temperature throughout the body, & detect problem areas that cannot be detected as well otherwise.
Also, as to chicken: as long as you avoid the standard farmed chicken, & choose that which is free-range, hormone & antibiotic free you'll be getting a healthier choice. In addition, keep your inflammation levels down. We all have some degree of inflammation, from the tiniest cut to soft tissue injuries, even the types of food you eat, including sugar & caffiene. Inflammation is known to be the major part of pain, arthritus & even cancer. The other key to the dietary piece is look up acid vs alkaline foods, the higher your alkaline intake the better - as cancer cannot survive in an alkaline state.
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Mammography is not a good idea at all. The amount of radiation recieved is over the limit for breast tissue.
I would suggest that you not eat CHICKEN which is the cause of BREAST CANCER. I have read the research on this.
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One issue which is not being addressed is that Western women have much higher incidences of breast cancer. Western women also do not breast feed their children.
I firmly believe, that taking pills to "dry up" lactating breasts right after childbirth, causes the milk to "curdle", remaining in the milk glands to do what??? Grow abnormal cells? Multiple pregnancies, and what do you have?!
Interestingly, a dear friend, mother of four, who had REGULAR, twice a year mammograms went in for a biopsy and was diagnosed with cancer; the "mass" was a "calcium deposit" (main ingredient in milk?) which was malignant. Sadly, she passed away after double mastectomy, chemo & radiation. She was cancer free for a couple of years, then the cancer suddenly reappeared in her kidneys, of all places!
Could the compression during mammography have caused the cells to migrate?! Did repeated exposure to the radiation from mammograms, cause damage? A very strong likelihood.
I do not trust the "Cancer" INDUSTRIES. It's BIG BUSINESS ... go shopping, and look at all the lovely "pink" items for sale ... even KitchenAid has a pink mixer, kitchen utensils, etc., then there's running shoes, commercial items of every description.
Is there an incentive to "find a cure" when so much money can be made "marketing" a cure? I think not!
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It comes as a real surprise to me that no one, especially the doctor, has mentioned THERMOGRAPY (thermal imaging) instead of MAMOGRAMS. It is done simply with a special camera, no crushing or squeezing involved. The camera exposes different colors which is the heat of your body and registers where concerns should be addressed. My sister had 2 surgeons recommend surgery where her scar tissue was growing from a previous cancer surgery. Mamograms could not see behind the scar tissue. Thermography did and it was confirmed that she had nothing to be alarmed at. Mamograms are 80% accurate as opposed to Thermograpy being 98% accurate. Most doctors don't know of this, yet the government has been using this technology for decades. Do a Google search for more information.And please, spread the word!
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A significant factor beyond the risks of mammograms or the effects of nutrition is the connection to chemicals in the environment and common household products.
For current and independent research, with an emphasis on environmental concerns and prevention, a fine source is the Breast Cancer Fund - see their website at: www.breastcancerfund.org
My own organization, Toxics Information Project (TIP) has some info at: www.toxicsinfo.org/healthconnections/umassstudy.htm
and www.toxicsinfo.org/healthconnections/breastcancer.htm
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why is this inappropriate?
A significant factor beyond the risks of mammograms or the effects of nutrition is the connection to chemicals in the environment and common household products.
For current and independent research, with an emphasis on environmental concerns and prevention, a fine source is the Breast Cancer Fund - see their website at: www.breastcancerfund.org
My own organization, Toxics Information Project (TIP) has some info at: www.toxicsinfo.org/healthconnections/umassstudy.htm
and www.toxicsinfo.org/healthconnections/breastcancer.htm
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