Mammogram letter arrived today..... slightly hesitant.

[Tolkienista]

I had my first mammogram Dec 2008, (then every 3 years since) my last mammogram was Dec 2018. I guess the pandemic has put the normal 3 year cycle out of sync. I don't look forward to it, but feel an overwhelming feeling of relief when each time I've had an all clear letter.

The point of my post is that I've just found out that my sister who is 2 years younger has never taken up her invitation to attend. She is fit and healthy just like me, but she said the risks are too high from repeated mammograms.

I'm left wondering who is right? Any thoughts? I'd never forgive myself if in a couple of years time I found something that turned out to be cancerous and I'd not attended a routine mammogram offered to me. I'm fully intending to attend my appointment on June 1st.

What scientific or medical background does your sister have, to weigh up the evidence better than doctors?

I would go if I was you op. I'm a nurse and have had patients who are still here because routine mammograms have picked up cancer in the early stages.

It is "right" that people decide for themselves what risk to take and not take in most areas of life.

You can both be "right" OP, and respect each other's decisions.

I know a few women who have had cancer picked up at an early stage through mammograms - so I wouldn't hesitate about doing so.

National breast screening is offered after the NHS weighed up the pro's and cons. Either you trust the experts, or you listen to your sister.

What are the risks from repeated mammograms? As opposed to the risks of not picking up breast cancer early.

I'm guessing your sister hasn't had three friends die from breast cancer like I have.

Go for your mammogram, you know it’s for the best.

As someone who is recovering from breast cancer, but by the skin of my teeth, I say don't be a fucking idiot just be because your sister is, go for the fucking mammogram.

I'm in the US and women over 40 are offered annual mammograms. I've always attended and last time, I needed to go back for further examination as the mammogram had detected something suspect. Luckily everything turned out fine, but what if it hadn't been benign?

Of course, your sister is entitled to make her own decision, but personally, I'd prefer to catch cancerous cells as early as possible. Like PP's, I know breast cancer survivors and the early it's detected, the better.

There’s some debate more recently about whether mammograms are a benefit, due to the number of women who are picked up in the screening programme and go on to have treatment for things which many not have been life limiting. I don’t think the mammograms themselves are a risk.

What things are they having treatment for @VariationsonaTheme

From the MacMillan website:

“Some breast cancers diagnosed through breast screening may never grow any bigger or spread into surrounding breast tissue. Or they may grow so slowly that they would never have caused any problems.

All women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are offered treatment. This is because it is not possible to tell which cancers do not need treatment. Because of this, some women will have treatment for a cancer that may never have caused any problems. Doctors are trying to find out how to decide which cancers may not need treatment.

It is not clear how many women are treated for a cancer that might never have caused any problems. Current research suggests about 1 in 5 cancers diagnosed through screening (20%) would never have caused a problem.”

From the nhs website:

”Overall, for every 1 woman who has her life saved from breast cancer, about 3 women are diagnosed with a cancer that would never have become life-threatening.”

Is it better to be treated for something that won't kill you than not be treated for something that will?

That’s the decision to be made by each individual. But it’s not as straightforward as saying the screening programme is automatically a good thing

Thanks for all your comments..... they're really interesting to read. Of course I'll go for my mammogram, couldn't live with myself if I cancelled the appointment and found something suspicious in the future. My sister is very much her own person and I must admit I'm surprised by her viewpoint.

Yep, go.
GP here - I have many , many patients doing very well with screen detected treatment. It is possible some may have never needed treatment but if 80% do then that is good enough for me.
I dread waiting for the all clear letter but so worth it.

That’s correct (I’m a GP). The risk from a mammogram itself is minuscule- it’s an x-ray. But we do not know which potential cancers (DCIS) picked up on mammogram would turn into full-blown cancers if not treated, so we end up treating them all. We undoubtedly save some women from dying of breast cancer, but we also put women through the trauma of mastectomy etc that they didn’t actually need.

I see a lot of guilt thrown at women on MN for questioning screening programmes. That is wrong and displays poor understanding of potential harms of screening. Many people who think they have been saved by breast or cervical screening don’t realise that they might never have developed full-blown cancer. Many of them went through cancer treatments unnecessarily. That said, screening programmes do save lives - the problem is that, to save those lives, we also have to treat people who didn’t actually need treatment.

It’s perfectly reasonable to consider whether you want to take the risks of over-diagnosis. You are certainly not a ‘fucking idiot’ for putting thought into the choice. FWIW, I have breast screening, but I respect the right of patients to make a different choice.

Op you are going to get lots of varying answers. Personally I’ve decided not to go for any screening. 1) I feel I’ve loved my life at my age and would rather scarce resources went in someone younger or has dependants. 2) I don’t want to know if I have a life limiting disease. 3) I wouldn’t want any of the current treatment options available.

ooops just seen you decided which way to go!! Good luck and I’m sure it’ll all be fine.

Hi LunaTheCat
Can I ask you or anyone else a breast health question?
I visited my gp about a lump in my arm pit.
Gp looked at my record and it said a "polyp" was found at same spot at last mammogram.
Gp said not to worry unless it grows or changes.
I googled polyp when I got home but couldn't find anything relating to breast/armpit.
Could you tell me what a polyp is?

Screening can cause harm, brief summary from the government:
www.gov.uk/guidance/the-pros-and-cons-of-screening

Thanks for the link, just read through the pages.

Yes I've decided to go, because I went to all the others I was invited to and I don't want to opt out now.

My mums best friend has just been diagnosed with breast cancer which was picked up by her mammogram.
She had absolutely no idea she had breast cancer and the only reason she even has the slightest chance of beating it is because it was picked up when it did.

Please please go for your mammogram.