Has anyone decided not to go for a routine mammogram?

[hattie43]

I'm curious to know . I have mine next week and will attend but last time was a nightmare as I was recalled and health anxiety went through the roof . Luckily no cancer . I was reading that about 30% of women don't attend Apparently mammograms don't pick up everything and aren't foolproof , but surely they are better than nothing .

@SeulementUneFois yes, i was a bit wtf?

no of course it isn't "guaranteed" it is about 50% likely.

Your article talks about the 5 year survival rate not being the true survival rate, because so many women die later

yes! and!? I take survival for however many years I have

and I Know dozens of other women in the same situation

Me too

Not a fan of mammograms

Definitely not a fan of breast cancer- at least mine was caught early with mammogram

I have one annually and have for many years. I'm a Ff/G cup and sometimes it hurts and sometimes it doesn't. But it's like being squeezed for 5 seconds that's all! Short enough to grit your teeth. I take ibuprofen beforehand and that helps.

Mammograms ’screen’ for all types of cancer. Aggressive and non aggressive. My friend’s cancer was detected by a routine mammogram. She had two malignant tumours in her breast, not detectable by palpating, and cancer detected in her lymph nodes. Absolutely no chance of this being a risk of over treatment, this is not a slow growing cancer that will never harm her. Picked up by screening.

It really concerns me that the aggressive defending of ‘rights’ and focus on the risk of potential over treatment will dissuade anxious women from having tests that actually could be life saving for them. They will latch on to the idea that it’s all a waste of time anyway, to justify their medical anxiety.

It’s all very well breezily stating that you’ll just accept whatever fate has in mind for you. But if you are diagnosed with a cancer that is untreatable and which could have been picked up by screening, it’s a rare person that won’t regret the consequences of their choices.

@Remaker i can only speak for myself - but if I did die of breast cancer/any cancer /heart disease/diabetes/stroke/ any disease/ run over by a bus - I wouldn’t know the cause, as I would be dead.

If you are the type of person to go to the GP and are lucky enough / tenacious enough to get an initial appointment let alone follow ups, then this (screening) probably isn’t even a thread for you. I would guess that type of person has already made up their mind to go if offered an appointment. Fair play to them.

I'm too young for one yet but imagine I will go
My boobs are ridiculous really big and also dense and I worry if I would even notice a lump
I can't squish them to sort of check, it's like squishing a bouncy ball

@Rebel2 big boobs when older, and greyer are perfect for protecting one’s knees when gardening, in your twilight years 🫣🤣

just watch out when you elbow them when attempting to roll over in bed. It’s a rude awakening.

they just don't shrink. I lost 3 stone and went from a 34K to a 32K. So I just made it harder for myself to get bras

@Rebel2 🤣 I found they just sort of sagged and then stretched when I lost weight. So I ended up with a bigger cup size and stretch marks. Although expensive, I found optifit bras were good as they measure size in a different way. Cheaper are the mastectomy bras from m@s, being padded they even out the wrinkles of sag somewhat.
Never mind, they are entertaining to hide things in!

If you were anxious going to one appointment, imagine what you'd be like if you had cancer. Just go, don't be so stupid (and selfish to people who love you). I know a few very close people to me who have died from this

I'm 51 but haven't been called for one .

Occasionally I think I should check why but life gets in the way ,

I found my first mammogram very painful but the second was better. I think it was because I was prepared. My mums breast cancer was found on a routine scan.
Where I live they are trailing 4D mammograms which are meant to be really good.
A mammogram is so incredulous quick. I’ve never had to wait it’s very efficient.

For goodness sake. It is often possible, yes. But it’s more often impossible. And if you fall into the impossible to say bracket you are more likely to be harmed than helped. For you, the gamble was a good one, and I’m very pleased for you (genuinely). For a larger proportion of women it will not be.

These are the facts. Numerous links have been posted and quoted. This is not a “no brainier”decision as said several times on here.

Just popping on here to give a heads up for Liz O'Riordan's video (it's on Instagram) on how to properly check your breasts. She's a breast surgeon who had breast cancer.

I couldn't read this thread and then not comment - I'm due to have breast conserving surgery next week after my yearly mammogram detected my cancer - I don't have a lump of any kind as it's lobular cancer and I'm exceedingly grateful that it's been found - yes scared at having cancer but grateful for the kind compassionate and amazing breast cancer service I consider myself lucky to have received.

I appreciate that there are posters on this thread who due to trauma in their past cannot face attending - I have no idea how this would be to feel having not had any such trauma in my past and I'm genuinely sorry that you have had this experience .

However reading comments from people talking about the invasiveness and pain of mammograms (even posters who have not had a mammogram) and the rudeness of staff etc is just alien in my experience and I am sorry if anyone has encountered rude clinicians etc - however I didn't want anyone reading this thread to be put off going - early detection saves LIVES

Not once during any of the routine mammograms have I experienced any pain or lack of empathy or professionalism from staff - not once during g my call back this year and the ultrasound , further mammogram, MRI , additional ultrasound have I encountered anything but 100% care , speedy appointments, kindness, first rate care - not 1 rude or callous NHS staff member - I am sure that I am not unique in receiving this care - yes I am scared at finding out I have cancer - no lump at all & I feel fine but I have cancer - detected incredibly early on a scan - THANK YOU everyone for the mammogram screening service and the dedicated and caring professionals I have encountered.

Please if you haven't ever had a mammogram and you receive an invite Go - it's a couple of minutes - I hope like for myself it won't be painful , just a bit of discomfort , don't let others put you off - I am incredibly glad I went .

Just want to add my voice to those saying it isn't painful for everyone.

I've had two, I have quite dense breasts and was worried about the pain but it didn't hurt at all, was over very quickly and both times found the mammographer kind and considerate.

I know not everyone has this experience.

I've also watched both parents die of cancer and there is nothing dignified about that at all, with or without treatment.

That's rubbish screening looks for cancer which if it's Tneg is very very aggressive and can go from nothing to grade 4 in months.

There's are not numerous links the NHS leaflet that people can't understand and 4 links which you need to read around and research for context such as the difference between types of cancer.

In which case, screening every three years is just a question of luck/timing. Something that aggressive is going to kill you or be visible way before your next screening.

That's what the poster means.

It's mainly amazing advances in treatment that are saving lives, not a screening programme. That's why many medics now want a personalised screening programme where those at high risk go more often, low risk might not go more than once or twice ever . Can you imagine the pushback though? It was the same with cervical screening campaigns, and prostate screening. The general public are far more invested in screening regardless of outcomes.

Anyway it's also been nice to read the few posters who met kind NHS breast screening staff.

Yes numerous links have been posted, including screenshots of the nhs leaflets. Perhaps write to them if you find their facts hard to understand. I found it clear but then so many posters here seem to think it's a 'no brainer' so I guess it's not clear at all.

The links around overtreatment are interesting to read, and the comments by the person who set up the UK screening programme who now doesn't think it's worthwhile.

It's an interesting and ongoing field of research.

But I guess posters could also just shriek 'troll' and 'screening saves lives' instead of reading, thinking, and analysing.

Personally I'd also like the NHS to stop treating women like small children.

@Manybeards

Nobody is forcing you to go no, you're just belittled, mocked and outright insulted if you don't.

No but that is like 10000 times more painful but seems to put off less people on this thread from trying it despite the stories they hear.

I've posted a lot on here, perhaps I seem anti-screening in general. Ironically I pay for additional earlier colon screens via colonoscopy for example, and used to have cervical smears until the hpv tests came in. I also pay for private healthcare so I can access better cancer treatment than the nhs provides and more quickly if needs be.
Yet it's all screaming on this thread and others where women refuse female screening programmes. Pure sexism, and women are the worst for it imo.
Thinking about my friends experiences of breast screening, one of the most upset was someone with breast implants who was shamed for having had a boob job. It's just unnecessary for women, particularly those in healthcare, to be rude or nasty to other women. And that was to someone who had actually bothered to go for her mammogram!

And there is another example of sexism. Shut up about pain, you've had worse.