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 .

I had one a few years back but won't have any more. Reasons being, they are linked to overdiagnosing and I wouldn't be taking any of the treatment offered if I did have a tumour anyway.

but the mammogram just identifies the need for a biopsy

the biopsy with confirm if you have cancer, and what type

If it is aggressive, and invasive you will die if not treated

If it isn't, you can choose not to be treated, if you would rather take the risk.

But whether a non aggressive breast cancer is going to cause you harm in your life time, is partly a function of how much life time you have left. You might make a different choice in your 80s to what you would have done in your 50s

A mammogram saved my life. I was monumentally stupid and - for various reasons - ended up not having one for three years (I was / am in a high risk category and have had them annually since I turned 40). When it was caught, my life expectancy would have been 2.5 years without treatment. All the way through treatment I berated myself and just felt so stupid. Thankfully, I am now cancer free (touch wood) and looking forward to seeing my grandchildren grow up. Go. Please go.

Someone who has never had the procedure shouldn’t be spouting bollocks about it. That’s my motivation, if it’s alright with you?

You stated categorically that mammograms are not painful. This is true for you but is obviously not true for everyone. There are plenty of women on this thread reporting that it was painful for them. The fact that the poster herself has not had a mammogram doesn’t make you right.

The women on this thread who found mammograms painful are not telling you that you are wrong to find them OK, are they? So why are you belittling them with your “it’s not painful”?

And work has been done to improve the risk calculations for each individual of each and every treatment so fewer women every year are having treatment they do not need. When you have a diagnosis they look at your risk factors and say if you choose to have just surgery your risk of recurrence is....for your cancer treatment options are ....the recurrence stats are....it's your decision no body makes you it's about giving you the information to make an informed choice

Again, where’s your evidence that this actually happens? The leaflet says otherwise.

Researchers are trying to find better ways to tell which women have breast cancers that will be life-threatening and which women have cancers that will not.

I refused when my appointment came through. Ditto smear tests.

I'm 51, had enough, what will be will be.

SOME cancers cant be identified as life threatening or not

Other cancers you just get told - this is aggressive, this WILLL kill you without treatment, and there is no problem identifying its threat to life at all

Having been on the receiving end of the message that the cancer I have is one of the most aggressive types, there was no lack of clarity, or difficulty in identifying it as urgently life threatening.

Other cancers, you might well have something that can sit there quite happily and not trouble you for a decade or two, and you might well have to decide if it is a risk you want to take

There are many many types of breast cancer

It can be very difficult to identify which cancer's will cause issues and which won't.

And it can be very distressing and harmful (not to mention insurance issues) if a cancer is picked up, and you decide no treatment. Psychologically, that's difficult to do. Which is why people have to tell themselves screening saved their lives... Because otherwise, they might have had treatment (with effects) for nothing.

Yes quite. So there’s a risk of unnecessary treatment. That’s my point. Currently you’re more likely to be unnecessarily treated than saved. I don’t like the odds. Your view may vary. Neither of us is wrong.

I'm torn. On the one hand I'd like to know what is going on in my body, on the other hand I've seen treatment for breast and bowel cancer and I just don't think it is worth it. So feel like I'd be wasting NHS resources if I wouldn't be wanting treatment anyway

It CAN be difficult with some cancers -

And it can be very very easy with others

In fact you are more likely to be OFFERED unnecessary treatment than saved as a result if screening.
However without screening you are certainly more likely to die of breast cancer.

You don't understand what I am saying

There is often no lack of clarity about a cancer which is aggressive and life threatening, it is very clear, accept the treatment or die

Treatment pathways and outcomes are hugely individual, in part dependent on early diagnosis. Elderly relative had cancel and full (non surgical) treatment, living for a further 15 years cancer free.

And if you are offered treatment, and you are told - this is non invasive, if we leave it, there is a 50% chance you will die of something else before this harms you... or there is a 50% chance that this will harm you..

then you can choose not to have treatment

My recent experience. After many years of real ostrich behaviour around routine mammograms, encouraged by dh I finally took the plunge and turned up for one. I have quite large boobs and the very thought of them being squished between two plates had made me squirm.

The ladies doing the mammogram were all very pleasant and when I mentioned I was quite nervous, they were very understanding and talked me through each stage. I didn’t feel any pain - slight discomfort at most, and not for very long. Obviously everyone has different thresholds, but I honestly can’t imagine being reduced to tears by the process.

Was pleased it was over and done with, except a few days later I got a phone call for a recall appt. at the hospital in a week’s time. Google assured me that 3/4 recalls are for reasons other than a malignant growth, but when you don’t know, you’re always the fourth, of course.

Hospital staff were again very friendly and understanding, but my more detailed mammogram confirmed there was a lump, so a biopsy was offered. Boob numbed, sample taken, titanium ‘tag’ inserted to show it had been looked at. Literally all within about an hour. No pain, dressing applied. no bleeding. Was fine to shower and was advised to take paracetamol if it was painful when the local anaesthetic wore off - it wasn’t! I could barely see the site when I removed the plaster after 4 days.

Was given a phone appt. for a fortnight’s time. Waiting was the worst bit of the whole process. I was very thankful that I had good news - it was a fibroadenoma needing no further action. During the fortnight, I’d decided that I was a huge fan of breast screening after all, and if it was bad news, I’d rather it was spotted than be silently spreading unnoticed. Please go everyone. I’m a late convert, full of zeal for something I used to be afraid of, but will be happy to do again .

@magicthree Minimising the (very real and excruciating) pain of women you have never met? You must work for the NHS! 😂

No the biopsy tells you which type of breast cancer you have and how aggressive that cancer will be. There are many types of breast cancer ....if you have triple negative and opt to leave it you die very quickly no it's no buts you might get one holiday and save yourself insurance fees of an extra £30 but the funeral cost more. Some cancers are slower growing there was research that said for older women in their 70s and 80s treatment for some cancers was not always the best option because weighing the operation risks and treatment risks against how long it took the cancer to kill you it probably wouldn't extend your life....as some cancers are slow growing....but without biopsy you don't know what you've got.
People get confused by 5 year survival rates that doesn't mean with treatment you've only got 5 years that is just the period they follow to determine success of treatment most of us survive much longer and my risk of recurrence is the same as anyone who hasn't had BC. So why risk killing yourself rather than live to see your grandkids?

@jannier I think you should go and work for the pathology and oncology service if you believe you've found a way to tell 100% the aggression of a cancer.

How to tell me you're not medically/scientifically trained without saying...

As someone who has had breast cancer I find this thread alarming. Some posters with bonkers ideas spreading misinformation and trying to put people off a simple scan that saves lives.
My lump when removed was 7mm. So tiny you couldn't feel it. The oncologist said I had been spectacularly lucky because it was a very aggressive cancer.
Please have your mammogram.

On the subject of men and screening. There is no screening programme for prostate cancer because there isn't a simple, reliable test. It presents very few symptoms until it's too late and that's why the majority of prostate cancer is only diagnosed at stage 4 when it's incurable.

@jannier hasn't said that THEY have found a way to 100% tell the aggression of a cancer, they have just pointed out that is is often quite easily identified, which it is, so why the sarky comments?

@something2say " I would rather die of it than submit to humiliating treatment."

This makes no sense. I lost a relative to cancer and I can assure you it can be a long slow death with lots of humiliation and indignity as you put it. By choosing your path you're definitely not avoiding indignity.

What treatment for BC have you seen? Op was day surgery I took painkillers 3 days back to work following week lifting week after. Chemo round one came home cooked dinner, sick the next morning needed adjustment of anti sick meds as I was allergic to drug one. continued my holiday 3 days later going up London. Round 2 worked on Friday morning came home had a nap no sickness lazy weekend but still went food shopping, itchy scalp ..worked next 3 weeks. Round 3 same but lost enough hair to choose to wear my wig. No hard skin left it had peeled. Round 4 new cocktail no sickness hair started to return pain in legs and numbness in toes. Returned by round 5 repeat, round 6 repeat. Worked through 2 months later rads daily for 4 weeks no tiredness sun burnt boob. Slight skin infection on bra line.

Initially had some damage to vein but physio and acupuncture cured it long term no side effects other than an occasional itch under my boob and 8 years later fit healthy and still working...plus lots of holidays, spas and grandkids. Saw my daughter graduate all things that I would not have been alive for.