Discussion Board

I am in my 70's and have not had a mammogram since I was 50 when I had one. I do go for breast exam by my gyn every 6months as I fail to exam myself. Gyn said latest mammogram machines are safe and I should have a mammogram. I know Dr McD does not recommend them but just wondering what the females on this board think? Thanks
anneh

I am 57 and never have mammograms. I did have one when I was around 30 years old, because my GP felt something suspicious when performing a physical. But, since doing much research since then, I have never had another one.

Just as an aside, a friend of mine had her annual mammogram last September and it did not detect any cancer. A few months later, she was experiencing unusual sensations on the outside area of one breast. Finally, she went to her GP who ordered a cat scan...it detected breast cancer which had already spread to her lymph nodes. After further testing, it was determined that her cancer is not the fast growing type, so why didn't the mammogram discover it? If she hadn't listened to her body and gone to her GP about the unusual sensations she was feeling, her cancer could have eventually progressed much more and her prognosis wouldn't have been as positive.

I do not get them any more. I don't recall when I had my last one. But it's been years.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer (via sonogram) the day my mammogram came back as "normal". That was 4 years ago, and I won't have another one! Wish I hadn't had that one, except for the fact that it was the health scare that finally convinced me to remove the added oils and high-fat plant foods from an otherwise healthy diet.