Not only is breast cancer a nasty word to hear it is a painful condition and frightening, it gets even nastier sounding if your doctor has diagnosed you with the disease. Sadly, although scary, women still choose to avoid initiating a self breast examination on them self. Why do women ignore cancer awareness alerts which point out the vital concerns of catching cancer in its early stage when they know breast cancer can be a fatal condition?
There can only be one reason why decisions of denial that they are cancer free are made and that is because they are too scared that they may actually detect a lump in the process. Is it not best to find a lump the size of pea than that of one which has developed greater in size? Not all breast lumps are cancerous, breast abnormalities should be checked out sooner than later. “Later is a death sentence”. Some women in their seventies said they don’t have much road ahead so why the need for a self breast examination. Hey blue rinse gals it is very important for your grand kids have you stick around longer and what of your happy birthday 100th telegram off the Queen. Breast screening regardless of age saves lives (70 years plus). Dutch research of over 860,000 women voiced breast screening decreased the number of deaths by 30% after the upper age limit was extended. Cancer risks increase with age so they say; medical experts have been at odds over whether the over-70s should be checked. UK plans involve raising the upper age limit for routine screening from 70 to 73 by 2012. The Netherlands extended its programme to cover women up to 75 in 1998.
Researchers are continuously and tirelessly looking for answers, e.g. Is breast cancer a hereditary issue or an actual cancer having a specific associated link? (Like Lung cancer in relation to smoking) Overcome your panic thoughts of resistance in finding a lump and it may well save your life.
If you are afraid of the unknown as to what is involved with breast screening then there is nothing to worry over. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breasts. The NHS in the United Kingdom breast screen women aged between 50 and 70. A mammogram will be requested if you have breast cancer symptoms, such as a lump. What you can expect when a mammogram is performed is having a radiographer present. He/she will help you to position one breast at a time on a small flat plate, with an X-ray plate under it. Another flat plate will be placed over the breast. Once the machine is activated, the breast is slightly compressed between the two. Compression of the breast makes it easier for the doctor to see things more clearly. A Mammogram in the UK consists of two snapshots: one from above and one from the side. This is a precaution method to ascertain that nothing is missed. Research opinion says taking a 2 view mammogram can increase breast screening cancer detection rate by 25% or more. Simple explained means every 100 cancers picked up with single view mammograms doubles that to 125 with the double view.
About 20 years ago, when I was in medical school, I remember reading about the bold experiment our culture was about to undertake to deal with the rising tide of breast cancer. Without having any knowledge as to the cause of this disease, which would allow true breast cancer prevention, it was reasoned that the best alternative to prevention was early detection and treatment. Towards this end, a massive mammogram experiment began.
I paid little attention to this at the time. Breast cancer was not a personal issue for me, and the theory that early detection and treatment was the best option seemed reasonable. In the absence of knowing the cause of a disease, all you can do is hope you don’t get it, and look for early signs to attack the problem before it is too late.
When my wife discovered a lump in her breast, the issue took on a new meaning. She was pregnant at the time, and we were reluctant to go through the radiation of a mammogram. We were also wary of the next steps in the process. Once a suspicious lump is discovered, there will be a biopsy. A biopsy can spread cancer, since tumors grow within a capsule that contains the malignant cells. Piercing the capsule to get a tissue sample with a biopsy, even using only a needle, can spread the cancer cells throughout the breast and the rest of the body. So a biopsy could make things worse. And then there are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, none of which were acceptable to us.
What nagged at us most was the big question of WHY? Why did this lump develop? Without understanding the cause of the problem, how could we effectively cure it or prevent it from happening again?
The medical industry offered no answers to the question of WHY. The cause of breast cancer, they said, has something to do with genetics, and lifestyle, although they admit they cannot explain the cause for over 70% of all breast cancer cases. Without knowing more, they said, all you can do is look for the tumor and treat it as soon as possible. Getting regular mammograms, they insisted, was the best a woman can do.
Of course, you cannot prevent a disease by looking for it. Once you find it, you’ve got it. Early detection means you have cancer. This is not prevention, despite claims made in the propaganda campaign to get women to comply with mammogram guidelines.
Continue reading The Mammogram Scam 1885 words, reading time ~ 7:32 mins
Latisha Dinish faced a diagnosis of fast-growing breast cancer with a big extra worry. She needed treatment, but had no way to pay for it. She was unemployed and uninsured. “It was one horrible mess,” said Dinish, 41, of Detroit.
Friends and a state welfare worker referred her to the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.
Last year, the institute helped 700 women, including Dinish, pay for breast cancer screening and treatment with money raised from Detroit’s annual Race for the Cure walk and run. The money is limited to women whose cancer is found through routine screening at the institute.
For a year, Karmanos has paid the COBRA for Dinish’s health insurance, which covers her chemotherapy and radiation.
A former supervisor for an automotive supply firm, Dinish hopes more programs are made available to out-of-work women like her.
“Breast cancer is an epidemic; women need help,” said Dinish, whose breast cancer spread to 16 lymph nodes under her arm. She tells women to find some way to get a mammogram.
While there’s still no single program that helps all women, more Michigan mammography facilities offer discounts or are holding down prices. An annual mammography guide, produced since 2001 by the Detroit Free Press and the American Cancer Society’s Great Lakes Division, also provides help for women shopping for an affordable mammogram. Help with costs available; many eligible
Can’t afford a mammogram?
Dozens of Michigan mammography facilities are offering discounts to uninsured and underinsured women or holding down prices to help women get their annual test.
“We can’t let women go without just because they can’t afford it,” said Dr. Randy Hicks, co-owner and vice president of Regional Medical Imaging.
The large Flint and northern Oakland County radiology practice offers women who are uninsured or underinsured a $62 conventional film-screen mammogram and a $107 digital mammogram.
Regional Imaging centers began offering the discounted rates earlier this year because of the recession, Hicks said.Elsewhere, centers are holding down costs or barely raising them, despite installing costly new digital mammography equipment, according to an annual survey of 313 Michigan mammography facilities conducted by the Detroit Free Press and the American Cancer Society, Great Lakes Division.
The survey also provides information about waiting times for appointments; policies on acceptance of Medicare patients; wheelchair access, and other issues. (For the full survey, go to freep.com/data.)
Statewide, the median cost of a film-screen, or so-called analog, mammogram is $171, and $325 for a digital test, the survey found.
Prices for a film-screen mammogram are lower than the state median in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and vary widely center to center. Some are as low as $60 for a film-screen test; digital exams can exceed $600, the survey found.
A mammogram is one of the safest ways that is used to check if there is any problem with the breast of a woman. It is actually an x-ray of the breasts, as it involves in using a special and very low dose x-ray machine taking pictures of both breasts.
Effective Method of Preventing Cancer
Mammogram is an effective way of breast cancer prevention, as it is the most reliable procedure to detect early stages of breast cancer. However, there are some limitations of mammogram. Many cancers may not be detected by mammograms. Such breast cancers can be detected by breast self-exam. This article will guide you in getting ready for your mammogram.
What You Should Watch Out For?
Firstly, you should check the place where you are going to have your mammogram, so that you get to know about any special instructions, which you must follow before you arrive there. You should make the appointment for your mammogram for at least one week after the completion of your period. This is because your breast generally hurt less during this time. You should make sure that you tell your mammography facility, if you have ever got any type of breast implants.
Things to Remember Before Visiting Mammogram Facility
It is better that you wear a shirt preferably with shorts, skirt or pants. This helps you to undress from the waist up, thus leaving your pants, skirt or shorts on while you are getting your mammogram. It is highly advised that do not use any sort of deodorant, lotion, powder or lotion on your breasts or under your arms on the day you are having your mammogram.
Using these things may result in shadows on your mammogram, as they contain small aluminium particles. You can use cornstarch in place of talcum powder or deodorant, as it does not interfere with the x-ray image. You should not use any sort skin lotions on your breasts, as it can make them slippery. Hence, it will result in a movement during the process and a blurred image may be produced.
What Actually Happens During the Diagnosis Process?
After reaching the clinic, you should undress up to your waist. Try wearing clothes that can be easily removed and has loose fittings. Do not wear a bra on the day. Do not forget to take a hairbrush, so that you can tidy up at the time of redressing. After undressing, you will be asked to put on the hospital gown, opening to the front. The technician will help you in positioning yourself in front of the mammogram machine while standing. While taking the mammogram, your technician will rest each of your breasts on a metal plate, arranging maximum of the breast tissue between the top compression plate and the bottom plate. Your breasts will then be imaged and compressed for various lateral and vertical images.
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