An article about a new study claims mammograms over diagnose breast cancer and that mammograms should be used less frequently. Sorry, I disagree. Women should be checked regularly once they reach a certain age. Better safe than sorry. Also, I imagine it is cheaper to catch and treat early.
My wife has been getting mammograms since she was 35 as her mother had breast cancer. At age 41 a tumor was found. Though very aggressive, the tumor was caught early and she only had a lumpectomy (plus chemo and radiation). If my wife was being checked less frequently, who knows when the cancer would have been found as the tumor was near her rib cage, meaning the lump wouldn't have easily been found until it was much larger. Granted my mother-in-law's prior history statistically put my wife at greater risk (as it will our daughter when she gets older), so she might have been checked anyway, making my argument moot.
However, contrast that with a larger woman in my wife's office who went for her first mammogram at age 40 and discovered cancer all over her breast. She had a mastectomy and is currently undergoing chemo. There was no prior family history and she wasn't showing symptoms. Also, due to her size, it is unlikely she would have found a lump through self examination. Though her cancer is advanced, and doctors say she may have only bought a few more years. those are years she may not have even had without the mammogram finding her cancer. While she may not make it to see her grandchildren, she should at least make it to see her children through childhood. It may only be a short time, but that time will be precious for her younger daughter.
I don't know what my wife's co-worker's medical bills are, but I imagine they are substantially higher than my wife's, which are not that low to start with. As coastal communities in NY and NJ that didn't build sand dunes or sea walls, or buried utility lines due to costs are discovering, it is sometimes better to spend a few extra dollars up front then spend many more dollars after cleaning up the mess. I'm sure my wife would love to look back on spending that week between the initial finding and the follow up exam that confirmed she had an aggressive tumor as a week spent worrying about nothing.
My wife has been getting mammograms since she was 35 as her mother had breast cancer. At age 41 a tumor was found. Though very aggressive, the tumor was caught early and she only had a lumpectomy (plus chemo and radiation). If my wife was being checked less frequently, who knows when the cancer would have been found as the tumor was near her rib cage, meaning the lump wouldn't have easily been found until it was much larger. Granted my mother-in-law's prior history statistically put my wife at greater risk (as it will our daughter when she gets older), so she might have been checked anyway, making my argument moot.
However, contrast that with a larger woman in my wife's office who went for her first mammogram at age 40 and discovered cancer all over her breast. She had a mastectomy and is currently undergoing chemo. There was no prior family history and she wasn't showing symptoms. Also, due to her size, it is unlikely she would have found a lump through self examination. Though her cancer is advanced, and doctors say she may have only bought a few more years. those are years she may not have even had without the mammogram finding her cancer. While she may not make it to see her grandchildren, she should at least make it to see her children through childhood. It may only be a short time, but that time will be precious for her younger daughter.
I don't know what my wife's co-worker's medical bills are, but I imagine they are substantially higher than my wife's, which are not that low to start with. As coastal communities in NY and NJ that didn't build sand dunes or sea walls, or buried utility lines due to costs are discovering, it is sometimes better to spend a few extra dollars up front then spend many more dollars after cleaning up the mess. I'm sure my wife would love to look back on spending that week between the initial finding and the follow up exam that confirmed she had an aggressive tumor as a week spent worrying about nothing.
