Sign the Petition Against the new Mammography Guidelines
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Many thanks to BreastCancer.Org for this wonderful, comprehensive, helpful website. When I was first diagnosed with my breast cancer, I scoured the web for treatment recommendations. With your comprehensive information I was armed with the information I needed to request partial breast radiation after my lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. With this information, I was able to avoid excessive radiation, thereby avoiding unnecessary side effects. EARLY DIAGNOSIS WITH DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY caught my breast cancer when it was just the size of a piece of rice. And I still have many lymph nodes left for my immune system. HORRAY
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Diagnosed just before my 50th birthday in 2004. Mother had mastectomy 15 years earlier. If I hadn't had my regular mammograms & did self-breast exams, I don't think I would have been as lucky as it turned out. Had sentinel biopsy done & then lump was removed. Radiation, no chemo. Very, very lucky thanks to all the education & research that has been done since my Mother's diagnosis. We can't shut women off from getting mammograms starting at age 40! It's all about early detection!
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Diagnosed with stage 2B lobular cell carcinoma,ER, nodes clear. Found lump while showering. I was 48 yrs old. If I had waited until age 50, I would not be here as the tumor was an aggresive form of cancer. After 13 yrs. in remission, recently diagnosed with mets to spine, pelvic and ribs with pleural effusion to right lung.
This is govt's way of reducing costs for health care to cover their new initiative. Insurance companies will also cut back based on recent guideline changes. If mammography is not giving good enough results then maybe there are other tests that would give us better results. It appears the medical field always tries the least expensive test before going to the more expensive testing based on insurance company guidelines. In the end it costs more and takes longer to diagnose under the current guidelines. Is this what we call good health care.
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Diagnosed at age 48 with stage IV metastatic breast cancer, when tumors were found in my femur and spine. I had never had a mamogram. There was no history of breast cancer in my family and I thought I was healthy. My cancer is slow growing, so if I had a mamogram, they could have detected my cancer before it spread. I am now turning 53 and fighting for my life. Women need to get tested started at age 40.
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Linda Woods, DX at 55, stage 2, found on mammogram. Was very small, but it was already in one lymph node. It was moderately aggressive. No family history. I could not feel a lump. I have four friends in their 40s who have had breast cancer. One died. I miss you, Elizabeth. You cared for my mother in hospice while you had your breast cancer. You were our angel then, and you are now. Elizabeth had no health insurance. She leaves behind a family of three children. I personally know more cancer victims in their 40s than I do older women. This decision is unconsciounable. Insane.
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Garnet Coulthard
Diagnosed at age 46 by self breast exam and confirmed by mammagram. No family history, no risk factors. If I had waited until age 50, I would have died.
Lamoni Iowa
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A routine mammogram found my breast cancer. I have been getting breast mammograms since I was 40. Because of the early detection and early stage, I had a lumpectomy and radiation and took tamoxifen for 5 years (about 8 months on arimedex, but had severe joint pains). I am a six year survivor. But last year, with my routine mammogram, and after being off tamoxifen for a year, suspicious microcalcifications were found in the same place where the first cancer was found. I knew that I would have to be rechecked and go through a biopsy which I did. The microcalcifications were benign. Waiting two years to get a mammogram would not be acceptable to me, and it is not acceptable to me. Who do these people think they are? I would rather go through what I went through rather than have breast cancer cells grow for a year until I could meet the protocol for a mammogram. Utter nonsense and stupid. And I did admire Dr. Susan Love.
I AM OPPOSED TO THE RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE MAMMOGRAM GUIDELINES!
Whoever thought this up is missing some brain cells and certainly have not heard the words: "You have breast cancer." said to them. These words make you a member of a club that you never wanted to join and you cannot give up your membership. If we, as women, can help women and MEN (they also get breast cancer) not to get breast cancer by opposing the changes in mammography guidelines, sign me up. This is a no brainer.
Also, breastcancer.org helped me when I was first diagnosed. Dr. Marissa C. Weiss is my hero for the work she does. Thanks to breastcancer.org I felt I could get a handle on my disease. You go, Marissa!
Also, I have been a member of breastcancer.org for longer than the date it said I joined. Where my membership is, I don't know; but it will not lapse again.
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I would be considered one of those women who had a biopsy in her 40s that was not breast cancer. What their "studies" probably didn't consider was all the women who had biopsies and didn't have a malignancy but DID have some type of pre-malignancy - in my case atypical ductal hyperplasia. I now know I am at higher risk and can be even more vigilant.
These early changes can only be found with mammograms. Mammograms save lives.
Karen
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Is the insurance industry behind this?
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Breast Cancer is affecting women that are younger all the time. I was diagnosed at 34. While I found the lump myself, I do believe that mammograms beginning at 40 (or earlier) is a must.
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Michelle Seveney, diagnosed two weeks after 35th birthday. Found a lump and Mammogram/ultrasound and biopsy confirmed. Stage I, no lymph nodes, ER+PR+. Had a mastectomy/chemo/reconstruction. No major family history. I do not carry the BC Gene.
If this guideline goes into effect it will be disastrous!!!
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Thank you to Breastcancer.org for starting this petition!
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Bravo! I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at 41 and then stage 4 at 49. No family history and no risk factors! I would not be alive today if my annual mammogram at 41 didn't happen! When it comes to health, aren't we suppose to error on the side of caution. The stress over false positives is nothing compared to cancer. Treatment costs are cheaper when cancer is caught at an early stage. We've regressed. I hope public outcry will change this recommendation.
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Yearly mammo since age40....DX 54 Stage 111C.....Dr exam found lump...3yr survivor!!!!!! What will they tell us next? I strongly disagree with the new guideline.0
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Denise Anderson dx age 42 at annual mammogram. Mamo found 1 lump during lumpectomy another right with it both 1cm. If it were not for mamogram yearly from age 40 I would probably never see 50!
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I was diagnosed with DCIS at age 45 thanks to a mammogram. My surgeon insisted on an MRI to make sure he wasn't missing anything before lumpectomy surgery. The MRI showed a tumor over an inch in diameter that was Stage 2 and had spread to my lymph nodes that had NEVER shown up in a mammogram or physical exam. I had no family history and no risk factors. The surgeon estimated the tumor had been there for 9-10 years, so since age 35-36. I'd be alread be dead if I would have had to wait until I was 50 for a mammogram.
Cindy, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
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Mary diagnosed at age 48 with ILC.
Breast SELF exam discovered a thickening (no lumps persay with ILC).
Mammogram confirmed areas of suspicion which indeed was breast cancer.
I'm thankfull I was diligent in doing my monthly BSE.
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I would think mammograms would be offered to younger woman rather than restricting it to an older population. These new suggestions are totally unacceptable to me.
I was diagnosed with stage 2A Breast Cancer June 2008 with no family history though I do have a family history of Prostate and Colon Cancer. I found the lump myself and am happy for it.
Thanks for the opportunity to sign and post on this petition.
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Bonnie Jones diagnosed at 58 yrs. Lump discovered through a breast self exam. No family history!!!!!!!!!! Oct. 1, 2004. Was just going in for my yearly mammogram.0
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I oppose these guidelines.
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I found my lump at age 40, no family history. I am having a hard time understanding why they would say not to do self exams. It is free and keeps a woman proactive about her breast health. If I would not have caught mine it would be way worse than it is. It can't be much more radiation for a mammo than it would be to have a broken bone x-rayed. I would rather take my chances being exposed to the radiation from a mammo than going through what I have went through the last 5 years.
sherry w
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My Breast Cancer was discovered during a routine mammogram at age 53 in NC. I shared a hospital room with a 26 year old whose BC was stage III when diagnosed due to a lump she found. That was 12 years ago and I'm lucky to be here. I still wonder how Darlene fared and hope she survived and is able to be a wonderful parent to her daughter, who was only 5 years old back then.
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Karen Kimbro diagnosed with IDC age 53. The mammogram I had the year before showed nothing. No family history. Her2 positive, what would have happened if I had waited another year?
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Diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer at 48 years of age by mammography. Per the new guidelines the aggressive triple negative cancer would have surely spread to lymph nodes while it waited until I turned 50 years of age to get my mammogram. I am 100% against the new Mammography Guidelines!
Linda Moore
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I want my daughter to get her first mammogram at as young an age as possible.
Dodie Iaconelli
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Diagnosed this year age 59 with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma, found with breast self exam followed by diagnostic mammagram and core biopsy. Have had annual mammagrams since age 42 that have diagnosed previous fibroidadenomas that have been surgically removed.
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Donna K Pressley
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Melinda B age 57 Breast cancer both breasts, 2/04 bilat mastectomy,2 tumors left breast infiltrating and ductal plus 2 positive sentinal nodes, multifocal DCIS right breast. Triple positive, now with full body lymphedema. Please do not take away any tools that can help save our lives. This is a very long journey we need all the help we can get.
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Diagnosed at age 38, self examination, no family history.
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48 at diag. Mammo detected. DCIS/high grade/ER,PR neg/stage zero. no fam. hist.
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