Sign the Petition Against the new Mammography Guidelines
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Kathi Hansen, diagnosed at age 48 after annual screening mammogram. Invasive ductal carcinoma was already stage IIB. By age 50 it could easily have been stage III or IV. Yes, we need a better screening tool, but until we have one, we need to use what we do have!
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At 48 years, detected DCIS at early state.
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I did not find my lump, which actually turned out to be two lumps in one breast -- and both were different cancers....one slow growing, one fast growing. However, this breast had required US tests after yearly mammograms for years until they started testing every 6 months....and then I lost my Ins. Enter the V.A. who took charge, got me a marvelous no nonsense surgeon and saved my life. Having said that.....I was older when all this was found. Biopsy of the other rt. breast was negative. Does anyone have the right to tell that one person in 1,900 that he or she is expendable just because there are so many others being tested and found free of the disease process. I for one certainly could never live with myself if even one person who might have been saved is not. I think the current methods should be left in place.
Jackie I
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Had yearly mammograms since age 40. Diagnosed at age 51 with IDC with positive lymph nodes and DCIS. I would have found the cancer a year later than I did if I followed the recommendations of having a mammogram every 2 years after age 50.
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Age 40 at time of diagnosis. Found on mammogram. Stage I chemo and radiation.
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Linda Larkin - dx at 39 in 2008
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Sharon Shelanski- Dx at age 36 in 1993. Invasive ductal carcinoma, very aggressive tumor. Found on self exam. 0/36 lymphnodes. It was a tender lump before my period and had I not been proactive I would no longer be alive. I have two daughters who were 4 and 6 at diagnoses. I am concerned about them and all other women especially those in their 30's and 40's whose breast cancer would not be diagnosed until they had bone pain or some other manifestation metastatic breast carcinoma if this recommendation were to go into effect. How many young children will be motherless????
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I was 48 y/o when I first Dx with DCIS and recurrence 10 years later.Please don't change the rules
barbara p
astoria new york
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Dx at 53 - worried about the future of my daughters (now in their 20s) since they are at a higher risk for getting BC. I find it outrageous - that due to "lack of evidence" that this task force is willing to allow a 3% increase in deaths due to breast cancer. Since when did doctors become actuarians? It's also noteworthy that this task force waited until AFTER the month of October (breast cancer awareness month). And why are no oncologists part of this task force? No doubt because THEY are TRUE doctors concerned with saving the lives of their breast cancer patients!
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Yep, if I'd not had a routine 'clean' mammogram in 2005, then my next routine mammogram in 2006...which showed an almost 2cm. tumor, which spread to the lymph nodes, I'd not be alive today. I was 47 when diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Est+, Stage II. Had partial mastectomy, after lumpectomy didn't have clean margins. My tumor was against the chest wall, HENCE: WAS NOT PALPABLE....would not have been 'felt' by me or doctors. Was advised if I had NOT gotten that yearly mammogram, the cancer would have metastisized to the lungs, and I'd have died without aggressive chemo/radiation treatments. Still being staged, and have no prognosis to date. The 50-year old and every other year guideline is just wrong. NO CANCER familial history either, so I was NOT a high-risk patient. I will sign the petition, but my doctors have all assured me they will PUSH for mammograms at age 40, younger if familial history (my daughter now). ~juli
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I am 100% against the new guidelines. I did not have what would be considered a family history of breast cancer when I was in my early 40s and diagnosed with multi-centric carcinoma insitu. A mammogram when I was 43 years old showed 6 distinct spots in various areas of the right breast suggestive of breast cancer. The upshot was was a mastectomy removing numerous areas of ductal carcinoma insitu. About ten years after my mastectomy, my family history became evident with invasive ductal carcinoma for my mother and insitu for my mother's only sister.
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I am against the new mammogram guidelines. If they had been followed in my past, I would not be here today. Seems like EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES is no longer an important factor. My story:
Current age: 68 No family history of Cancer.
FIRST BREAST CANCER: Age 45 (Type: Tubular-SIZE OF A PENCIL LEAD - caught by mammogram) Lumpectomy and radiation. Oncologist said "If it had been another 6 months, it would have been a different story.
SECOND BREAST CANCER: Age 68 (Invasive ductal carcinoma 1 cm - caught by a mammogram). Not a reocurrence, different and aggressive. Had biopsy, and then bilateral mastectomy; currently finishing chemo. Reconstruction will be in 2010.Both Cancer's were in left breast.
IF I HAD NOT HAD MY YEARLY MAMMOGRAM, BOTH OF THESE CANCERS WOULD HAVE INVADED MY LYMP NODES AND GONE TO OTHER PARTS OF MY BODY. MY CHANCES FOR SURVIVAL WOULD HAVE BEEN SLIM TO NONE!!!!
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As someone who was misdiagnosed at 38 and diagnosed at 39, this is appalling. I had no family history and have since tested negative for BRCA1 and 2. How can you say older is better. The few false positives are better than women dying because they weren't diagnosed.
DX 08/05
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I was diagnosed with DCIS at age 50, High Nuclear Grade, Comedo Type, 2.5 cm, in two places 1.3 in three places, full mastectomy, breast expander for 18 months with a tissue donor and breast reconstructive surgery. THANK GOD for Mamograms. Over two years of my life....
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Self exam at age 47... discovered 3 cm lump.... if I'd followed the guidelines for NO SELF EXAM..... I don't think I'd be typing this message today....
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This is fundamentally irresponsible - this 'expert' panel has only claimed an actuarial and fiscal highground and sacrified the moral, personal,experiential and scholarly body of evidence which identify countless breast cancers that have been diagnosed long before age 50, thanks to mammography. Count me as one. If this panel's recommendation was adopted at the time I was diagnosed - it would have been at least 7 years before imaging technology could be authorized. I would not be here, today, to type this response or register my deep concern and fundamental outrage that these 'experts' have been given any platform or airtime at all. In essence, this august group of 'experts' has thrown all of us pre-50-year-old diagnosees under the bus. How dare they. An apology and retraction is owed to us all - and rapid undoing is needed to now reach the next generation of women who may think they can take a pass on a mammogram until they reach 50. How many of the 'expert panel' are breast cancer survivors, diagnosed before age 50? Shame on them and I hope they never have to walk through the emotional and physical fire that the rest of us have. Thank you Marisa and go breastcancer.org !
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Barbara M. diagnosed at age 43 by a routine mammogram
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I was diagnosed with bilateral BC at age 44 because of calcifications on a mammogram. I was lucky that my cancer was found at an early stage. If I had waited until age 50, I would have been dead or diagnosed with much later stage cancer. It's crazy to change these guidelines!
Jen B.
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Cheryl Cain and Amanda Sooy
I
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Pam Henager
dx age 44, no family history or risk factors. Microscopic cancer in lymph nodes. Did not show on mammograms. Mammograms are not very good for young women, but they're just about all we have. We need mammograms AND we need something better.
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In Sept. at age 46 small invasive tumor,lymph nodes clear was only found with the mammogram. First biopsy was neg.- No family history. Thought I was done. Whoever read my films wasn't convinced and they hounded me for 6 months to have a stereotactic biopsy. This was positive. Lumpectomy and radiation to be followed with 5 yrs of femara. If I had waited until 50 I'm sure the outcome would be very different. More expensive for all concerned, more invasive, time consuming and my most likely positive outcome much more uncertain.
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I was diagnosed by a routine mammogram at 50, but with no family history at all, I want my daughters to have their mammograms as early as possible. Who in their right mind really thought that lessening the amount of women going for screening could be a good idea?
Mary McSorley, Collingdale, PA
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Nicki Gannon.: Diagnosed in 2004 with IDC at the age of 36. Stage 2, Grade 3, 1/39nodes, Triple negative! No family history of Breast Cancer. Thank God for early mammograms! or I may not be here for my now 7 year old.
Please don't change guidelines.
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4000 women between ages 40 and 50 die every year from breast cancer. How many more will die with the new guidelines?
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I had my first mammogram Oct 2008 per current guidelines to get a mammogram at age 40. The mammogram detected a tumor and a biopsy was performed the begining of November 2008 which confirmed breast cancer. I could not feel the lump by palpation. I am a trained registered nurse and could not feel the lump! The cancer was dectected early at stage 1. This was fortunate since the cancer was an agressive type grade 3. It was progesterone, estrogen, and HER2 positive. What would have happened if I did not follow current guidelines? My risk factors were extremely low. I am thankful every day for that early detection!
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A friend had breast cancer at 35, she would be dead if she did not get a mammorgram. End of storY
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I am 46 years old and was diagnosed at 43 with BC please stop playing with other peoples lives!!!!!
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No family history. DCIS with 1 mm invasive, high grade, was found on a mammogram. A mammogram, yearly, saved my life.
Karen Denton
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Found a lump in my right breast which turned out to be an invasive ductal carcinoma. Post mastectomy, learned I had an invasive lobular carcinoma in the same breast, twice as large as the lump was. Thank God I found that first lump.
Age 51. No risk factors. No family history.
Stop self breast exams? No way!
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I found my breast cancer in 2005 because I have always done self-examinations. The cancer had left my breast tissue altogether and took up residency in one lymph node below my arm pit. Originally thought to be a cyst or infection, my G.P. and I agreed to be cautious and follow through with a needle biopsy and finally excision. The result after several weeks of worry was a golf ball sized HER-2 Est. Rcptr Neg Breast Cancer. After 18 months of treatment I healed and am very healthy.Women need to learn to self-advocate for their care, to do otherwise is to risk losing life. I've always taken care of my health... this can happen to anyone. I have no family history of breast cancer.
Make fear your enemy
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