Sign the Petition Against the new Mammography Guidelines

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Comments

  • lexismemaw
    lexismemaw Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    Diagnosed at 57 HER2+ 11/12/07. Tumor was 2cm with no node involvement. No family history until me..now my daughter is at higher risk. Currently on Arimidex after lumpectomy, chemo, radiation and 1 year of Herceptin.I routinely went for a yearly mammogram but skipped it one year after the death of my mother (she died 2 days before my appointment for a mammogram so I canceled it). After I realized it had been more than 1 1/2 years I scheduled an appointment and the rest is history. If I had waited until June to reschedule, my prognosis would have been pretty bleak. I cannot believe how completely irresponsible these new guidelines are. 

  • beth4d
    beth4d Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

         diagnosed with self-breast exam, negative mammo, positive open biopsy.  er/pr+ neu-  . 

        invasive lobular carcinoma.  stage IIb  in 2 lymph nodes.....

  • peggy_m
    peggy_m Member Posts: 6
    edited November 2009

    Margaret Corvini, diagnosed at 47 through a routine mammogram.

  • edna_million
    edna_million Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2009

    A mamogram found my cancer exactly five years ago, when I was 43. I was very VERY lucky that it was early and had not spread to my lymph nodes. I didn't do chemo but did have radiation. I don't like to think what would have happened if I had to wait until I was 50 for a mamogram. It's very likely I wouldn't have found it until it had spread and I probably wouldn't be here to protest this insane proposed change in mamography guidelines.

  • MaryAdams
    MaryAdams Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    DCIS at age 42.  I am thankful every day for a mammogram that detected DCIS so that I can be here and be a mom to my children.  I tell all my friends to make sure they get a mammogram at age 40 and will continue to do so.  

  • prw15
    prw15 Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    Dr. Paula Warren-Peace.  Age at diagnosis: mid 40's. 

    If it weren't for self-exam and mammography, I believe I would be dead now.  Diagnosed with Stage IIIC breast cancer.  Breast cancer confirmed with mammogram 15 months after a clear mammogram and 6 months after a palpated breast exam indicated no troublesome areas.  Clearly yearly mammography was necessary for me.  No known family history, either. 

  • crazyknit
    crazyknit Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    Lisa B.

    I am an oncology nurse and I specialize in genetics and hereditary cancer syndromes.  I support keeping the guidelines as they are.  We have come along way, but we aren't there yet.  And to change the guidelines would only set us back.  This will affect many women, who would be diagnosed earlier and be treatable if they had yearly mammograms starting age 40 (for the general risk woman).  Let alone the women who will suffer, what about the cost of surgery, treatment, lost productivity in the workforce, effect on the community, and cost on the health care system?   

  • gailk
    gailk Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    Diagnosed 8 years ago at age 36 after finding a lump.  No family history, nursed two children long-term, etc. 

    I have seen young women die and leave their young children because of breast cancer.

    The new guidelines are ridiculous, in my opinion.

    diag. 9/01, IDC, stage 2A, 1.3 cm, 1 pos node, ER+/PR+, HER2-

  • ElaineM
    ElaineM Member Posts: 9
    edited November 2009

    I am against the new mammography guidelines. I am also against the new pap test guidelines. ElaineM

  • henny
    henny Member Posts: 3
    edited November 2009

    BC found by mammogram-what is the price of a life?

  • Lisa1962
    Lisa1962 Member Posts: 13
    edited November 2009

    I want to thank Dr. Marisa Weiss & breastcancer.org for being there during my 3 week wait to find out if I had breast cancer at age 47---thankfully it was a benign fibroadenoma, but I would go through it all again to have some peace of mind.  The new guidelines are SHOCKING to me---I have had yearly mammograms since I was 35.  My mom is a 6 year breast cancer survivor diagnosed at age 65.  I saw Dr. Weiss' wonderful interview on Good Morning America on Tuesday of this week.  She went head to head with Dr. Susan Love.  The new guidelines would allow so many young women to fall between the cracks and miss so many breast cancers at an early & treatable stage.  Let's try to wake up this advisory board!  They are obviously asleep and unaware of how mammograms & breast self exams save lives...............Lisa 1962

  • kat1230
    kat1230 Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    I am 47 and Thankfully have not been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. BUT... ask anyone male or female if they know of anyone that this dreadful cancer has struck. I think we all could come up with atleast 3-4 people minimum that we know through our families, friends, co-workers, church or other places. This is a terrible cancer! I have atleast 6 people I know of closely that have been affected including an Aunt and former mother in law and my new mother in law- thankfully they have survived. The ones that didn't were way before the early detection and mamograms. I agree with many on here that the age should start at 30. No one knows why or how this starts and until that is found we need to keep on doing what is helping those to survive. What ever happened to "EARLY DETECTION"?  I am sorry but I think if men were having to cut off there body parts and go through what these women that have come down with this dreadful cancer have gone through much more attention and prevention would be put into this. We as women need to stay strong and support and fight this battle for past, present and future breast cancer patients. It amazes me that we have come this far and put this money into it to fall back! I pray that there is a cure for this terrible cancer that affects all of us in many ways. But Please lets keep on moving forward!

  • gilly761
    gilly761 Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2009
    • I was diagnosed February 2007.  The tumor was so small and in a spot where no self exam could detect it.  i ad estrogen type breast cancer.I had 2 surgeries : one to remove the lump and the other to put in a port for radiation treatment.  I am on Tamoxifen now.  If I hadn't had the mammagraphywhen I did, the treatment may have been much different.
  • graytp
    graytp Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    Please support breast self exams as well as mammography...a BC 2 yr survivor ....found by mammography at age 53 after several years of twice yearly mammograms to follow "cysts".

  • gilly761
    gilly761 Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2009
    • I was diagnosed February 2007.  The tumor was so small and in a spot where no self exam could detect it.  I had estrogen type breast cancer. I had 2 surgeries : one to remove the lump and 3 lymph nodes, and the other to put in a port for radiation treatment.  I am on Tamoxifen now.  If I hadn't had the mammagraphy when I did, the treatment may have been much different.
  • Top55
    Top55 Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    I'm strongly against the new regulations. I was diagnosed at 41. I found a lump through self examination -- how could self examination possibly be something one shouldn't  do regularly?    Whatever happened to having mamograms at 35?  Cancers in younger women  are often more deadly and harder to detect in a mamogram so sonograms and MRIs should be used in screenings as well.   All this and the recent cervical cancer regulations are just putting us back in the dark ages again, it certainly isn't going to save lives.  These regulations just don't make any sense at all. 

  • beav313
    beav313 Member Posts: 5
    edited November 2009

    I was dx at age 42.  No family history.  The mammogram found my small lump that couldn't be felt.  Due to this early dx, I didn't have to have anything more than surgery.  PLEASE don't mess with our breasts (or anything else) by changing current recommendations.  If you do, insurance companies will jump on the chance to not pay for needed tests.  You are talking about women.....and you need us!

  • eaglescheerleader
    eaglescheerleader Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!!!!

    I FOUND MY OWN LUMP AT THE AGE OF 42.  I STARTED GETTING MAMMOGRAMS AT THE AGE OF 36 BECAUSE MY MOM WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER.  SHE DIED AT THE AGE OF 62............MUCH TOO YOUNG.  MY FATHER WAS DIAGNOSED 1 YEAR LATER WITH BREAST CANCER!!!!  HE HAD A MASTECTOMY!!! I WAS DIAGNOSED 1 YEAR AFTER HIM.  THE FIRST 2 DOCTORS I WENT TO SEE , TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY ABOUT "THE LUMP",  IT WAS PROBABLY NOTHING!!!  THEY KNEW MY FAMILY HISTORY AND STILL TOLD ME THIS!!!  I DID NOT LISTEN, AND PUSHED FOR A MAMMOGRAM.  MY LUMP DID NOT SHOW UP ON THE MAMMOGRAM, SOTHEY DID AN ULTRASOUND.  THE RADIOLOGIST CAME IN IMMEDIATELY AND TOLD ME I NEEDED A BIOPSY.........SHE KNEW IT WAS CANCER!!!  THIS WAS IN SEPT.2001, RIGHT AFTER 9/11..........  I CHOSE TO HAVE A BILATERAL MASTECTOMY.  I TESTED NEGATIVE FOR THE GENETIC TESTS..........

    I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER AGAIN THIS PAST MARCH (2009). THE CHANCES OF A RECURRENCE WITH A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY ARE LESS THAN 1%, GO FIGURE.............I HAVE NEVER SMOKED, DON'T DRINK, EAT HEALTHY, ETC..............

     IF I DID NOT FIND MY OWN LUMP WITH A BSE, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY......... WE HAVE TO BE OUR OWN ADVOCATES, LADIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  LISTEN TO YOUR INSTINCTS AND FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU NEED!!!!!  BE STRONG AND BE WELL..........................

  • rue2u
    rue2u Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2009

    I had a baseline mammogram at 35 that showed "something" according to my doctor. That something showed up during three additional mammograms in my forties and when I felt the lump the docs decided to biopsy it.  Of course, I had breast cancer.  Despite my outcome, I support early detection but perhaps the right HMO would insist on a biopsy.  I know many women diagnosed with bc well before the age of 50.  I was 47.

  • linapril
    linapril Member Posts: 8
    edited November 2009

    Of course women should be allowed to take care of themselves no matter their age! BSE lump discovered lead to my BC dx with 3 tumors total found.  No family history.

  • leia
    leia Member Posts: 18
    edited November 2009

    I'm signing FOR the new Mammographic guidelines. 

  • helfro
    helfro Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    Diagnosed at age 45. Found lump myself. It was not there one month and was there the next month.

    They DON'T recommend self exam???? Are they nuts or are they hoping for alot of deaths?? 

  • cats_love_me
    cats_love_me Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2009

    I am so disappointed in the new screening recomendations.  My mom's breast cancer was found at age 45.  She passed after another recurrance at age 59.  If she hadn't had that early mammogam at 45, she wouldn't have seen myself or brother get married, or had the chance to be a wonderful grandmother to my 2 nephews. 

    I started my mammograms at age 35, and plan to keep having them done every year.   

    Connie Z

  • sln1967
    sln1967 Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    I am saddened by the recent change in guidelines.  Too many women will miss and posible die without  the proper checks.  I am grateful for the mammograms. They aren't my favorite thing, but they did save my life.  I would like to see  oncologists  push for testing.

  • crazyfem
    crazyfem Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    Was diagnosed at 56, no family history of breast cancer. Have a friend, age 32, has breast cancer. Need screening to be sooner than later.

  • bookroom
    bookroom Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2009

    Where do we sign the petition, or is this note sufficient?  Diagnosed at 47. Discovered through self exam. Couldn't help but discover it - it was 11cm!  Never had a mammogram before that. Perhaps if I had the treatment wouldn't have been so radical, nor as expensive. No family history.

  • bookroom
    bookroom Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2009

    I keep clicking where it asks to "sign the petition" but it keeps bringing me here.

  • mcgaffey
    mcgaffey Member Posts: 45
    edited November 2009

    On behalf of all younger women who get a diagnosis before age 50! 

  • f0wvay
    f0wvay Member Posts: 3
    edited November 2009

    Unbelievable.

  • langleyj
    langleyj Member Posts: 2
    edited November 2009

    Judy, Dx age 42 in yearly mammo.  No family history (at all!) or other risk factors.  Mammo caught the tumor in stage 1.  Tumor was against chest wall and without a mammo it would not have been felt until it was well into my lymph nodes.  Had I listened to these guidelines, my two children, ages 8 and 10, would be without a mother. (I'll be, knock on wood, 47 next week) It's shocking how irresponsible our government has been on this one.  Sorry, Mr. President, but this was NOT the change I was waiting for!