Sign the Petition Against the new Mammography Guidelines
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My aunt was diagnosed at 46 and my mother's best friend was diagnosed at age 49. As family/friend of breast cancer survivors, I strongly oppose the changing of these guidelines.
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Actually, I think women should start screening earlier. Since the numbers are showing digital mammograms are finding more early cancers, why did they base this reccommendation on the OLD technology? Radiologists and mammographers need to make the public understand what DIGITAL has done for diagnosis.
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Actually this study was conducted by the Bush administratation.
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I think a baseline mammo should be done at 30. The new guide lines are just wrong. I was diagnosed at 52 Sherry Park
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Cokie and Steve Roberts wrote an excellent article published in our local paper on Nov. 19 and I quote..."But after years of drumming in the message that early detection saves lives, close to two-thirds of women in their 40s and more than 70 percent of women over 50 say they have ahd the test in the past two years. Funny thing - that increase in screening coincides with the decrease in mortality from breat cancer, by 2 percent a year since 1990. How could it make sense to stop those strides in their tracks." I am a retired chemotherapy nurse, diagnosed with breast cancer.at age 59.
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Linda Moore diagnosed this last summer, age 60. DCIS infiltrated to lymph node inside breast. Small percentage of women have this so it is scary. Found on routine mammo ,ultrasound, then biopsy.
Two years is too long to wait between mammograms!
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Jeannine Aresti - DX at age 41 also in lymph glands. No history in family. I hesitated receiving a mammo even at this age. To wait until 50 would have been doomsday.
Please do not alter the recommendations!! Too many women UNDER 40 are contracting bc too..We need to increase awareness not decrease it.
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Victoria Seng, diagnosed with IDC through routine mammogram, age 50. No family history.
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Janet Hunt, dx at age 37 and 50...no family history or risk factors.
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Even with a mammogram my tumor was missed and was picked up by ultrasound.I was 57.We have to use the tools that we have though they aren't perfect .To discourage women from self exams and raise the age for mammograms is a big mistake.There are many women who are afraid to be screened and will use this as an excuse.More and more young women are getting breast cancer.I have 2 daughters and want them to be screened even earlier than 40.It's worth it to have a few false positives to save even one life.I was told my tumor had probably been growing for 5 years.So let's be cautious.We've made big strides.
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Sue St.- Diagnosed with stage 3A DCIS, 7 lymph nodes involved at age 39, missed on baseline Mammo by radiologist at age 37, found by self exam. NO FAMILY HISTORY
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I was diagnosed at 42 7 year survivor
Sister diagnosed at 47 3 year survivor
Mother diagnosed at 64 6 year survivor
Best Friend diagnosed at 46 5 year survivor
School friend diagnosed at 48 2 year survivor
I don't need a task force to tell me mammography saves lives. I see it every day in the mirror. All of the above were found via mammography. Thanks Dr. Weiss for all you do to fight for us.
I have to wonder if they will stop screening for prostate cancer, most men don't die from the disease and I am sure quite a few feel anxiety while waiting for results.
This just further illustrates the waste in washington
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K - how do I figure out where to go sign the petition????
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If it wasn't for my "yearly" mammogram, my breast cancer would not have been found. I had Stage 2 ILC and it had gone into one lymph node. There was no lump. Even after we knew where it was, no one could find a lump, but it was 3 centimeters long and I had to be reexcised because they didn't get it all the first time. Had chemo and rads.
I was 57 when I got the diagnosis, which according to these new guidelines would have been my "off" year (every two years from 50 - 59). I was lucky that it had only gotten into one lymph node - who knows how far it would have gotten if I had waited another year. Because of my mammogram, I'm a 6 year survivor.
These guidelines scare me to death.
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I found my tumor in July after a mammogram in January. It was only 1.5 cm with no lymph node involvement, oncotype score 9, absolutely no family history or other risk factors. I am lucky to only have a lumpectomy, radiation and hormone therapy at age 54. I have six personal friends in their 40's who were not so lucky. Where would they be without mammograms? These new guidelines are completely ludicrous! I am so afraid that they will lead to insurers not covering mammograms or possibly biopsies. There must be more we can do besides simply signing a petition. We must ROAR!
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This is a frightening prospect!
I am a 14 year survivor, diagnosed in 1995 at age 49. I was also premenopausal. A routine mammogram found a very aggressive 1 cm ER+ tumor, whose growth rate was a doubling time of 3 weeks. Had I waited several months till 50 or when I starting exhibiting symptoms, the outcome would likely have been much different.
I know this test isn't perfect and that its effectiveness is less in premenopausal women. But I believe the damage done by this story is immeasurable - 1. 40-something women (or some of them) might take this to mean that they don't have to worry about breast cancer until 50 2. poor women whose only screening access is a free mammogram clinic 3. women under 50, if they are to follow this advice, have not been given any other kind of pro-active alternative.
And while everyone fights this out, I PERSONALY will emphasize to whomever I can that there are two solid pieces of information that make these recommendations dangerous - 1. clinical data show a satistically significant 16% reduction in mortality in women 40-49 who get screened 2. the task force ADMITTED that the ramifications of this recommendation will save money, prevent added anxiety from extra biopsies and screenings, AND.....lead to an approximate 3% INCREASE IN BREAST CANCER DEATHS if followed.
For the United States medical system to do something that knowingly raises cancer deaths would be an undeniable step backward.
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Jenna Bergen
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JAW (age 49)--my sister had breast cancer diagnosed at age 52, maternal aunt diagnosed at age 65. I had a negative diagnostic mammo/breast sono, but asked for breast MRI due to my family history/high risk. My Stage 1 breast cancer, negative nodes, was diagnosed because of the MRI--my breasts were too dense to see the tumor on the digital mammo or sono. I was lucky that my insurance paid for the MRI. I have several friends who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in their 40's--diagnoses that would have been missed had the new guidelines been followed. We are not statistics. One life saved is worth the anxiety/ biopsy discomfort that a woman might experience in response to an abnormal mammo.
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Diane Farlee- age 49 at dx, prev mammo done at age 47 was clear. no family history or risk factors. To have waited another year as the proposed recommendation would like, would have put me at a more higher risk of the cancer spreading to other organs, could you imagine the cost increase for that=so far 4 year survivor, dont know if that would be the same story if I had waited another year
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45 no family history or risk factors.
In my B/C support group I go to, there is a 21 year old and have heard of a 14 year old. These recommended changes are ridiculous!
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Oh Melinda, I thank God that you did find it in time and we pray everyday for you a cure.
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I was diagnosed with DCIS via a mammogram at age 46. A lump was then found via follow-up MRI in the other breast that even the doctors could not subsequently find during an ultrasound. I had been getting annual mammograms since my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 42. I thank God the insurance guidelines covered it. Please do not change the guidelines.
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OUTRAGOUS!!!!!!! It sems like at least every other one that I read says:NO FAMILY HISTORY, like myself. I HOPE SOME IS READING THESE VERY CAREFULLY.
THE ONLY RISK FACTOR IS BEING A WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I have yearly mammograms . From one year to the next I had a 2 cm tumor. If not for the mammo it would have gone undetected. I do not think they should change the guidelines.
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For all those that were diagnosed before 50 and all those that will be. The answer is not later mammograms.
Diagnosed at 50
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Dorothy Kennedy - diagnosed March 2008 - discovered by yearly mammography
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Mary Lou Ortiz DX: july 2009, TNBC, 39 years old. BRC1 & BRC2 neg.
Mine was found via Self Exam and confirmed w/Digital Mammogram.
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Wendy Dubin BRCA2 positive. Mother DX age 51. Sister DX age 41.
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Karen Young
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Debbie McCoy
BRCA2 positive -diagnosed at age 36 with a mammogram
Currently Stage IV at age 51 with mets to lung and bones
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