Women deserve INFORMED CHOICE in Breast Cancer Screening.
Currently women are told they MUST have a mammogram in order to have an ultrasound.
There are well documented valid concerns about mammography screening.
Many women have already experienced serious harms. Many prefer to OPT OUT of mammography for the following reasons:
Over-diagnosis of non-invasive “pre-cancers” leads to aggressive overtreatment for tens of thousands of women every year.
Under-diagnosis (mammograms miss 40% of INVASIVE cancer in dense breast tissue).
Unnecessary biopsies (80%) may cause pain and injury to sensitive breast tissue.
Compression and radiation can cause pain and injury to sensitive breast tissue.
Radiation is cumulative and can induce DNA damage and cancer.
Extreme psychological distress results from all of the above.
Women are seeking breast imaging options such as automated whole breast ultrasound (ABUS) and QT Imaging.
Women who understand benefits and risks of breast cancer screening are happy to sign a waiver to OPT OUT of mammography.
Insurance coverage for safer options such as ABUS and QT Imaging as stand-alone options are needed.
Having a mammogram – or not – should be a personal decision based on balanced, unbiased information which weighs both the benefits and harms. No one should ever feel pressured, intimidated, bullied or shamed for choosing NOT to have a mammogram.
Insurance coverage for safer options such as ABUS and QT Imaging is a must! Current breast cancer screenings do more harm than good and women are not provided with an informed choice.
Absolutely agree with everything in this post - breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women today. Mammograms were introduced in the 1960’s. If mammograms alone worked to reduce breast cancer, this would not be the case after 60 years of use. There are better, and safer screening methods that are kept out of the reach of women who want them, as they are not covered by insurance.
Before anyone is told they need to have a mammogram they should be given both sides of the equation. No one is ever told of the harms associated with over diagnosis for pre cancerous lesions but instead they are told they have to be treated like they are cancer. In addition many are subjected to unnecessary biopsies. There should be an option to choose a different form of screening such as ultrasounds or MRIs. The insurance companies seem to only allow for a one size fits all approach.
Yes, to opting out of mammograms and even better yet, NO more mammograms as they have been discontinued in many European countries. Make THERMOGRAMS the norm!