Waiting Until You Are 50 for a Mammogram Could Kill You

The United States Preventive Services Task Force recently announced that women under the age of 50 should not receive their annual mammogram nor perform self breast exams since it is a waste of time and potentially money; does anyone else think this is ignorance plain and simple? Look at all of the famous female celebrities (e.g. Cheryl Crow, Christina Applegate) under the age of 50 that have been diagnosed with breast cancer. And how did they find out they had breast cancer? Through self breast exams and mammograms. Had they listened to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, they might be dead today.

So why did the US Preventive Service Task Force suggest such a guideline? Apparently, they concluded that women under the age of 50 are more likely to suffer undue stress and harm (from X-rays) from regular mammograms. Well, if that is what they truly believe then why not suggest that women have ultrasounds instead of being put at risk by harmful rays? An ultrasound is the next step anyway if a lump is detected through a mammogram. This will skip a step, save time and money - and keep women away from those evil rays.

And what about the monthly self breast exam? I have been yelled out more times than I can count for not doing my part at home, and suddenly now I'm off the hook? Should I demand an apology from my gynecologist? Or maybe I should say, "See, I told you it was a waste of my time." No, because the truth is no one knows your body like you do, and if you detect a lump that wasn't there two months ago or you notice something has grown, you should see your doctor - even if you're just a mere 49 years-old.

I know what the US Preventive Service Task Force meant when they suggested that sometimes mammograms can do more harm than good, at least when it comes to stress. I had my first mammogram at the age of 35 since the great state of New Jersey advises (or at least they did before now) women to get their baseline mammogram at that age. It was bad enough that it was painful because I'm small-breasted, but lo and behold they found something that did not look right on the film: a lump. A lump that had probably been there for years because I have dense, fibrocystic breasts.

So my routine mammogram turned into a nightmare; and I, a once strong and independent gal, started to cry. During the ultrasound, the technician took lots of pictures and apparently they just were not pretty enough for her because she suggested I get a biopsy. There it was; the word that lead me to believe that I had breast cancer: biopsy.

So for several minutes I was convinced that I had the dreaded "C" word and wondered what I would do since I knew chemotherapy would kill a person like me -someone whose immune system was rubbish to begin with. Then the doctor came in and looked at my results. She concluded that I did not need a biopsy after all and suggested that I have another mammogram in six months. That was not going to be possible since I had just flown from Wales to New Jersey, so I had to wait a full year for my next mammogram, wondering that entire time if I did indeed have breast cancer. My family assumed I was cancer-free but I was not so sure and that doubt lingered in my mind daily.

Fortunately I had a copy of my baseline mammogram for the next time which helped tremendously, because that same lump had not grown and the next radiologist that read my film concluded that I was OK after all. All that worrying for nothing, but what if that lump turned out to be cancer? If I would have followed the US Preventive Service Task Force's guidelines, I certainly would have died before the age of 50.

So the bottom is line is this: know your body and see a doctor if you suspect something is wrong. The best way to treat a disease is to prevent it; and the best way to prevent breast cancer is through regular screenings. Ask for an ultrasound instead of a mammogram; that way you won't be affected by the X-rays, and your medical professional will have a better chance of diagnosing you correctly.

*To read more of Bobbi Leder's articles on Associated Content, click here.