Reply #22: I can only speak from my experience but [View All]

[Robyn66]

The tumors in my breast were not detectable by touch. To try and describe it, it was like cancer buckshot all through the breast. So I would imagine relying on self exam is not the best idea.

But here is the problem with relying on statistic, at least with someone like me.

You show a curve demonstrating women over 50 are more likely to get breast cancer.

I have no history of breast cancer in my family

Now, since mammograms are not recommended for people in their 40's I say "great, I didn't want to get one anyway" which incidentally, is what I did when they changed the recommendation from 35 to 40.

So maybe before I'm 50, the cancer grows to the point where you can feel it maybe not but the FACT of the matter is I would be diagnosed at stage 3 at best or 4 at worst.

Women are being diagnosed younger and survival rates are growing. I fail to see a down side for anyone but the insurance companies who don't want to pay for the test.

If doctors begin discouraging mammograms for women younger than 50 many many women will die that ordinarily would not have.

Whether its right or wrong, if a doctor says you don't need a mammogram until you are 50 you believe you are safe. I can guarantee that is what I would have done and I would have had a disastrous diagnosis.

I just can't emphasize that enough.