Reply #74: Are you disputing the numbers? Or just reacting? [View All]

[Generic Other]

Women used to be given radical masectomies with no say in the matter. That was how the medical community dealt with breast cancer. One didn't even get to make an informed choice at all. Women objected, so the medical community changed the practice. I am certainly NOT discouraging other women (particularly any woman with a family history) from having mammograms. I am just looking realistically at the numbers.

I also read some of the studies about women in Europe who have fewer mammograms and fewer incidences of breast cancer than their American counterparts. I have to wonder why. And it always comes back to me not trusting the method of testing. Irradiating breast tissue is not without danger. And if the end result is that we perform more unnecessary procedures because of false positive readings, I have questions its effectiveness. Why subject healthy women to such dangers when the numbers don't support the level of alarm? I am not wrong for raising those questions.

I am concerned about overdiagnosis and overtreatment because the medical community has given me reason to believe they have this propensity. I realize this is a contentious issue. I have never even discussed it publicly before because I knew that my making decisions about my own health would draw criticism from those who put their faith in the medical community's constant as quicksand advice to us about what we must do or not do. I also know that they do not always seem to act simply for altruistic reasons.

Instead of criticizing women with legitimate concerns, shouldn't we all be asking for more research and better screening methods?