Comments on: In Case You Missed It: WVFC’s Medical Advisory Board on Screening http://womensvoicesforchange.org/in-case-you-missed-it-wvfcs-medical-advisory-board-on-screening.htm Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:40:09 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ELB http://womensvoicesforchange.org/in-case-you-missed-it-wvfcs-medical-advisory-board-on-screening.htm/comment-page-1#comment-39626 ELB Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:04:04 +0000 http://womensvoicesforchange.org/?p=10102#comment-39626 I'd suggest all women take a look at a new information brochure - it's unique because it actually covers the risks of testing and the benefits. The Nordic Cochrane Institute were so concerned at the grossly inadequate information being given to women, that they produced, "The risks and benefits of mammograms"...you'll find it at their website. I have made an informed decision not to have any more mammograms. I had my first at 50 which resulted in a false positive and two days of shocking stress and unpleasantness. I wasn't told before screening the risk of that happening, it's actually quite high and very high for your first mammogram. (as there is no base line mammogram for comparison) I also wasn't told the other risks of testing, nor the limited benefits. I was misled by doctors. I disagree with frightening women and holding back risk information and inflating the benefits of the test...we're entitled to honesty and doctors need to respect our informed decision. A decision not to screen is never wrong...cancer screening has risks as well as benefits and whether you take up screening will depend on you and your risk assessment. Never screen because of fear or because your doctor pushes you into it...it must be your decision. Sadly, it seems that doctors feel women have no right to make their own healthcare decisions and that's unacceptable and paternalistic. I would never write-off the stress and harm that can be caused by a false positive and unnecessary treatment. I read recently that 2 women even committed suicide after getting false positives. I personally believe the stress of a false positive is very bad for your health, I know my anxiety and fear levels took months to settle. I'd also recommend articles by Professor Michael Baum, UK breast cancer surgeon who helped set up the first breast screening centre. He now has very serious concerns about screening. False positives, unnecessary biopsies and even surgery, the dilemma of ductal carcinoma in situ and new research that suggests mammograms may increase the risk of cancer...why? They suspect the bruising of breast tissue (due to compression) and radiation exposure. Biopsies shouldn't be taken lightly either...some doctors believe they are a risk factor for cancer. I'd be incredibly careful about agreeing to mammograms before 50 and never more than 2-3 yearly...please, do your reading! Good luck everyone...remember the only person who can say a screening test is right for you...is YOU! I’d suggest all women take a look at a new information brochure – it’s unique because it actually covers the risks of testing and the benefits.
The Nordic Cochrane Institute were so concerned at the grossly inadequate information being given to women, that they produced, “The risks and benefits of mammograms”…you’ll find it at their website.

I have made an informed decision not to have any more mammograms. I had my first at 50 which resulted in a false positive and two days of shocking stress and unpleasantness. I wasn’t told before screening the risk of that happening, it’s actually quite high and very high for your first mammogram. (as there is no base line mammogram for comparison)
I also wasn’t told the other risks of testing, nor the limited benefits. I was misled by doctors.
I disagree with frightening women and holding back risk information and inflating the benefits of the test…we’re entitled to honesty and doctors need to respect our informed decision. A decision not to screen is never wrong…cancer screening has risks as well as benefits and whether you take up screening will depend on you and your risk assessment.
Never screen because of fear or because your doctor pushes you into it…it must be your decision.
Sadly, it seems that doctors feel women have no right to make their own healthcare decisions and that’s unacceptable and paternalistic.
I would never write-off the stress and harm that can be caused by a false positive and unnecessary treatment. I read recently that 2 women even committed suicide after getting false positives. I personally believe the stress of a false positive is very bad for your health, I know my anxiety and fear levels took months to settle.
I’d also recommend articles by Professor Michael Baum, UK breast cancer surgeon who helped set up the first breast screening centre. He now has very serious concerns about screening. False positives, unnecessary biopsies and even surgery, the dilemma of ductal carcinoma in situ and new research that suggests mammograms may increase the risk of cancer…why? They suspect the bruising of breast tissue (due to compression) and radiation exposure.
Biopsies shouldn’t be taken lightly either…some doctors believe they are a risk factor for cancer.
I’d be incredibly careful about agreeing to mammograms before 50 and never more than 2-3 yearly…please, do your reading!
Good luck everyone…remember the only person who can say a screening test is right for you…is YOU!

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