Breast screening

A point which has not been made is that whatever the findings of the mammogram, you are under no obligation to actually undertake any treatment if you don't want to! If a possible tumour is discovered, you are free to ignore it and not have it identified and removed and/or any spread prevented/treated.

As the publicity on Aids put it, "Don't die of ignorance!" - Find it and get it put right. Most cancers that are found and treated have a very good chance of successful treatment. Ones that are NOT discovered and treated have a very good chance of proving fatal.

Janeainsworth, I agree self examination is important but in my case the tumour was deep in the tissue and would have had to grow a lot before it became palpable. There was no visible evidence of its presence other than the mammogram.

Lisagran, I’m glad you have been persuaded to go.

So was my tumour, Jane43 The consultant couldn't feel it, though she was poking her bony fingers almost through to my ribs. A repeat mammogram didn't reveal it either, and it seemed it might have been a "false positive", but ultrasound finally showed it up clearly.

Elegran thank goodness for the ultrasound. I hope you are on the road to recovery.

This was nearly 14 years ago, Jane43. There has been no reappearance of anything since. However, had I not gone for the mammogram, had I not been recalled because there was a suspicious shadow on the Xray and more tests carried out, who knows?

Thanks janeainsworth for the link to the Cochrane Report. It does explain why the leaflets are worded as they are. Nobody is trying to discourage anyone from going for any of the screenings offered by the NHS. We are very lucky to have them. But it is always better to feel you have had full information before making a choice.

In your position, I'd go. I don't think you have anything to lose and much to gain if they find something wrong and are able to treat it at an early stage.

I find this quite difficult every time I'm called because there seems not a great deal of evidence that screening reduces mortality from breast cancer. The Cochrane report is useful in giving the overall picture, but it seems to me that if only one life is saved in every 2,000 women screened over a 10 year period (Cochrane) then that one life may be me, so I always end up going.

Good advice Dorramarr well said.

I was screened yesterday and like you was rather surprised to be called as I thought by 70 I would be considered too old. However the previous time I was recalled for a biopsy for a small growth which was not malignant.
When my Mil was 70 she found a lump herself and asked to be screened. Hers was cancer. After surgery and radiotherapy she made a wonderful recovery and is in her 90s now and visiting her latest GGC right now!!

caledonail4 I agree, it is about being able to make an informed choice.
Health advice and policy are based on the best available evidence at the time.
If new evidence becomes available, what was appropriate advice 20 years ago may not be useful or appropriate now, and the current NHS advice leaflet reflects this.

I must echo Jane43 as my tumour was also deep, not palpable and only found with imaging.

annepl if you request screening after the age limit, it will still be free

Grammaretto in our area the policy has been to have one mammogram after the age of 70 then you will cease to be called but you can request one. In my case I had one at 68 but was not called for the final one at 71 and because I took my eye off the ball I didn’t chase it up. Then I read in the paper that there had been an oversight and many of us hadn’t been called for our final one. I had a letter asking me to apply for my final screening and I had it last August just. before my 75th birthday. For the first time ever I had a recall and the small tumour was identified. I hadn’t had a mammogram since I was 68 so nearly 7 years had passed since the previous one. Thankfully the tumour was very small and I am grateful for the treatment I have had. I will continue to have yearly mammograms for the next five years and am on oestrogen blocking medication.

Goodness Jane43. Reinforces the need to keep going..

MaryEliza thanks for the info.

My next one is due next year when I will be 71 so I guess I will still be called for the last one but I plan to request them after that, especially as my mother sadly died of brest cancer. But back then they didn't have screening so I will definitely take advantage of this facility.

I have cysts in my left breast never had any treatment on them.

But they are cysts, not cancer. Because one lump is not dangerous, you can't assume that all are. A friend had some painful treatment for cysts, so when they appeared in the other breast she didn't report them. Those were eventually found to be cancerous, which had spread to many places, and she died aged 37.

Well I went for the mammogram a couple of weeks ago - and had the dreaded recall letter last Wednesday. I have to go to a hospital in the next town tomorrow for further tests. I don’t know how I’ve got through this past week (especially as there have been problems with an adult child and a grandchild worrying me too). Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Good luck tomorrow Lisa. It needn’t be anything serious sometimes just an unclear picture though you say you have further tests so if that is the case hope all goes well.

My breast cancer did not show up on mammogram or ultrasound. I was lucky as it is visible but not discovered for 4 years.

You were lucky it was found, dragonfly46. How was it discovered? Are you having treatment? X

Unless you have specific worries re. mammography, I can't understand why you would choose not to go for screening.

It's your right at all stages to decide if you want to have the recommended treatment, they can't force treatment on you, surely better to decide after the mammogram, with the possibility that your life might have been saved if a tumour is found?

I did choose to go for the mammogram, humptydumpty and now (tomorrow) I have been invited to go (and will go) for further tests, as I had a recall letter.