Mammograms for Breast Cancer Screening: A Guide for Women

Question
I am a 57 year old woman with no history of breast cancer in my family. In fact I do not recall hearing any case of cancer in my family.  I do not smoke.  I do not drink other than maybe once or twice a year and a minimum amount at that.  My maternal grandfather smoked a pipe and an occassional cigar in the evenings. He drank an occassional beer at family gatherings. Neither my mother nor my father smoked nor drank other than on occassions. I have never used oral contraceptives, nor has my mother or grandmothers.  I am post menopausal but I am not useing any medication. Therefore, I have no risk factors regarding breast cancer. Recently I went to the doctor because I had fever and chills off and on for a couple of days and I had chest congestion head congestion and was feeling miserable.  After examining me and listening to my lungs, the doctor determined that I did not have pneumonia and figured that I have what so many of his other patients had and he could not see putting me through a chest x-ray when he felt there was no need. However, he recommended that I get a mamogram just out of routine because I had not had one in several years. Now, if it is not wise to order a chest x-ray to make sure that I do not have pneumonia, then why should it be wise to order unnecessary routine mamograms that send a thousand time more radiation when there are no risk factors involved?

Answer
Well, you may not have EXTRA risk factors for breast cancer. BUT ALL women have risk factors for breast cancer just by being women! Breast cancer exist in males too, but there it is VERY rare. Female breast cancer is HUNDREDS of times more common. Meaning that for each male breast cancer there are hundreds of female breast cancers. Also your dr. HAD listened to your lungs so he did have information on which to base the decision of not sending you to a chest x-ray. With regards to your breasts he has no such information since early breast cancers that can easily be cured rarely can be felt but can usually be seen in a mammogram. So I think your dr. was right and you should gratefully accept his offer! Good luck!

Well Madame, sorry to disappoint you, but if you do not wish to listen to reason and the truth - also supplied by your own dr. - I can not offer you anything!