Mammography is a common way to screen for breast cancer, but it’s not the only screening tool. Each year, millions of women undergo mammograms for early detection of possible breast cancer.
According to breastcancer.org
- About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12.4%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
- In 2018, an estimated 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 63,960 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
How Often Should You Get A Mammogram
There are so many conflicting information about mammography. Just take a look at the screening standards by organizations (see chart below) and their recommendations for mammography breast care screening. The National Health Service in U.K. invites women from age 50 through 70 to come in for mammography screening every three years.1 Women in Australia ages 50 through 74 are advised to undergo screening every two years.2 In Uruguay its mandatory for women ages 40 to 59 to get mammograms every two years3 and for the women in the U.S. ages 50 to 54 its recommended they get mammograms every year and women 55 years and older every 2 years, or have the choice to continue yearly screening4.
American Cancer Society Says, “Cut Back on Mammograms Now”
The American Cancer Society now recommends that women with “average risk” of breast cancer begin annual exams at 45 years of age, not at 40. In addition, the ACS now recommend that women over 55 cut back to biennial screenings instead of getting them once a year.
Soon after the American Cancer Society (ACS) also responded with a change in their own policies.
This change in policy makes you wonder why a sudden change. What exactly are the risks that the USPTF (U.S. Preventative Task Force) say in their report?
Is Mammography Accelerating The Epidemic of Cancer
“As early as 1928, physicians were warned to handle “cancerous breasts with care– for fear of accidentally disseminating cells” and spreading cancer. Nevertheless, mammography entails tight and often painful compression of the breast, particularly in premenopausal women. This may lead to distant and lethal spread of malignant cells by rupturing small blood vessels in or around small, as yet undetected breast cancers. ” (Epstein, 2005, p. 42)5
Many women are concerned that mammography could cause breast cancer. In 2006, a paper published in the British Journal of Radiobiology, titled “Enhanced biological effectiveness of low energy X-rays and implications for the UK breast screening programme6 ” revealed the type of radiation used in x-ray-based breast screenings. is much more carcinogenic than previously believed.
Recent radiobiological studies have provided compelling evidence that the low energy X-rays as used in mammography are approximately four times – but possibly as much as six times– more effective in causing mutational damage than higher energy X-rays.
In a 2009 Cochrane Database Systematic Review,* also known as the Gøtzsche and Nielsen’s Cochrane Review, titled “Screening for breast cancer with mammography,” the authors revealed the tenuous statistical justifications for mass breast screenings.7
“The basis for estimating unnecessary treatment was the 35% increased risk of surgery among women who underwent screenings. Many of the surgeries, in fact, were the result of women being diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a “cancer” that would not exists as a clinically relevant entity were it not for the fact that it is detectable through x-ray mammography. DCIS, in the vast majority of cases, has no palpable lesion or symptoms, and some experts believe it should be completely reclassified as a non-cancerous condition.
A more recent study published in the British Medical Journal in 2011 titled, “Possible net harms of breast cancer screening:updated modeling of Forrest report,” not only confirmed the Gøtzsche and Nielsen’s Cochrane Review findings, but found the situation likely worse. This analysis supports the claim that the introduction of breast cancer screening might have caused net harmful after 10 years after the start of the screening.”8
Breast Cancer Screening Options, You Do Have a Choice
What are your options? Thermography is gaining ground as a valid alternative to mammograms.
1. Thermography
Considered the “gold standard” of alternative testing options since it is non-invasive, safe, and can detect possible tumor activity years before a mammogram can. In fact, a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Surgery concluded that breast thermography has a 97% “sensitivity rating” for finding malignancies before a visible tumor has been formed.
2. Ultrasound
Usually done for diagnostic reasons, frequently after a mammogram reveals a suspicious area or density in a breast. Breast ultrasound is good at distinguishing a benign fluid-filled cyst. An ultrasound can also help define a mass in the breast that you feel yourself, even if it does not show up on a mammogram.
A study by St. Mark’s Breast Centre in Auckland, New Zealand reported that Ultrasound has been found to be approximately three times more accurate than traditional x-ray mammography. This is particularly true for women with 50 percent or higher breast density levels.
3. ONCOblot®
Finally, if you suspect that you may be at high risk of cancer, then ONCOblot may be for you. This is a unique and one-of-a-kind test, that will check for the universal cancer cell marker ENOX2 and can identify the specific origin of cancer cells in the bloodstream. ONCOblot is 99% accurate for discovering tumors when they are tinier than a pinhead.
The Choice Is Yours
The choice to get a mammogram is yours and yours only. It will be a very personal and important choice, that only you can decide. At the same time, it is important to know the dangers of what mammography can have. Most importantly, you have options other than mammography for breast cancer screening. Know your breast cancer signs and be aware that safe and extremely effective alternative testing methods do exist.
Sources and References
3. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/when-mammograms-are-mandatory/
4. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/pdf/BreastCancerScreeningGuidelines.pdf
5. Epstein, Samuel S. (2005) Cancer-gate: How to Win the Losing Cancer War, Amityville N.Y., Baywood Publishing Company Inc.
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16498030
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19821284
8. MedCrave International Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, Volume 4 Issue 4 – 2016 https://medcraveonline.com/IJCAM/IJCAM-04-00130.pdf
https://www.nature.com/articles/bjc201533 (Chinese breast care)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15474430, Ultrasound is now better than mammography for the detection of invasive breast cancer.
https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/ultrasound-may-be-alternative-to-mammo
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/03/experts-say-avoid-mammograms.aspx
http://medicorcancer.com/oncoblot/
The Best Breast Cancer Screening Options for Women (Hint: it’s Not Mammograms!)
Interesting Reads
How to Cut Your Breast Cancer Risk Naturally
Thermography: The Safe and Effective Breast Cancer Prevention Tool
Thermography: A Perfect Alternative to Mammograms?
In Mammogram Debate, Politics Trounces Science
https://www.sensiblehippie/is-your-sunscreen-toxic/
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