In other words, as soon as you feel a lump or notice other changes, you call your doctor pronto. As I understand it, the exams as they’ve been taught are not the end all be all. Women shouldn’t feel guilty if they don’t do a monthly exam — but they absolutely should be empowered to know their body and to act on any changes.

The problem with mammograms isn’t just that there’s a high degree of false positives (more so in premenopausal women), but that mammograms and biopsies carry health risks and dangers of their own — beyond the anxiety and stress. And unneeded treatments such as surgery or radiation can lead to an increased risk of other cancers and heart disease (this is from Breast Cancer Action).

The task force’s recommendations are in line with Europe’s and the World Health Organization — both of which recommend *routine* testing starting at age 50.

There will always be cases that frighten us to the core, but each of us has to weigh the risks and the options (hopefully with the guidance of a good doctor!). For some women, that may mean getting a mammogram once or twice in their 40s and then waiting until their 50s, when the risk is higher, to do so more frequently.

What all this hopefully brought to light is the need for smarter and safer detection methods.

Thanks for writing what you did, and sorry for the long response!

Okay – rant over, for now. Thanks for reading and commenting.