| Mammograms - Prevention of Disease or Cause | | | | Even the man who developed this technique |
| of Disease? | | | | stated on national television that only about six |
| The science in this article, like that found in the | | | | radiologists in the United States could read them |
| Dairy article and some of the future articles can | | | | correctly |
| be difficult for many people to believe, however, | | | | Radiation related breast cancers often do not |
| this does not mean you should write it off. I can | | | | show up until about 10 years after exposure, |
| understand this as when I first started my | | | | keep this in mind when evaluating the experiences |
| journey I did alot of head scratching at the | | | | of those women in your inner circle |
| depths some people have gone in the name of | | | | "It is important to remember that 90 percent of |
| profit motive. As you may have guessed this | | | | breast cancer cases are not hereditary and that |
| article is NOT about all of Mammography's great | | | | most healthy women would not need to have |
| prevention and benefits. In the name of brevity I | | | | frequent chest X-rays, especially if in their 20s," |
| will let the science speak for itself: | | | | Breast Cancer Care's Dr. Erin Pennery |
| Screening mammography provides about 1,000 | | | | An International Agency for Research on Cancer |
| times greater radiation exposure than that of a | | | | study showed women who get chest X-rays |
| chest x-ray | | | | before the age of 20 may increase their risk of |
| In a Swedish study of 60,000 women, 70 percent | | | | developing the disease 2.5 times by age 40 |
| of the mammographically detected tumors | | | | compared to women who had never been |
| weren't tumors at all and these false positives | | | | exposed to x-rays |
| cause huge amounts of strain and stress | | | | In research conducted by the Nordic Cochrane |
| The National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the US, | | | | Centre in Denmark, researchers found that |
| states that 40% of cancers are missed during a | | | | mammogram screening for breast cancer |
| mammography screening in women aged 40-49 | | | | ultimately harms ten women for every one that |
| and misses 10% of cancerous tumours in women | | | | it helps |
| over 50 | | | | Strategy: |
| DCIS, a form of breast cancer, has increased by | | | | "Whatever you may be told, refuse routine |
| 328% since the introduction of mammograms and | | | | mammograms to detect early breast cancer, |
| at least 200% of this increase is directly | | | | especially if you are premenopausal. The X-rays |
| attributed to mammograms | | | | may actually increase your chances of getting |
| A Canadian study found a 52% increase in breast | | | | cancer. If you are older, and there are strong |
| cancer mortality in women under 35 that | | | | reasons to suspect that you may have breast |
| underwent mammograms | | | | cancer, the risks may be worthwhile. Very few |
| Mammograms have been linked to spreading | | | | circumstances, if any, should persuade you to |
| existing malignant cancer cells due to the | | | | have X-rays taken if you are pregnant. The |
| compression | | | | future risks of leukaemia to your unborn child, not |
| John Gofman (Nuclear Physicist and Medical | | | | to mention birth defects, are just not worth it." |
| Doctor) and author of "Radiation from Medical | | | | The Politics Of Cancer by Samuel S Epstein MD, |
| Procedures in the Pathogenesis of Cancer and | | | | page 305 |
| Ischemic Heart Disease" strongly indicates that | | | | Routine breast self-examinations for women aged |
| over 50% of the death rate from cancer today | | | | 20+. |
| is x-ray induced | | | | |