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Understandably, most women cringe at the thought of having their breasts “squashed between two plates”, and many avoid what is in fact a brief, yet life-saving, moment of discomfort: the mammogram.
But consider the consequences of shunning this procedure: when detected in the early stages of development, a cancerous breast lump can be removed with minor surgery (lumpectomy).
Given the chance to develop, however, the lump will grow and spread, often requiring removal of the breast (mastectomy) and aggressive further therapy such as chemotherapy. And it may be fatal...
Now the thought of having your breast compressed for a couple of seconds once a year doesn’t seem so bad after all, does it?
Mammogram pain overrated
Mammograms have a bad reputation for being painful and are high on the list of dreaded doctor’s visits for women.
However, research has found that mammogram pain is overrated. “Pain is listed as one of the main barriers to women getting mammograms,” said researcher Penny Sharp at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Sharp’s study involved interviewing 200 women immediately after their mammograms: they compared the pain to a mild headache or wearing shoes that are a little too tight.
In fact, 94% said they’d get another mammogram the following year.
Mammograms shouldn’t be painful
Mammograms do cause discomfort, but shouldn’t be painful.
A mammogram should be done at the right time (within a week after menstruation), by a radiographer – a mammographer – specially trained and certified in mammography.
A woman going for screening mammography doesn’t know whether she’ll walk out with a cancer diagnosis and therefore is very tense. An experienced mammographer understands this and knows how to put her at ease.
When the woman is relaxed, the pectoral muscles behind the breast relax, which should mean a painless mammogram.
Tenderness or pain is rarely associated with breast cancer and women should avoid having a mammogram when their breasts are particularly tender. The reason for the pain should be addressed first before the patient has a mammogram.
Who should have a mammogram?
All women are potentially at risk of getting breast cancer.
However, some women are more prone to the disease than others. You are at higher risk if you:
• Are 40 or older.
• Have a mother or sister diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Started menstruation early.
• Went through menopause late.
• Had children after 30, or not at all.
• Drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day.
It is recommended that all women over the age of 40 undergo annual mammograms, and women of all ages should self-examine their breasts at least once a month for lumps or other changes. Irregularities should immediately be examined by a health professional.
Early detection crucial
There’s still no known way to prevent breast cancer. Early detection by mammography, before the cancer can be felt, in the majority of cases allows for less drastic treatment. It often saves your breast and your life.
Even if your breast self-examination is normal it’s still necessary to have mammograms. Doctors can detect abnormalities before they become evident in self-examination.
In fact, once a cancerous lump has grown large enough to detect during self-examination, it’s already in an advanced stage of development.
Annual mammograms are therefore essential as they can pick up abnormalities long before obvious physical signs develop.
But consider the consequences of shunning this procedure: when detected in the early stages of development, a cancerous breast lump can be removed with minor surgery (lumpectomy).
Given the chance to develop, however, the lump will grow and spread, often requiring removal of the breast (mastectomy) and aggressive further therapy such as chemotherapy. And it may be fatal...
Now the thought of having your breast compressed for a couple of seconds once a year doesn’t seem so bad after all, does it?
Mammogram pain overrated
Mammograms have a bad reputation for being painful and are high on the list of dreaded doctor’s visits for women.
However, research has found that mammogram pain is overrated. “Pain is listed as one of the main barriers to women getting mammograms,” said researcher Penny Sharp at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Sharp’s study involved interviewing 200 women immediately after their mammograms: they compared the pain to a mild headache or wearing shoes that are a little too tight.
In fact, 94% said they’d get another mammogram the following year.
Mammograms shouldn’t be painful
Mammograms do cause discomfort, but shouldn’t be painful.
A mammogram should be done at the right time (within a week after menstruation), by a radiographer – a mammographer – specially trained and certified in mammography.
A woman going for screening mammography doesn’t know whether she’ll walk out with a cancer diagnosis and therefore is very tense. An experienced mammographer understands this and knows how to put her at ease.
When the woman is relaxed, the pectoral muscles behind the breast relax, which should mean a painless mammogram.
Tenderness or pain is rarely associated with breast cancer and women should avoid having a mammogram when their breasts are particularly tender. The reason for the pain should be addressed first before the patient has a mammogram.
Who should have a mammogram?
All women are potentially at risk of getting breast cancer.
However, some women are more prone to the disease than others. You are at higher risk if you:
• Are 40 or older.
• Have a mother or sister diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Started menstruation early.
• Went through menopause late.
• Had children after 30, or not at all.
• Drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day.
It is recommended that all women over the age of 40 undergo annual mammograms, and women of all ages should self-examine their breasts at least once a month for lumps or other changes. Irregularities should immediately be examined by a health professional.
Early detection crucial
There’s still no known way to prevent breast cancer. Early detection by mammography, before the cancer can be felt, in the majority of cases allows for less drastic treatment. It often saves your breast and your life.
Even if your breast self-examination is normal it’s still necessary to have mammograms. Doctors can detect abnormalities before they become evident in self-examination.
In fact, once a cancerous lump has grown large enough to detect during self-examination, it’s already in an advanced stage of development.
Annual mammograms are therefore essential as they can pick up abnormalities long before obvious physical signs develop.
