There is so much in the media about breast cancer these days. Breast cancer rates are going down. Mammography is not the answer - MRIs are. There are new proteins which control cancer. What am I supposed to do and think?

The facts are that breast cancer death rates are going down. That's because most breast cancers are discovered and treated earlier. What does that mean? That means that women are going for their screening mammograms and that the techniques are discovering potential and actual cancers earlier so they can be treated.

Mammorgraphy is the first step. If you are over 40, or think you have discovered a lump or anomaly in your breasts, demand a mammogram. At the minimum, have it checked out by a doctor who is familiar with breast cancers. I had a "suspicious" lump about a month ago - to my detriment, I delayed having it checked out because I was afraid of what it might mean. After about a week, I had it checked by my surgeon who thought it was a cyst, but said it needed to come out anyway - long story short, it was a cyst, but my mind is now at ease and the cyst is gone - removed. Please don't delay - get anything unusual checked out. It could mean your life!

If you get a mammogram and the results are uncertain, insist on an ultrasound. If that doesn't yield definitive results, insist on a MRI. Worst case, insist on a biopsy. Your life and future health could be on the line.

If you have questions, ask your doctor, ask me. But don't just exist without answers.

Always take control of your own health care  - nobody cares about you like you do!

 

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