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Read More:
“Why Doctors Are Rethinking Breast-Cancer Treatment.” Time Magazine, October 1, 2015.
“Our Feel-Good War on Breast Cancer.” Peggy Orenstein. The New York Times, April 25, 2013.
HI,
I for one totally support the writer. We are radiating women’s breast with cancer causing rays. Starting at age 40, you have to wonder why so many in 50’s who do it routinely might be getting cancer…it is one of the many insults of our “modern Society”. I also believe if you have that genetic tendency, mammograms are a sure way to turn it on. I for one, don’t even like supporting research, not the kind that is happening anyway. There is not drug that will ever cure cancer…drugs is not the answer. Eliminating all the chemicals and food additives, pesticides, would be a great start. I know several who have changed their cancer diagnosis by changing their diets and using CBD’s…..yes, the hemp plant….the entire plant…and not some chemical derivative. I feel like plants could help….but when the pharmacy’s step in, it because a chemical process and expensive…Let’s face it, do you think the Drug companies really want a cure for cancer..? They don’t even want a cure for the simple things that make them lots of money. Let’s talk again, do you know who is running the FDA? Yup….someone planted their my Monsanto…who is one of the biggest health hazards of our nation. I have friend who in nursing school was actually told….someday mammograms are going to be looked at as barbaric…the cause of many cancers….what would work, would be putting the power back into the people’s hands so you can bet no drug company is ever going to allow that happen easily…so my hat’s off to all of you who take the responsibility to make choices that feel right to you, whatever they may be….
Another factor to consider…breast cancer rates have risen as fewer mothers breastfeed their babies. More support and education for mothers to breastfeed their babies may decrease the rates of various cancers, such as breast, uterine, cervical, and ovarian.
Yeah, that’s what Paul McCartney’s first wife did and she’s been dead for decades.
Please explain your logic to my close friend who at age 40 at her first mammogram found breast cancer. Who after the pathology from her mastectomy learned she actually had two kinds of breast cancer, one of which was aggressive, neither of which were palpable and were only discovered THANKS TO HER MAMMOGRAM.
I’ll keep getting my mammograms thanks.
Please get your soap box out of my inbox. Sending your commentary to your entire customer base was way out of line.
Meanwhile, I’ll be doing my own opting out — opting out of Title Nine that is.
This is a HUGE mistake. Using this type of publicity could cost lives. There is no reason to take this chance. Most insurance companies will pay, and if not there are many resources to help pay. Most hospitals run specials and low cost exams. I totally agree with the radiologist who trained for MANY years and for you as a CEO do not have the training or knowledge to make this statement. I am very disappointed.
Bravo! I do not want to downplay breast cancer or any cancer. I have been affected by cancer and have seen friends torn apart as they lose their loved ones or even their own health. While I probably won’t opt out of mammography, I do go out of my way in order to avoid any financial support of Breast Cancer Research – it seems like one hell of a great marketing machine and I have no interest in funding it. Heart Disease is the #1 killer of women – did you know that? Did you know that it is terrifyingly underdiagnosed in women or that the symptoms in women are very different that the symptoms in men? I choose to support research into heart disease in hopes that it will improve women’s health overall.
Really!!! I am a survivor of 6 years. Had my sister not had “buddy check 9,” I might have missed finding a stage 3, aggressive breast cancer in my breasts. After I was diagnosed did some family research. I found that this cancer runs in my family. I was also involved in defending litigation that could not prove that HRT was the cause of breast cancer. Education is very important, but not your kind of education.
I am a radiologist and part of my practice is performing breast imaging. I agree that there is a lot of noise out there, both in favor and opposing use of screening mammography, and that studies have been published on both sides. The lay media (i.e. Time magazine, CNN, the major networks, NYT) have contributed to the discussion.
With that as background, I am utterly confused by this essay from the CEO of Title Nine. She is confusing her critiques. She is on one hand criticizing the dollars spent on research not going to research (though she conveniently doesn’t cite a source nor which organization has this percentage–is it Komen foundation? And if Komen raises 100 times the amount of money that otherwise may be spent, is it better to have high overhead or not?)
Then on the other hand, she is criticizing the efficacy and accuracy of screening mammography. Perhaps radiology community is its own worst enemy in advocating for mammograms–no test is perfect, and it is sometimes sold as that way. Still, I advocate for it personally because there is no alternative and it is way more effective than doing nothing. With screening, there will always be the fight of “sensitivity vs specificity” which will lead to calling back more (being more sensitive) to catch the actual disease (the specificity).
Criticizing for stage 0 cancers (DCIS) is another conundrum. Who ignores these? Who feels comfortably ignoring these? Is it “bad” to find these? How do we as a medical community randomize patients to know if these should or should not be treated? Is that even ethical?
Valid questions, but by publicly ranting about this mixture of issues while providing no factual backup/references is irresponsible as leader of a major seller of women’s clothing. It’s not like you are “private citizen” here, but rather an impressive and influential woman who has led a profitable and well received line. With that comes responsibility, and I think you have overstepped that. Especially as it was emailed to your subscriber base and not just found by people clicking on a link.
Well said! I am a bit upset by this email and the fact it went out to probably thousands of women. I am currently going through chemotherapy for Stage 2a breast cancer. I am only 45. Tools like mammograms are also used in conjunction with your ob/gym, radiologist and self-exams. I for one would rather go through a biopsy that ends up negative than be blissfully ignorant and not catch cancer until it’s stage 3 or 4. I think a better use of this CEOs power is to find the right organization to get behind and direct readers there. I, for one, won’t be shopping at Title Nine anymore because of how disappointed I am.
Thank you so much for taking the time to pen this.
I hope this works out for you. I myself will continue to get mammos and ultrasounds every year. I have lost 8 friends from breast cancer between the ages of 35-50. I don’t want to take a chance.
I have opted out of mammograms for most of my life…I am 65 now and had a mammogram 2-summers ago. I did this because 2 clients in one week had just recovered from breast cancer radiation treatments. I do think that we have been over scared about things that might happen.
Thank you Missy for bringing up this conversation! Let’s keep talking..it is good for the soul!