We invite you to join in the conversation by leaving a comment below.
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.
Missy sounds like an angry woman in her blog. Why is that? I work in a Breast Center and am disappointed in her writing. Disappointed enough not to purchase from Title 9 anymore.
Tell it to the woman who has had a mammogram, and was told they had cancer – but didn’t. Tell it to the woman who have had a mammogram, were told they were fine and shortly after are diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.
It’s pretty clear from current research that a woman’s odds of over-diagnosis and over-treatment are far greater than her odds of finding a harmful cancer through regular mammograms. The legions of over-diagnosed and over-treated women who have been told and bought into the idea that their lives were saved by early and aggressive treatment compound the misinformation.
The concept of early detection seems logical but unfortunately has not resulted in fewer breast cancer deaths. Instead early detection leads to aggressive treatment of slight physical anomalies that would often just disappear or never cause any harm. Gilbert Welch of Dartmouth has some excellent books and other writings along these lines.
If a woman has the data and still decides to pursue mammography, more power to her, but those of us who choose the opposite approach are equally empowered. Missy is giving voice to the currently less popular choice, but I applaud her for speaking out on this issue. I’m really disappointed in all the comments from women who say they will boycott Title Nine products. It’s silly. I’m for more education, more options and more choice every way possible, be it sportswear or medicine.
Rock On Missy! I applaud your willingness to go public with the issues many of us have been talking about. Mammograms have their place, perhaps, for some people but they also cause problems – exposing women to radiation, possibly smashing tissue possibly exposing cancer cells to the body and the FEAR. As you point out the pink movement is more about corporations getting their “feel good” ya yas out vs. putting money to real research (how about research NOT funded buy the pharmaceutical companies??!!). Thank you for taking this public and brave stand.
I admit, it was risky and it took courage to make that statement. But I think in order to understand where Missy is coming from, you will have to read the articles attached to her statement. I especially found the NY Times article interesting and very informative. It is detailed and based on statistical information. I am considered a high risk person and I have always kept up with the latest research and prevention. It is hard not to get wrapped up in the fear of getting cancer and questioning yourself if you do everything you can to prevent it. I happen to live in two countries and I see how things are done differently outside the US. I think we always must be critical and question the status quo just to make sure, we receive the best possible service/prevention. But if you think about it – the leading cause of death for women is heart disease. Do you get an annual heart/artery screen? Is checking blood pressure and cholesterol enough? Also, the leading cause of cancer death is lung cancer not breast cancer. What prevention services exist for it?
I have been a fan of Title Nine for a few years now. Prior to this e-mail arriving, I was not familiar with “Missy’s Musings.” As a new breast cancer survivor, I was curious about this blog and the debate regarding breast cancer. The choices we make around healthcare issues relating to mostly women should be informed by the medical community and our personal history, risk tolerance, and knowledge of the issue. I re-read Missy’s statement. She never really says why she is opting out of mammograms. Does she think she is one of the lucky women who will not get breast cancer? Does she think mammograms do no good? Does she think the fear associated with a false positive is reason enough to avoid mammograms altogether?
I agree with Missy that it is a personal choice….and once you have been diagnosed options regarding treatment are given to you with statistics and information. Breast cancer is far from being a black and white issue. My story, probably like that of other survivors, demonstrates this. Approximately 13 years ago I detected two very small lumps in my right breast. Neither showed on mammogram. I suspect that because my blood work had been off for a couple of years the doctors opted to biopsy one of the lumps. It was benign. In 2011, following a mammogram, I was called back in for more pictures. It too turned out to be a false alarm. Fast forward to the spring of 2014, when I am 45 years old and discover while showering a good size lump (2.5 cm) in my right breast. I had had a mammogram four months before which was considered clear. Yes, I have dense breasts. Initially after an ultrasound, I was told that it was likely a fibroendanoma that we would just watch. However, a biopsy (done just to make sure) revealed that it was cancer. Then I was presented with options which included lumpectomy, chemo first to shrink tumor and then lumpectomy, or mastectomy. After careful consideration based on my individual circumstances ( young children, odd health history) I opted to have a bilateral mastectomy. My biggest reason for choosing the mastectomy was that I did not want to go through surgery and chemo again should there be a recurrence. Also, because of my dense breasts I feared regular testing might not identify a tumor until it was quite advanced. Initially my surgeon seemed to recommend the lumpectomy citing statistics that said the survival rate for those with mastectomy and lumpectomy was about the same. Meanwhile my plastic surgeon supported my instinct to do the bilateral surgery. Shortly after my surgery, the doctor performing the mastectomy called my husband to say he was so glad I opted for the mastectomy because they had found a second invasive tumor deeper in the breast (which neither a mammogram or MRI found). Also, the pathology report identified lobular cancer in situ as well as ductal carcinoma in situ. Even my other breast was not terribly healthy. So I am glad I followed my instincts. I did not make my decision out of fear. I reasoned my way through the information presented and made the best choice for me. I had a friend who went through a similar experience a year before. She had done some hormone therapy, which the doctors said was like giving miracle grow to her tumors. Like me, her breast cancer thrived on estrogen. Unlike me, she opted out of chemo, did radiation, and then stopped her post radiation treatment designed to stop estrogen from feeding any remaining cancer cells. For those who are not aware, there are many different types of breast cancer each with it’s own implications regarding treatment and prognosis. Even within that there are no guarantees. In essence, I doubt we are talking about one cure for breast cancer. Has the greater awareness led to overtreatment….probably. There may be some tumors that will never become invasive or grow too slowly to affect one’s life span. One of the things they do is examine your tumor and give it a grade between 1 and 3 based on different aspects. A grade 3 tumor is not good. I had a grade 3 and a grade 2 tumor. I underwent a heavy regimen of chemo for 4 months. During that time I was hospitalized on one occasion due to a bad reaction to the chemo. I spent a couple of days in ICU while they tried to figure out what was going on. I am a year out from the end of my chemo and I am finally beginning to feel like myself again. I have to take tamoxifen or a similar drug for the next 10 years (they use to recommend 5 years, but now based on research they recommend 10 years). Also, research has shown that I would be better on a drug known as Arimidex, but I could not tolerate it following chemo so I asked to be put on Tamoxifen. My doctor agreed. I also underwent genetic testing. I have two daughters and wanted to know if my cancer was due to an errant gene. Again, it was my choice. I was fully informed of the pros and cons of undergoing limited or full genetic testing. Thankfully, my cancer was not due to a genetics.
Treatment should be a collaboration. Women should speak up with their concerns and fears, but they should also listen to the doctors and their opinions. To reject out of hand what the medical community recommends is its own form of fear mongering. Based on my experience, I truly believe my practitioners have my best interest at heart. They do not have all the answers. And I have historically presented my docs with some atypical issues.
So I have to ask, Missy….what is your reason for opting out of a mammogram? I find your choice interesting because after my diagnosis at least two friends went immediately to have mammograms. So is your choice a form of protest? I agree with you that often fundraising does not benefit the cause as fully as we would like it to. This is the case with many causes and organizations. As a breast cancer survivor, I can honestly say I don’t pay much attention to all the hoopla in the month of October. I just do not work that way. I do recognize that for others the recognition of the cause is important. If you get diagnosed down the line, will you regret your choice to forego screening tests?
I think there has been progress in research regarding understanding this disease. And isn’t understanding it fully the first step in finding cures or appropriate treatments?
I’m sorry for the length of my reply….I just think in this kind of conversation the specifics of one’s case are illuminating. And honestly, the more light we can shed on the topic for women facing difficult decisions the better.
To my fellow breast cancer survivors, may health and courage be yours.
So Missy’s not getting a mammogram. So what. I don’t see what all the fuss is about. In what way does this really impact anybody elses life?
Sending this email was irresponsible and ill advised. T9 has an audience of thousands of women and this is what they chose to advocate? Decisions regarding one’s health should be made at the advice of a medical professional, depending on a person’s specific situation, family history, and a variety of other medically proven factors. Missy offers no explanation for why she has chosen not to take the precautionary step to get a mammogram – which is still the recommended course for women with a family history of this awful disease – yet broadcasts this choice to thousands of customers. Opinions like this are certainly not why I provided my email address to this company. And the thought that the “musings” of this CEO could convince a woman not to seek medical care is terrifying.
As for her problem with “awareness,” I get it . . . almost. As a woman affected by this disease, I struggle with seeing pink thrown up by every retailer, manufacturer, and organization every October, knowing full well that buying those pink cookies or coffee with a pink ribbon on the front is unlikely to actually put any money into the research pool. However, if seeing pink shoes on NFL players’ feet or walking by a pink banner in the mall reminds just one woman to go get that lump she has been feeling checked out, talk to a doctor about her risk factors, or get that overdue mammogram, then bring on the pink!
Missy’s problem with awareness is even more troubling because she has a platform available to her to do something about it. Sell a pink shirt of which 100% of the proceeds goes to RESEARCH. Do your homework, Missy, and find one of the many organizations that use your money towards research and put some of T9’s profits towards that worthy cause.
It is Missy’s personal choice and right not to get a mammogram, of course. But her choice to send this email was a terrible one. I have unsubscribed from T9’s email and catalog and will not buy from this company.
Hear hear I agree 100 percent and will also unsubscribe and never buy anything from T9 again
Well said.
My sentiments, too! I love Title IX but will not shop there again. Irresponsible!
Melissa I had the exact same reaction that you did. I work in healthcare and I am horrified that “Missy” has decided to use her position to air her healthcare views to a captive audience of thousands of women based on the two articles she read. I only hope that women reading her letter will discuss this with their physicians and get a real professionals opinion. I also have unsubscribed.
I don’t wish anything bad or harmful to anybody, but where will you run to Missy if you ever get diagnosed with breast cancer? Then that mammogram and MRI machine will be looking pretty good won’t they. Be careful on what you think or say, because it all comes around sooner or later. You should be ashamed of yourself!! AND I certainly wouldn’t buy even a piece of dirt from you!! My husband also wanted me to tell you that you should run to the gun store if you get breast cancer and that you are full of it, and just write these sensational blogs so people will buy your wares. You have over 500 reviews of your immensely dangerous blog, stop writing all together!!
To all the OBG/GYNS writing in with such blistering criticism, how many of you would admit to the lack of nutitional training you received (and never supplemented with CIE courses)? How many would admit to the fact that it is the MRI which would be the test of preference (and would eliminate the terribly fearful unnecessary biopsies for the many false positives?) If one actually studies world-wide opinion of medical professionals many have admitted to disliking the entire protocol and believe that chemotherapy is completely useless.
The real problem is not that there are differing opinions (for those open to new information ) but that women are not educated about choices (which they have the right to make) as big pharma runs both medical schools and the AMA, and it seems that only doctors who have been persecuted for holding different opinions or those who are old enough to feel that they have less to lose will express their dismay.
How comfortable are YOU with complimentary or integrative medicine? More importantly, would you lose your jobs for going “off book” if you *knew* a natural herb or homeopathy might be a good answer *before* filling the body with chemicals that are, by themslves, known carcinogens? Why take an already immune compromised, sick person and give her drugs which further attack the immune system.
There ARE some responsible, brilliant doctors (of Western nedicine) asking themselves these questions.
Why is it that we are closer to curing AIDS then we are to eliminating cancer after the gazillion of dollars and many years poured into “cancer research” (“awareness”?).
Doctors, you have lost my trust. I no longer follow your orders, obeying because you genuinely believe that your opinion is the ONLY opinion.
Free from prescription pad medicine, free from dangerous protocols and open to hearing new information from all scholarly sources,
Suze
How can you say that chemotherapy is “totally useless”?!