Mammograms: What For, Exactly?

Thank you for your comment on this issue. My mother was diagnosed with No-Hodgkins Lymphoma 22 years ago and as a result of the side effects of the chemo treatment she stopped. She opted for a completely natural solution and had been cancer free for over 20 years. She passed away at age 84 with colon cancer, which again she refused treatment. However, up to that time she took absolutely NO medication at all. The doctors were so insistent on her taking chemo and radiation treatments that they called and attempted to frighten her. She died very peacefully.

Dr. Kim,
I only want to express my appreciation for your work. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights with us.

I read many years ago about digital infrared thermal imaging and was fortunate enough to get to go to a free talk about it recently. It appears to be a great alternative to mammograms and can detect changes in breast tissue much sooner than mammograms. It is one of the only ways to detect inflammatory breast cancer. If one just looks up thermography and breast cancer there are many informative websites. But like dr. kim said - it is only a screening process. The thing I liked about it was the people who did this were able to catch abmormalities long enough beforehand so that alternative therapies could be tried. And as far as I can tell, there are no side effect like radiation and all.

Dr. Kim,
Your story about your family friend's doctor's response to you is so close to home for me. For my case, I had a severe case of leaky gut syndrome, which I found out through my own research. Both of my doctors were Stanford trained MDs. One said he could not help me since Nexium did not work for me, so he referred me to the other MD, a gastrointestinal specialist. After spending thousands of dollars with X-rays, endoscopy, etc., his diagnosis was that there was nothing wrong with me. I told him I could barely digest anything and I have been losing 10-12 pounds every 2 weeks. Since I was belching so much, my lungs felt like they were collapsing and my asthma attack was severe. His response was diet has nothing to do with my "condition" and that I can eat anything I want. His tests did not find any cancerous cells, so he then prescribed me with anti-depressants and wanted to do further analysis with more test of my stomach and esophagus. As a specialist, he did not even think about my other digestive organs that were problematic such as my liver and colon, which I later found out through an organ test via a homeopath that they were filled with toxins. You are right Dr. Kim, the average person with no medical background unfortunately will have a solid chance of being killed by medical treatments. I lost a total of 40 lbs. and if I have not been persistent and resourceful by seeking alternative treatments through diet, herbal and homeopathic solutions, I would have been dead 2 years ago. I am truly thankful for doctors like yourself and thank you for sharing valuable information through your newsletters.

Great examples and personal reference - thanks very much for the article. Like the comment below, I also have opted for thermal imaging - Thermography. If what I've researched is accurate - this technologoy allows you to see changes in your breast 7 to 10 years before you would be able to feel or see anything in a traditional mammography. And there is no breast compression or radiation whatsoever. Would love to know others research findings there. Best to all.

I so appreciate hearing an alternative viewpoint. At age 52 I succumbed to the urging of my physician and friends and very reluctantly had my first mammogram, including a repeat for "more images" along with a sonogram (because there was "something suspicious" and there was no baseline with which to compare the images). Nothing was found.

Each medical professional assured me that digital images involve very little radiation, but I didn't believe it and I also felt that the compression just could not be a good thing to do to your body. When the imaging center told me "next year won't be so bad", I responded that I would not be back "next year". They looked at me with horror and disdain. My soon-to-be ex-physician was equally non-supportive in my desire to forego additional screening mammograms. I presented the referring physician with a copy of an Australian report that basically concluded that there was no benefit to annual mammograms and should someone decide to go this route that there was no need to start at age 40 nor was there any real benefit to an annual image. She did not take this information well and accused me of trying to "play doctor".

I think a lot of women are intimidated into following the conventional "wisdom" - they fear that the physicians will refuse to keep them as a patient or that later they'll get an "I told you so" if cancer should present.

Does anyone have any recommendation as to what to say in this situation?

I have always thought the same thing about mammograms - that they can cause cancer. I had one done in my life and it left me bruise and sore for 2 yrs. I decided, that wasn't for me again. I had to have open heart surgery to repair my mitral valve (due to heart infection caused by strep throat that wasn't treated quickly when I was 20 yrs.) and also a double bypass which was totally unexpected. I have changed my diet since surgery at age 65, gone off all meds - atenolol and lipitor and have gone to natural supplements - red yeast rice, fish oil, niacin, CoQ10, etc. My BP is 101/62 with no meds. I went off the lipitor because I discovered that the drug can deplete CoQ10, etc. and can cause irregular heartbeats. Since going off it, I have less and less irregular heartbeats. My cardioligist said some people have them the rest of their life and occasional ones were not to worry about. I also find that if I do not drink enough liquids, it will trigger them also! In addition, I also take Immunextra - pine cone extract to enhance my immune system. I am friends with the doctor who patents this at Tampa Bay Research Institute and know how well it work - it help my husband recover from plasmacytoma to years ago - protein markers are gone from his blood now - his oncologist said keep taking it because something has to be working to do that. If anyone wants more info, look at www.immunextra or www.tbri.org. It enhances anything that someone takes and won't interfere with any drugs, supplement, etc. - only enhances its outcome. Taken with chemo, it help a person get rid of toxins.

Hi Dr. Kim,
I read with interest your article on mammograms. My mom had breast cancer at age 38 and passed away at age 49. I had my first mammogram at age 29 when I had a benign mass {hamaratoma} removed from one breast. I have had mammograms annually ever since, I am almost 42. The new digital mammograms are much quicker and seem easier than the older machines. I also have started to get annual MRI's. I am grateful for all this screening, but now feel a bit concerned. Can you direct me to literature that supports the correlation between mammography and causation of breast cancer? Thank you so much. I enjoy your newsletter and recipes! Deb

Dear Dr. Ben, excellent article, you discussed many good points... mammograms make no sense with how they abuse the breast tissue...it would be great to share thermograms as an alternative if there is pressure or a need to assess the breasts for unhappy cells :)
Thanks for all your insights into health and well being!
Tammy

I am 48 and have refused to have a mammogram because I have read about the effects and dangers of mammography (through Dr. Joseph Fuhrmann's website.)This article does a great job summarizing those dangers and the confusion between "diagnosis" and "prevention."

I did not realize that women with dense breast tissue and early-onset menstruation had such high false-positive rates. I fit both those categories; thank goodness I did not have one. What disruption to my life, financial stress, and needless pain I might have suffered if I had. What needless worry such a false diagnosis might have caused my family and friends as well.

When mammography comes up in conversation with friends or family, or at the MD's office, and I say that I will not have one, and never have, they often stare at me in horror or suggest that I am stupid, neurotic, or naive. I will print out this article so I can hand it to them next time this comes up. I refuse to go to an MD who treats me as if I am an imbecile or neurotic for refusing mammograms and for believing, for very good reason, that nutrition and cancer are linked.

Mammography is a very lucrative business. Who supports the research that promotes mammograms, chemotherapy, and radiation? Who funds the writing and publishing of many medical textbooks? I think the answers to these questions would shock many people who trust these "treatments."

I would like to say that I agree with Dr Kims position. I however think that this is more a situation of how things ought to be rather than how they are in reality. If you are a woman that is already practicing a healthy lifestyle, as outlined in the article, then I agree that educating yourself on how to perform a proper breast self exam and having your self screened by a professional through an exam would be a better choice. I dont think that the women who are not already taking care of there health will benefit from the article simply because they likely wont make any change other than ceasing mammograms. The reality is they are ignoring all the information about preventative measures already and they will likely adhere to the idea of not getting a mammogram but make to effort to change their current habits. I think these women should get a mammogram screening. It may save their life.

Any screening test of early detection of breast cancer is risky because of overdiagnosis. And it isn't just radiation and chemotherapy that are dangerous but also surgery to remove a breast cancer, as it frequently leads to secondary cancer, in a number of cases it is going to be metastatic (read "The Mammogram Myth: The Independent Investigation Of Mammography The Medical Profession Doesn't Want You To Know About" by Rolf Hefti. Also see <a href="http://www.supplements-and-health.com/mammograms.html">Mammograms: Dangerous! Mammography Risks, Myths & Breast Cancer Facts</a> ). If women knew the real facts about breast cancer, mammography, and screening, many would hesitate to blindly believe what their doctors tell them.

thank you so much for posting this article and sharing this most valuable information. I feel pretty good that my diet is more plant-based these days. I feel so much better from it. I intend to share this article with others. oddly enough, my chiropractor friend told me about a safer mammogram, unfortunately the procedure name escapes me at this time. thanks again. take care. - rahmah

Dr Kim what is your opinion on thermography as a safer alternative to BC screening. I come from a large family with a very big cancer history (colon, breast, testicular, skin, kidney, etc). I am a BC survivor of 6 yrs, have one sister that has had two different types of BC. Both of us are concerned for our daughters and granddaughters. Wonder what is a safe screening measure in addition to monthly self exam. I read about themography, but it seems most doctors say it is useless.

Is 150 times radiation of a chest x-ray correct? The mammograms I have require less radiation than one chest x-ray.

Oh don't worry Dr. Ben I will not get a mammogram no matter how much the medical field & doctors try to convince me of its importance & safety! I continue to receive manual breast exams. How cunningly awful that self breast exams and breast exams performed during annual pap smears are optimal ways of prevention for years and now all of a sudden become either less important or less ideal now that the invention of the breast machine needs promoting for revenue. I agree, eating nutritionally more than not is your best defense to not end up subject to the deceptions and as a possible victim of the medical industry. Its really a matter of life and death!