Mammograms - Who Needs Them?

Perhaps no aspect of breast cancer is more widely publicized than screening mammography. Ads on television, in magazines, and in the daily paper urge women to deal with fear about breast cancer by having a yearly mammogram. We're even told that doing this is a way to "really care for yourself."

But screening mammograms don't prevent breast cancer. A mammogram is an x-ray and x-rays cause cancer. The ads promoting regular screening mammography are paid for by those who stand to profit from their widespread acceptance and use - the manufacturers of the equipment and x-ray film. Whose health does this technology really benefit? Women's health? Or corporate health?

Should women have screening mammograms? At what age? How frequently? Science hasn't agreed on answers to these questions. Susun Weed believes that her anti-cancer lifestyle (see page xv in Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way) will decrease the risk of dying from breast cancer in a way that regular mammograms won't. She cares for her breasts with infused herbal oils, regular loving touch, organic foods, and healthy exercise - and forgoes regular screening mammograms. If you decide to have a mammogram, Weed offers advice on how to protect yourself and get the most out of it.

If You Decide to Have a Mammogram

· Get the best, even if it means a long journey.

· Go where they specialize, preferably where they do at least 20 mammograms a day.

· Be sure the facility is accredited by the American College of Radiology.

· Insist on personnel who specialize in mammograms. (Taking and reading mammograms are skills that require intensive training and a lot of practice.)

· Ask how old the equipment is. Newer equipment exposes the breasts to less radiation. A dedicated unit (one specifically for mammograms) is best.

· Ask how they ensure quality control. When was their unit calibrated?

· Load your blood with carotenes by eating a cup of cooked sweet potato, winter squash, or carrots every day for a week before the mammogram to prevent radiation damage to your DNA.

· Expect to be cold and uncomfortable during the mammogram, but do say something if you're being hurt.

· The more compressed the breast tissue, the clearer the mammogram. (But pressure may spread cancer cells if they are present.)

· If your breasts are tender, reschedule. During your fertile years, schedule mammograms for 7-10 days after your menstrual flow begins.

· Don't wear antiperspirant containing aluminum; it can interfere with the imaging process. (Those clear stones do contain aluminum, as do most commercial antiperspirants.)

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