Dr. Love on "NEW" Mammogram guidelines

[RhondaH]

http://blog.dslrf.org/?p=113

[StephN]

Thanks, Rhonda. Dr. Love was all over the news yesterday.

There are numerous responses to her blog from outraged women who are mostly under age 50. They are appalled and disappointed that she seems to be advocating for finding a cure and developing better screening techniques, but leaving women with no safety net in the meantime.

I can't understand what she is thinking when at least 25% of breast cancers are HER2positive and mostly fast moving. Waiting is not an option for those like us here!

[Yorkiegirl]

I have never been impressed with Dr. Susan Love. Wasn't either when I saw her on the new's last night. I agree with Steph, what the heck is she thinking???

[Mary Jo]

I was walking on my treadmill this morning when I heard the news on the new mammogram guidelines....I was getting so ticked off that I was running on the treadmill by the end of the report. What are they thinking???? Obviously, they are NOT.

Mary Jo

[suzan w]

I am going to "unjoin" Susan Love's army or whatever it was I joined when my friend ws diagnosed with cancer back in 1997...my friend Joanna had not had her first mammogram yet when she discovered a huge mass under her arm. It was biopsied (do not know if it was Her2+ but I suspect it was). She had major surgery, chemo, radiation and within a year it had spread to her bones, then her ovaries, and finally her brain. She died in 1999. I always wondered if her outcome would have been different if she had a mammo...then in 2005 when I was first diagnosed Susan Love's website was the first place I went...
this is very frustrating

[hutchibk]

IMO, this is a forewarning of rationing ploys. Task Force recommendations will be sold as scientific and medically sound, people in the general public will buy into it, and before you know it, it will suddenly become a denied service...

[Unregistered]

A key reminder: this recommendation is for screening mammograms. Mammograms are still needed at almost any age if a lump is found. The recommendation also does not apply to all screening mammograms, only those for the average woman. Women at especially high risk may want to start mammograms at age 40 or even earlier.

[Faith in Him]

How do you know if your high risk when the majority of women with bc don't have a family history? I didn't but I had bc at age 37.

[Laurel]

Ladies,

You know how we always say men think with their penises? Well, governments think with their wallets. It is no more complicated than that.

I think Dr. Love is a qualified idiot. BTW, if this is the standard in Europe and it is to be hailed and lauded, why do we in the States have better survival rates?

[lizm100]

Dear unregistered-

Many young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer don't fall into the high risk factors. Through the many breast cancer forums and in person I have me many young women with no risk factors and they still ended up with breast cancer. I too had no risk factors since I have absolutely no breast cancer in my family. There are many girls in my family and I am the youngest of 6 girls. I did everything right; not overweight, had my 1st child b/4 the age of 30 and nursed all 3 of my children, exercised daily, ate healthy, avoided chemicals, no drinking, no smoking etc. I had no lump but ended up with breast cancer at the age of 38. After I stopped nursing my 8 month old I felt a thickening that only I felt and initially my doctors dismissed due to there being no family history of breast cancer. Due to my persistence, I finally got a mammogram. The radiologist who read my mammogram told me that it was a digital mammogram that saved my life. With my breasts being so dense, the mirco calcifications probably would not been visible on a traditional mammogram.

[lizm100]

Laurel-

I agree with you 100+%.

[vlcarr]

I wanted to throw something at the TV. And, then I see Susan Love advocating this change. If I had followed these guidelines I would not be here. Not high risk and no family history. Then I hear they are saying self exams are not beneficial. It made me so angry!

[CLTann]

If we drop the early mammogram and rely on palpability as a clue for getting a mammogram, many of us here would not be survivors. Small lesions are mostly not palpable, but they grow to become life-threatening. I am appaled by Susan Love's political submission to left wing activists who care not about us but to cater to the popular slogan of socialism.

[ElaineM]

It seems Dr.Love is not one of our favorite people. I never considered her to be more knowledgeable than other breast cancer specialists. I know plenty of young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Some of them were even under 40 !!!!!!!!!!

[Montana]

I emailed today and asked that they remove me from their "Army".

[Sandra in GA]

In some of the materials I received from Mayo when I was first diagnosed, I learned that 85% of women diagnosed with breast cancer HAVE NO FAMILY HISTORY that would put them in the "high risk" group. I have NO history and lots of aunts and girl cousins and I am the first! This statistic is not well known. I have been trying to spread the word for ALL women to do self breast exams and yearly mammograms. If you don't have family history, since this is so highly stressed, it is very easy to feel that you are safe when the reality is the opposite.

[Les]

I would be a very sick woman had I not been able to have a mamogram at the age of 44.I don't have cancer in my family and the mamo found my 1.3 cm tumor and it was her2+
that was 6 yrs ago and I am still here so I thank god for mamograms every day. This has to be stopped we need screening and if this is the only test it's better than nothing.Or maybe they want us to die.

[Catherine]

I am appalled at Dr. Love. I am going to "her" army site and unjoining right now. Now we know that her army was all about helping her to continue to be the Breast Guru. Besides fighting cancer we have to fight "experts" and popular gurus like Susan Love. Go to the blog and see how many people like us disagreed with the self-appointed breast expert.

This study and what it will do to younger women makes me angry.

Catherine