Re: Dr. Susan Love
 

As a young woman who was diagnosed at age 30 with widespread metastatic disease, I am confused and saddened by these new guidelines. The fact is that there are no effective screening mechanisms for young women. They don't recommend mammograms for my age group. So what are we left to do? Self exam. That's all we can do. Find a lump - pray to God you have good doctors. I didn't. Mine dismissed it as nothing. I pushed for a mammogram and that too failed me. Young women are frequently misdiagnosed because we tend to have dense breast tissue anyway. I got the "all clear" after a mammogram and ultrasound. And I know that it was a mistake. A huge one. One that led me to be untreated for 7 months while the cancer had the opportunity to grow and spread to my bones, liver, lungs and brain.

So where do these new guidelines leave young women? We're being told not to bother with self exams? Please. How exactly are we suppose to be diagnosed?

Another thing that frustrates me about all of this is that it is really distracting from the bigger picture - a need to find a cure. And fast. I am losing friends every week to this horrible disease. Beautiful women - mothers, daughters, sisters. It needs to stop.

So frustrated,

Courtney