Why You Should Avoid Mammograms

 The government is waffling about the need for women to have mammograms before age 50 or even how often this needs to happen.

Mammograms are dangerous. There is almost never a reason for a woman to have one.

The primary reason is that mammograms expose women to a load of radiation equivalent to 1,000 chest X-rays. Since we know that radiation causes cancer, it stands to reason that the preventive test might actually cause the disease it is attempting to prevent. Over a period of years, that amount of radiation can certainly cause trouble.

In addition, the extreme breast compression that takes place during a mammogram might even rupture an existing tumor, spilling possible cancerous cells into the breast tissue and even spreading cancer.

Doctors are fervent, even zealous about the idea that all women need annual mammograms to form the time they are 40. Doctors cite "research" showing that early-stage breast cancer detecting through mammogram screenings.

They say the mammograms will detect cancer that women cannot discern in their monthly breast self-exams.

But what doctors don't tell you is that there is no evidence that screening for breast cancer with mammograms saves women's lives. It is interesting to note that although mammography does lead to the discovery of smaller, earlier-stage cancerous tumors, that detection does not lead to improves breast cancer survival rates over tumors discovered by physical examination alone.

As far back as 2001, European experts who reviewed the health benefits of mammograms were unable to find any proof of their benefits. These findings undermined the initial study on which modern mammograms are justified.

The nation's largest medical specialty group, the American College of Physicians, several years ago questioned the wisdom of mammograms, particularly for women between 40 and 50. The 120,000-member association that represents internists said the risks of mammography may outweigh its benefits.