can you tell me when I can have my first mammogram?

Question

My Mother has jsut been diagnosed with breast cancer which was detected on a ruotine mammogram - I am 26 and worried about the genetic links with this? do you kow at what age I can have a mammogram?

Answer 1

You can have a mammogram now, and you maybe should. I had my first at 26, just after being diagnosed with cancer. The mammogram showed cancer, and I wished I had done one a lot sooner. I would get a baseline now, and then a follow up every 3-5 years or so until you are 40, then biannually until you are 50, then annually. Some doctors are reluctant to do a mammogram early because of the radiation exposure, but it is a very small fraction of the amount of radiation given during a single radiation therapy treatment, and is probably not worth worrying about, since you are now "high risk". Your Mom may want to consider having genetic testing done, especially if cancer runs in the family. If hers comes back positive, you can get yourself tested for a dramatically reduced rate.

Answer 2

Any woman over the age of 40 is supposed to have a mammogram every year.

If, for any reason, you believe you should be checked before then, you can. No doctor will tell you that you can't have a mammogram but they may try to tell you it's unnecessary. Your health insurance may or may not cover it even if you are at high risk.

While you are at a greater risk for cancer, worrying about it wont help. Do regular self-exams, get a yearly mammogram even if you have to pay out of your own pocket, and focus on something positive like the upcoming Breast Cancer 3 Day Events.

Best wishes for your Momma.

Answer 3

If you are worried about genetics, I am assuming there are other family members that have been diagnosed. There is really no right age to get a Mammogram, though most women should get an initial base-line between the ages of 30-35. If there are more than a few instances of fairly young (35 y.o. or younger) family members being diagnosed with breast cancer, or a history of re-occurring benign lumps, gather your information and talk to your Doctor. And don't forget monthly self breast exams!

Answer 4

Worry about genetic links?
Is your mother the 1st in your family to be diagnosed?
If so, there are probably no genetic links. If not then find out more. It needs to be close relations - - mother, grandmother, sister etc.
I had breast cancer 7 years ago, but as the 1st in my family, and the only one to have it, no-one was/is eligible for screening on a genetic basis.
I have two daughters in their twenties, two sisters in their forties, and a mother in her seventies.
My routine mammograms are on a 3 yearly basis!! So where the info of yearly comes from must be the states.
Not all breast cancers (or other types for that matter) are genetic, so don't worry on that score. Please give your mother my love and best wishes for a speedy recovery.
For more info, talk to the breast care nurse.

Answer 5

That depends on whether you have any symptoms now and the type of cancer your mother has and whether or not you carry the BRCA genes associated with breast cancer.

The younger you are, the denser breast tissue is and the less exact traditional mammography may be. There are many other tests and kinds of images that may be more useful for you. Your mother's cancer doctor should be able to begin the process for you and help you get testing and genetic counselling. You can also call your local American Cancer Society for a referral for risk assessment.

For you like all women, learning to do a good self breast exam every month is a critical part of prevention and early detection, as is an annual exam done by your physician or other provider. Get checked if anything unusual is seen or felt immediately as well.

Sometimes you have to fight insurance companies for such proactive care, but it's worth the fight. There are strategies that high risk women can take to decrease their risk as well, and the sooner started, the better. One of the simplest is maintaining a normal weight and eating a healthy, low fat diet. Not smoking helps as well.

Even when your mother has breast cancer, you are NOT guaranteed to get it, but being informed and getting good medical care is a little more important for you. And remember, most women now survive breast cancer.

Answer 6

Try Vitamin C therapy. A few years ago a cancer researcher came out with a paper saying that the best cancer and infection fighter as yet found was Interferon, but, at the time, it cost $15,000 a gram. The good part was that Interferon was a product of the natural breakdown of Vitamin C in your system. The FDA says that the RDA for Vit C is 64 mg a day, just enough to prevent scurvy. Linus Pauling, who got a Nobel Prize for his work with Vit C and a second Nobel Prize for organic chemistry, said 1000 mg a day as a minimum and 2000 mg a day if you are sick. On a personal note, I was sick twice a year, for 2 weeks at a time, for 20 years, and was flat on my back for at least a week each time. To this day the doctors have no idea what the problem was. After I gave up on the doctors I tried Vit C. I took enough to keep from being sick and just below too much to get diarrhea. It followed a bell curve over 2 weeks with a peak at 40,000 mg a day – about 300,000 over the 2 weeks. I was not sick for those 2 weeks and after a couple of years of that I have not been sick since. I did not dissolve my kidneys, as some doctors said would happen. I did not get any calcium build up or stones and did not dissolve my cones or solidify my joints. Try it, but drink a lot of water – Vit C is a natural diuretic.

Answer 7

I have had breast cancer .And my daughter was told when she is 35 years old then she will be able to have a mammogram.

Answer 8

Mammograms are normally for women aged 40+ and is recommended they are performed every 1-2 years routinely. Understandably you are concerned, you should either talk to your GP or NHS direct for more advice.

Answer 9

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