Some things to be aware of re. mammograms

Women: Think Twice About This Test, Even if Your Doctor Bullies You   
You may be chastised. You may be threatened. You may even be told "I can't be your doctor, unless," but there's a reason more women are refusing to get these tests - they're incorrect 80% of the time and can lead to a diagnosis for a disease you don't have...  The following article gives information that it is important to be aware of:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/14/mammography-use.aspx?e_cid=20130414_SNL_Art_1&utm_source=snl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130414

Important article for women to read.  Here's a small excerpt (but read it all for complete information and then make your own decision):

Why are Nearly All Health Care Professionals Not Following Current Mammogram Recommendations?

Nearly every woman age 40 and older continues to be told by their primary care physician, their gynecologist, the media, self-proclaimed advocacy groups, and even their medical insurance carrier, “get your annual mammogram!” despite the fact that nearly every recent authoritative study concludes that women should know all of the facts before agreeing to a mammogram screening. Yet nearly all health care professionals insist on mammograms. If a woman dare refuse, she may be chastised or worse, threatened. These efforts have gone beyond persuasion to guilt and even coercion, “I can’t be your doctor if you don’t get a mammogram.” Women need to stop this runaway train, not only for their sake, but for the sake of their daughters.

In November 2012, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study by Dr Archie Bleyer, MD from The Oregon Health Sciences Center, and his co-author, Dr H. Gilbert Welch, M.D., M.P.H., from Dartmouth, challenging the validity of mammogram screenings and concluded that mammograms have little to no influence in the reduction of the number of women who ultimately die of breast cancer.

Facts and Persisting Concerns: Mammograms

More women are refusing mammograms. This is reflected in the dramatic decline of 4.3 percent in 2010. Previously, mammography use had increased annually by 1 percent between 2005 and 2009. Mammograms:

1. Are incorrect 80 percent of the time (providing a false negative or false positive)
2. Require repeated ionized radiation that can cause cancer
3. Use compression, which can damage breast tissue or potentially spread cancer
4. Are not effective for up to 50 percent of women (women with dense breasts or implants)
5. Can lead to over-diagnosis and over-treatment of non-invasive cancers
6. Can lead to the disturbing practice of “preventative” double mastectomies