I’m 41 and ready for my first mammogram. My gyn mentioned I was too young ... but my grandmother had breast cancer and I would prefer to start having them now.
How can I do this?
Thanks!
Hi all,
You need to tell your gynaecologist about your family history and need for a mammogram at a younger age. Did you not tell her about your family history when you asked her about it.
The routine mammograms start at age 50 for women without a family history of breast cancer.
I did, but she shrugged it off.
Ask your insurance? Heard as well that you can do it - paid by insurance - if there is a family history.
I would suggest changing gyn.
You have every reason to be monitored early.
My first mammo was in my late 30s, and it’s not a problem to have one covered by the insurance.
https://www.unisante.ch/sites/defaul...in_VD_2020.pdf
On page 4, it indicates that if there is a family history of cancer not to wait until 50.
There’s also an information number on page 5.
You can do it whenever you want, the question you ask is when does the insurance pay for it !
You may have to pay for it yourself but a few 100's franks but if it gives peace of mind....
Normally with family history you should be able to get it done via insurance, insist with your gyn or find one who understands you
Here's the Donna programme for early detection of cancer, in Canton Berne. Perhaps they could help you to find out how to get a mammogram even though you are unter 50, with or without paying for it yourself.
https://www.donna-programm.ch/de/wil...-programm.html
Or perhaps, as an alternative, an ultrasound of the breasts.
I've just paid chf: 520 for a mammogram and ultrasound scan in Geneva, as I was new to that particular imagerie (and now using frontalier insurance) they made me pay up front.
@Susie-Q ..... I've been having annual mammograms done in Geneva since arriving here in my twenties, so over forty years.
It's always for covered by my health insurance due to a family history of breast cancer. If your gyni isn't taking your concerns seriously then find a new one who does!
You definitely need a new gynaecologist if that’s her attitude.
In Bern, contact these guys....
https://www.lindenhofgruppe.ch/de/un...tzentrum-bern/
I think you can get a referral for a new gyn who will listen to you. This is where I get my mammogram every year, and I really like their facility.
If you want a mammogram, you should be able to get one, or at least have a reasonable discussion about the why and why not.
My gyn told me that a mammogram on a pre-menopausal breast wasn’t really useful as the tissue is so dense that the tiny tumors are next to impossible to see. Those visible on a mammogram are also palpable apparently, so regular self-palpation is much more useful, especially as tumors can grow very fast and aggressively at a young age.
Apparently, it’s very different after menopause where the hormonal changes modify the breast and make it much easier to detect.
This is true, especially if you have dense tissue. An ultrasound is sometimes more useful. And there are breast cancers which don’t show up on mammography. But I think if you have a family history, it’s worth it to understand the structure of your breast at a younger age, so maybe a consult with a breast specialist is a good idea so you can determine your best screening strategy.
At any rate, your gyn blowing off your concern without explanation sucks.
My wife’s cancer was detected by her gynecologist who, despite regular mammograms, thought something just didn’t feel right. An ultrasound and PET-CT scan confirmed his suspicions. Post-Menopausal as well.
My late wife had nothing on her mammograms.
Informed her that a co-worker's wife had a tumor, she found one, removed three days later.
Too late.
Tom
Change gyno if that's their attitude...
My Own Breast Cancer Story:
I thought I detected something abnormal on the right side at the age of 39, and given my family history, insisted on having a mammogram and ultrasound. Right side checked out okay but there were some calcifications on the left that warranted further investigation. Fast forward six months and two biopsies later, I eventually had a diagnosis of stage 1 cancer on the left side, needed surgery that required a one-week stay in the hospital, more than a month off work, plus five weeks of radiation therapy, plus five years of hormones. It's not been fun, but I feel eternally grateful we caught it early.
We would have never caught this cancer at such a treatable stage if I'd waited to have a mammo until I was fifty, or if I'd waited until I felt a lump.
Moral of the story: be your own advocate and INSIST on being screened if you have a family history.
I agree the OP’s gyn’s attitude is off.
When I asked mine about mammograms after learning that a friend and a work colleague got breast cancer almost at the same time, and both under 40, she gave me the explanation listed above, but added that she would gladly prescribe me one anyway if it would help with my peace of mind. I finally decided to not do one, but I had the choice.
I'm sorry to hear that, Tom.
Seems to be one of those with different approaches according to doctors....
My gyno here always said not needed until 50 unless a history. My doctor in Singapore suggested to wait unless a family history as too early mammograms (40-50) often give false positives.
Then went to New gyno here as felt some lumps I did not feel before and he immediately said guidance changed and now as of 40 they recommend it especially to have a baseline but insurance will not necessarily pay for it.
All this to say - you will hear different stories and opinion - I would recommend to find a doc you trust and like and go with their advice.
Bumping this thread as I'm creeping closer to the age my mum was when she was diagnosed.
Do I need a referral to a gynae here, or can I just find one and book an appointment?
TIA
You can just book an appointment, i think even if you have a family doctor insurance model. Look for a breast center near you.
I was diagnosed a couple of years younger than my mom, and my tumor was in the exact same place as hers. The difference being mine was early stage and we don‘t know how long my mom knew about hers. She died of metastatic breast cancer at 65.
I don‘t carry specific genes that we know are related to breast cancer, but I may have inherited a similar environment in my breast tissue predisposing me to breast cancer.
Anyway, I’d find a gyn and insist on a scan, including an ultra sound in case you have dense tissue. Good luck.