Hi all
I have been on this website for about a month now, first on ‘have I go cancer?’ now on ‘newly diagnosed’ (unfortunately!!!) and it is great to have support from everyone. But what I want to know is WHY OH WHY are young women not being screened, look at us all in their 20’s, 30’s and like me in their 40’s, what the hell is going on it makes me so angry!!! does anyone else feel like me???
Deb x
Hi Deb
I totally agree!! I thought I was young in 40’s and cant beleive how many others like me and younger there is.
Why are we not screened before we are 50 probably too much money!!!
Kay x
I fully agree ,I am 46 and most of the women who I had my chemo with are in 40’s ,and have been told it is the most common age group.Something needs to change.
Mary
x
And in The Times at the weekend there was a small article on medical myths. Basically it said we do not need to check ourselves as it produces too much anxiety over benign lumps. Well, I thought, how else are those of us below 50 supposed to be finding our cancers then? If we don’t check ourselves, are we supposed to wait till we are 50 to get our mammograms, and die in the process?
My chemo nurse said it’s affecting more and more younger women - in their 20’s and we all should be checked from then onwards same as having a smear test.
Anita xxx
I agree with all the above comments.
Its no longer rare to be diagnosed in your 20’s, 30’s or 40’s, so screening should be opened up to these age groups.
love Deborah xx (43at DX)
Thanks for your responses, i had a red mark and then a small lump appear, I was obsessed is not a strong word with checking myself so I know the lump wasn’t there the week before, and I have a large tumor and at least 1 lymph gland affected and having a mastectomy may 2nd, if I had been offered a mamogramme earlier on I think it may have not got that far I knew how to check for lumps but not masses it makes me mad!!! sorry to rant I just feel so strongly about this. Keep giving you comments on this someone might take some notice.
Love Deb x
Gotta agree, something needs to be done. Got diagnosed last Dec 2007, by a private clinic, as my GP didn’t mark me as urgent, as i was too young to get cancer. I was 35. He was working within government guidelines, which say it woman is under 50, its likely to be benign tumour |(80%) chance. All i know is, if i had waited to be seen my my local hospital (six week wait) i would now be looking at a mastectomy rather than breast conserving surgery. Something needs to be done.
Hi
I must admit my doctor was very good this all happened to me 4 weeks ago from finding it to today so am really lucky in that respect, but we are special too and we deserve to get to fifty so it is about time it changed.
Sorry ranting again and just been grizzling again.
Thanks girls
Deb x
Hi Debs
I was interested to read that yours started with a red mark, i will finish rads tomorrow ( had 25 ) and have had chemo which finished in Feb and am also on Herceptin over the easter weekend i noticed a red mark on my good boob about the size of a 50p, my onc wasn’t too worried and kept an eye on it 2 weeks later i could feel a couple of small lumps ( which onc described as granular ) although she said that she didn’t think it was anything to worry about she sent me to the breast clinic last thursday, doc there also said that he didn’t think it is anything to worry about but having an ultrasound tomorrow ( which is also my last rads day ““yippee””) could you tell me what your lump felt like if you don’t mind, mine feels more like flat swellings just below the skin and i feel like they have got bigger from last week, i asked my onc this morning what she thought it was and she said she didn’t know, i hope i will get some answers tomorrow, meanwhile has anyone got any ideas. Im 51 but ive met lots of younger women in the chemo unit…
Love Mizzy XXXX
I agree that more and more young women are being dx with BC these days and it’s time that we were offered screening at an earlier age. I was 40 last August and was dx in Jan this year. My GP did not get the chance to decide if he was marking me as urgent or not as I opted to use ym works private medical insurance for a quick referral … 3 days later I was see and 2 weeks later I was in surgery.
After surgery I was passed back to the NHS as they can offer me a bigger and better onc team and on my 1st visit to the onc she asked me if I would be prepared to assist with a study into why young women are getting breast cancer… this is a 10 yr study so it’s not going to result in all women over the age of 20 getting routine screening in the next couple of years… but depending on the factors that they may well introduce screening earlier.
Hi Deb
I do think in one respect it is good if younger women were screened, although i have heard it is likely that some tumours may go undetected as younger women tend to have denser breast tissue so it is harder to get a clear mammo. I was dx at 29, found he lump myself, when i had a mammo it did not show up, only showed on the ultrasound. Again dx Dec '06, mammo only showed DCIS, it didn’t pick up the two other tumours that were lurking, so in my case routine screening would have been no good. What makes me really mad is that when i was first dx the routine follow up was for 10 years, every six months for two years then every year after that. But when i was 4 years post dx i was told that the government statistics showed it made no difference if the follow up was for 10 or 5 years, so they had bought the follow up down to 5. which i think is to early after dx as bc is more likely to reoccur within the first 10 years (although there is no rule). The government should have taken into account the amount of younger women with bc & the fact that many are triple neg. So under protest i was discharged at 5 years, i really feel that if my follow up had been yearly & not every 18 months they would have discovered the DCIS earlier.
Lilacblushes, i’m on that trial as well.
Louise x
One of the reasons I was passed back to the NHS as opposed to cvarrying on private with med ins was cos the NHS offer a 10 yr follow-up as opposed to the 5 years that the ins company would pay for. I wonder if this is something that varies in different health authorities.
HI Mizzy
I had a small red mark and to touch it almost felt pea like and hard but with my clothes on and then run my hand over my breast I could feel it, then it seemed to go down really after the biopsy but I was told by the surgeon that was probably due to the fact there would be bruising and blood around it, and after that it does feel a little bead like. Its all very confusing as apparently I have a large tumour so who knows??? still wont have it for much longer thank god!
Good luck with your results.
I am also part of a research programme organised by Breakthrough Breast Cancer. I started taking part a couple of years ago after doing ‘The Great Walk of China’ Never thought I would benefit. Any way I think they get in touch every couple of years and ask for blood test and questionaire.
Deb x
Hi lilacblushes
it shouldn’t differ in different authorities, government guidelines for follow up was definitely bought down to 5 years. But i would not be surprised if my health authority is one of the ones that abide by this, will ask on Thursday as i am seeing breast surgeon. Will be very interested to hear their answer!
Louise xx
Hi Debs,
There is a post on Forum Feedback headed - No. 10 - We must be referred started by Jeannie which I think will interest you - Jeannie was misdiagnosed and has started a petition to campaign for breast screening for younger women. Love xxx
hi debs
I totaly agree with you all women should be screened no matter what age I am 38.
The other think i found out from my mother in law, she was sent a letter and told she will no longer need to be screened as she is now over 70. What is it with this country when we all get to 70are you not entitled to any care just thrown on the scrap heap.
love liz xxxx
Liz as far as I am aware, over 70’s can still self refer, just that they dont get recalled. Altho I am in my 60’s I am quiet alarmed at the number of young women posting on this site, there has to be a cause for this in such young people
Marge
xx