The Policy & Campaigns Team at Breast Cancer Care is looking to gauge current opinion of forum members to help with our lobbying efforts on the following question:
Have you ever been asked to go through a full body scanner at a British Airport (especially after a mastectomy or if you wear a prosthesis)? How was your experience? If you are going away this summer, how do you feel about being asked to go through a full-body scan at the airport?
This thread will gather feedback for a limited period of time
i have already posted on the other thread. For me its nothing to do with embarassment. Until they can show me a report showing that several years after using these things there were no side effects then i will not use one, and that was my opinion before I had BC
Firstly I direct this comment to “Oldand lumpy”, have you actually been asked to go through the scanner and have you refused? I recently had to go through this experience and wasnt given a choice. To Mike at BCC- I was flying out of Manchester and it appeared to be by chance that I was chosen to go through the scanner. Id already gone into upset mode when I realised that it could be me, when I was motioned forward I said to the lady security attendant that I had a false breast and at that point hoped Id be ushered through without being interfered with, not so. At this point Id like to point out that there was nothing suspicious in my handbaggage and Id describe myself as a 59yrs ordinary looking grandmother. After going through the scanner, the woman then started putting her hands in my bra, by now I was crying and my husband was telling anyone whod listen that “this is too intrusive for words”. The woman seemed puzzled at my reaction, she said "why are you crying? Im not hurting you and Ive not been rude to you, I dont understand", my reply was that if she was ever unlucky enough to have breast cancer, shed understand,
I was really upset, if Id been trying to take some banned substance with me, I would have took it on the chin. As a general rule I make no secret of having a falsie so Im not an ultra-sensitive type, I hope what I`ve told you will be of use to you, cheerio, Mags.
woody that is disgusting,so insensative. I just do no understand why they have not had training to give people abit of respect.
no i have not been stopped but my friend has, twice. and in each case she refused because she questioned the safety of the devise. she offered to go for a body search instead. In one case they did take her off to a seperate room and she said it was not that intrusive, and in the second they decided not to bother.
Hi I’ve another concern - recently discovered its common practice to put metallic clips in during BC surgery (to aid later radiotherapy) - Will these show on any scanner at airports ? maybe they are too small ? so many women who have these must have passed through the scanners I guess they wont cause a problem.
Would like someone to verify this though. I asked my BCN but she hasnt heard anything about this.
Re clips - I don’t believe that these are a problem. My son has 3 plates and 12 screws in his face and these are Ti so haven’t ever set off any scanners. The clips are safe in an MRI as I had one and my boob didn’t get shredded.
I agree that security is paramount. However, when I first had my double mx and prostheses I would have been devastated to have been pulled to one side. Feeling so vulnerable anyway, I am sure I would have started crying.
Now 2 years on, I would be okay with being scanned and taken to one side. I would though expect to be treated with the utmost respect to my dignity as I think anyone with a prosthesis should but particularly where it is in such a sensitive area.
Actually taking off my bra and removing the two prostheses from the pockets would be degrading and do you then have to stand for them to look horrified at your two large mx scars?
I would rather go through the scanner, assuming the people who can see the images are in a room somewhere else, than be patted down. What happened to Woody was horrible and completely un-necessary
Am I right in thinking though that we would be taken to one side every time we were scanned if we were wearing our prostheses?
The other thing about Woody’s experience is that I’d be worried about damage to the prosthesis. My BCN said to be very careful about tearing them with a nail.
Sounds like some of the airport staff need further training on how to be sensitive. I know they’ve got a job to do and of course safety is paramount but some respect for people’s dignity should go hand in hand - they’re not mutually exclusive. Elinda x
hi all
I am going away for the first time since mx in march. I am quite sensitive to the mx and have to teenage girls also to think about .
I always feel nervous in airports any way [think it is the lack of control]
everytime I have been through the security I always have to have the pat down search which I think is due to my underwired bras[previously worn]
I know that I will feel really anxious now - I think I would prefer the body scanner as you are alone in the room and cant see the person
I think I will ring the airport to see what they say
everything seems upsetting and hard work -I yearn to be back before the Bc and simply living my life …
hi all
just thought Id update you .the arches in the airport are set to go off every so many passengers [department of transport directive]
prosthesis would not show on the arch
If get taken to one side ask for a private area and they will do this ,as they do it with a lot of people .
body scans are quite anonymous in reality so hopefully wouldnt cause distress
I feel a little better since taliking to the airline-hope this helps others x
In the age we live in I suppose its better to be safe when travelling.I recieved a body scan when arriving in the usa last year as i have two artificial hips all the alarms we ringing lol I even got swobbed.It took so long that we nearly missed our connecting flight.So when we travel this year I also have this to look forward to as i had my mx in march. I may just whip my boob out and put it on the scanner with my shoes lol
I cant believe what happened to Woody - this is truly appalling. Surely these people are trained ? I think this needs to be raised with all airports - are they training staff suitably to be understanding and compassionate ?
I have been scanned quite a few times now, once 3 times on the same trip! To start with I told them about the prostethis and they said it didn’t matter so I don’t bother telling them now. It’s horrible and makes me feel more volnerable and worried that they will investigate further after seeing it on the scan but so far nothing.
I wrote the book ‘WORKING IN AIRPORTS’, which had a large chapter on Security work.
What concerns me is that in States their pilots don’t have to go through scanners.
In UK - I think there is a charity devoted to helping patients who were given too much radiotherapy - even though at the time the dose was considered OK.
At UCLA (one of top research universities) they issued one report that said Airport scanners posed no risk to passenger safety - and followed this one day later with a report that said they did.
And last week I weas told a dentist was refused boarding at Manchester because he wouldn’t go through scanner - and he obviously knows the dangers of too much X-rays.
What concerns me is that Dept. of Transport is not listening to sense; I have sat on two Advisory Committees (0n road safety laws) and found that vested interests i.e. manufacturers - were very powerful.
The Dept. Transport needs to listen to sense and
a) offer cancer patients the right to opt for a pat-down if they are concerned re too much radiation after treatment
b) give better training to their staff on how to administer pat-downs.
Concerning how Woody was ‘handled’ at Manchester, I think this is discusting and shows how the staff there are not trained properly. I travelled from Manchester just post chemo and so was baldy. Hated the wig so was wearing a hat, and feeling very vulnerable.
Going through security I was asked to take off my hat, I said I would rather not, as I had lost all of my hair. The bloke said 'so?'and continued staring at me and insisting I take it off. I did, and threw it on the desk, he didnt even look in the hat. I felt humiliated, was being stared at by hundereds of people, and was handled very insensitively. He could have offered me a side room, as I now know this is common practice at such times. Both me and Woody were treated with no humility or respect.
I have not flown from Manchester since, and have no intentions of doing so again, it is a horrible, busy, cattle market type of experience. I now wish I had complained, and certainly think Woody should.
