Did you know? Mammograms aren’t always accurate. They can miss some cancers and may misdiagnose others.
What exactly are mammograms? Simply put, they are an x-ray picture of the breast. The process requires moderate to extreme compression of the breasts. The US health care industry tells us mammograms help find cancer and other breast issues.
But mammograms have side effects, and it is up to you to weigh the pros vs. cons:
- Wrong positives or negatives
- Over-diagnosis and overtreatment
- False sense of security
- Radiation exposure
About 2,800 breast cancer cases each year in U.S. women are due to medical radiation. Having a mammogram exposes your body to a very high level of radiation as high as 1,000 times greater than a chest x-ray.
Surprisingly, false results are very common. Within 10 years, half of all women having annual exams will have at least one false positive. In the U.S., this is most common. There is no standard way to ensure the quality and results of diagnostic imaging after an abnormal screening.
Thermal imagining is a great alternative to mammograms. In these screenings, the machine does not touch you at all. Digital infrared thermal imaging is used, so there is no radiation exposure. This technology is like thermal cameras that are used for tracking animals and taking wildlife photos. Look into facilities that offer this option for screening!
The key point is: if you’re young and not at risk, you don’t need many mammograms.. An important step a woman can take to reduce breast-cancer risk is to avoid unnecessary imaging tests.
P.S. The key to staying as cancer free as possible is controlling your lifestyle. Eat healthy, exercise, keep a strong mental well-being, and avoid as many toxins as possible. This is one provider in Central Florida that offers this type of scan: https://www.cflthermography.com/thermography
