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Going for a mammogram :
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Breast Screening

People's stories

Age 50-59

Interview 09

Interview 09

Age at Interview: 53
Background: A business consultant. Divorced with 1 adult child.

Brief outline:Discovered a lump at age 28, which was benign and surgically removed. Missed some breast screening appointments but attended for a routine mammogram at age 53. Results were normal.

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Felt too frightened to go for screening and wondered whether the results can be trusted since mistakes can be made.
Print In 78, 79, I went to my GP because I had a lump. He said it was nothing to worry about but I did worry about it. Then I got to the point where I actually was too frightened to do anything else about it. I was getting in such a state that a friend of mine picked me up from work one lunch time and took me straight up to emergency in the local hospital. They sat me in front of the mirror and said "Look your left breast is much bigger than the right breast, you can see that there's something wrong." And so I changed my doctor immediately to another GP who had me in hospital within a week and I had the lump out. That did make me more aware but in a way also more frightened so I didn't go for any more mammograms. I have been called for a few because of my age but didn't go. When they send you the letter telling you about the results, and we know this from the media as well, they say "sometimes we make mistakes." So it's kind of well, so really I don't know, I'm no better off than I was before so may be I just won't have the anxiety and I won't go and have a mammogram. I know that sounds ridiculous, like an ostrich putting it's head in the sand, but sometimes you think may be that's the better way to be. I think they could improve the process because really when you get the results they tell you again that they could've made a mistake. And sometimes they make vast mistakes on batches of women who have had the mammogram so you wonder really whether you're better off.

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