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Going for a mammogram :
The UK breast screening programme
Breast screening and younger women
Breast screening after age 73
Diagnostic mammograms in the UK
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Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) :
What is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)?
DCIS: views on breast screening

Invasive breast cancer :
Invasive breast cancer
Mammograms after surgery for breast cancer
Views on breast screening

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People's stories

Age 40-49

Interview 35

Interview 35

Age at Interview: 43
Background: A full-time mother and fund raiser. Married with 3 children.

Brief outline:Had first mammogram in USA at age 39. Was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and DCIS, and had treatment. Has annual mammograms in USA.

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Prefers to have her mammograms in the USA and feels anxious and vulnerable before having them.
Print I follow, with no surprise, I follow the American protocol on this. And I do it in America because there are more digital mammogram machines there. There are more people reading them and they were the ones that twice picked up the cancer. So I go for an annual mammogram, yes, which is a digital mammogram. And then in addition to that I go six months later for an ultrasound of my breast in the States as well because they have shown that with ultrasound, often ultrasound can pick up things that a mammogram misses. And even if you have breasts that read very well with the mammogram if you, you really shouldn't have more than one mammogram a year and if you go for an ultrasound half way through that year you're having another look at what's going on in that breast and making sure that nothing else has come up or nothing else needs to be looked at. You are not going unchecked for the whole year. How do you feel when you go back every year for a mammogram? Are you anxious about it or you try not to worry…? I think everyone is anxious. You know, it always puts you back to a place where you were absolutely vulnerable and you realise all the laws of the world apply to you. Anything could happen to you and actually did. So I think I, you know I feel very vulnerable. It brings back all the memories of gosh, what. I remember when I was sitting here. You're also sitting in doctor's offices and you are looking at women and you see the terror on their [laughs] faces and you still relate to where they are at and what they are going through. And I think that's always a little difficult.

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