Breast cancer is the most common cancer to affect women and mammography (breast x-ray) is the only method that has been extensively studied and can detect breast cancer early. The stage at which breast cancer is diagnosed greatly influences survival. In general, the earlier the detection, the greater the chance of survival.
Most women we spoke with had had no signs or symptoms and felt healthy before going for breast screening. Many felt that, had they not gone for screening, their cancer might not have been detected until they'd found a symptom, such as a lump. By this stage, it might have become a much more serious problem and harder to treat. A few women said that, although they'd had no symptoms, their breast cancer had already affected the lymph glands under their arms. Many of these women believed that breast screening had saved their lives. A woman whose cancer was found at the age of thirty-nine said that, had she known younger women could get breast cancer, she would have paid to have mammograms sooner, and encouraged other women to do so. Others strongly recommended that women with a family history of breast cancer should be screened (see 'Breast screening and younger women').
All the women we spoke with who'd had breast cancer supported screening and recommended it to other women. However, no screening test is perfect and occasionally cancers may not be seen on mammograms. A few said their mammogram results had been normal but, several months later, they had developed symptoms. Further tests showed that they'd had breast cancer all along but it hadn't shown up on the mammogram. Despite initial misgivings based on their experiences, all these women now supported screening. One said that, although she recommended screening to others, she wanted women to understand its limitations so they would not be falsely reassured (see 'False negative results').
A few people felt that screening mammograms should be available to women every two years instead of three years. One had her breast cancer detected in a mammogram she'd had as part of a medical research project. She was grateful for breast screening and that project for finding her cancer. Like several others, she believed that, despite some scepticism in the medical field, breast screening saved lives. Others believed that the benefits of breast screening far outweighed any potential risks such as radiation from the x-rays.
One woman didn't attend for routine mammograms after her very first x-ray because she found it extremely painful. Some years later, she had a breast indentation and tests showed that she had breast cancer. She recommended screening and felt that doctors should do more to follow up on women who don't attend for it.
One woman, who was upset and shocked when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, now believed it was better to know one had cancer than not to know, and felt grateful that her cancer had been detected and treated early. Many women recommended that, in addition to going for routine breast screening, women should be breast aware (see 'Breast awareness').
Last reviewed November 2010.
