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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Breast Cancer / December 2004When should my wife get checked?
My wife turned 32. Her mother died of lymphoma (sp) at age 43 10 years ago. Her grandmother had breast cancer at age of 50. So we don't know if her mother would have gotten breast cancer or not. My question, what age should my wife get mamograms? I'm pushing that she should start at age 35. Does her doctor have the final say so if she should get one or not? Will insurance cover it if her doctor says no? Should she get another doctor if she does say no? Also, my wife doesn't take the self exams too serious. I've told her many times to do it in the shower, is this good advice? Any other advice I should tell her? signed, A concerned husband. >My wife turned 32. Her mother died of lymphoma (sp) at age 43 10 years >ago. Her grandmother had breast cancer at age of 50. So we don't know >if her mother would have gotten breast cancer or not. Did any other women in her family have it? >My question, what age should my wife get mamograms? I'm pushing that >she should start at age 35. Does her doctor have the final say so if >she should get one or not? Will insurance cover it if her doctor says >no? Should she get another doctor if she does say no? A second opinion can always be useful, if only to reduce worrying. I don't know the details but I've seen advertisements for free mammograms offered by some clinics - you might keep an eye open for those. >Also, my wife doesn't take the self exams too serious. I've told her >many times to do it in the shower, is this good advice? Any other >advice I should tell her? Self-exams don't *have* to be done by the breast owner. Seriously, as her husband couldn't you find some way to do them for her? Best breast exam I ever had was by a partner. Given that I normally hate having my breasts touched (some doctors have a second person hold my hand during exams), it was amazing to have a partner that I was willing to permit that access and who wanted to do the exam. Brought us tremendously closer. > >My wife turned 32. Her mother died of lymphoma (sp) at age 43 10 years > >ago. Her grandmother had breast cancer at age of 50. So we don't know [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Seriously, as her husband couldn't you find some way to do them > for her? Yes, I have done them but feel that it would be best if she does it herself. >> >Also, my wife doesn't take the self exams too serious. I've told her >> >many times to do it in the shower, is this good advice? Any other [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Yes, I have done them but feel that it would be best if she does it >herself. Of course - but if she won't, then it's better to have them done by you. Second best is better than nothing at all. The important thing is that exams have to be regular, so that you can remember what the lumps felt like last time and notice any changes. I really tried with my wife, but she was *so* sensitive there that we couldn't make it work - and she *never did it herself. She could be evaluated at a high risk cancer clinic. At 35 mammograms can be non diagnostic, since breast tissue is dense. Yearly breast exams by a health care professional should be done. There is some talk about Pet Scans for women at high risk, but with only one grandmother age 50 ( not a really young age and Is she sill alive ?) with Breast cancer I don't know if that qualifies her. > She could be evaluated at a high risk cancer clinic. At 35 mammograms can be > non diagnostic, since breast tissue is dense. Yearly breast exams by a > health care professional should be done. There is some talk about Pet Scans > for women at high risk, but with only one grandmother age 50 ( not a really > young age and Is she sill alive ?) with Breast cancer I don't know if that > qualifies her. Yes, her grandmother is still alive. What I'm gathering is that at her young age, a mammo might not work very well given that breast are too dense to detect potential cancer? Since her grandmother is still alive the risk of breast cancer is lower ( the cancer wasn't lethal and she didn't get it at a very early age). Best to discuss this with her MD or GYN they can assist her in a risk assessment. |
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