Wednesday, September 24, 2008

What is it with women getting mastectomies just because there is a chance of breast cancer


What is it with women getting mastectomies just because there is a chance of breast cancer?
Just saw a story on the Today Show about a woman who had, based on new genetic testing methods, an 85% chance of getting breast cancer and so she had her healthy breasts removed. Sounds sadomasochistic to me to do something like that when you are just as likely to die in accidents or other diseases and the testing is new so who knows if she would have gotten the disease. There was a history of breast cancer in her family but a history dosen't mean you are going to have it, there is a history of everything in my family but the things I ended up suffering from nobody else had. Everyone is going to die anyway why chop up your body to try and avoid the eneventabtle? These stories make me sick! When I say these stories make me sick I mean that in the sense that I think they are gross not that I'm angry.
Women's Health - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Apparently you have never had to watch in horror as a loved one slowly succumbed to cancer.
2 :
Some women choose to take away that risk isntead of finding out one day that they will have to endure lengthy, painful treatment sto treat cancer. Hopefully someday I will be able to get the genetic testing done as I have now had 2 aunts who have had breast cancer. I woudl rather remove them before If I had a good chance of getting cancer.
3 :
I actually agree with you and I am a female! Imagine that.... I wouldn't have my breasts removed. I would just make sure I had routine check-ups and mammograms.
4 :
You know what makes me sick? People who post such cruel and illinformed judgements such as this moron! Are you really foolish enough to believe you have an 85% likelyhood of being killed in an accident or succumbing to another disease????? You sound like a true misongynist...you should be ashamed of yourself, but I bet you don't have enough character.
5 :
the ironic part of women removing their breast bc of a + genetic test is that there is still some breast tissue left after the procedure, so there is still risk...
6 :
If ten years ago someone had told me I had an 85% chance of getting breast cancer, and knowing what I know now, I wouldn't hesitate to have a bilateral mastectomy. I had breast cancer, stage 3, at the age of 32. I went through a mastectomy, chemo, and radiation, and then reconstruction. Prior to my diagnosis I had had several clinical breast exams and done monthly exams myself. It wasn't until I was pregnant that I noticed a lump in my breast. The mentality out there is that women my age do not get breast cancer and that is the tragedy. I do not have the history in my family so I have never seen anyone suffer from treatment. But I have suffered through treatment and I would never want anyone to go through what I went through. The fun bags aren't so fun when they are trying to kill you. It still remains that they cannot remove every part of the breast tissue and people with an 85% chance of developing breast cancer could never be certain that what is left over is cancer-free. In a heartbeat I would have a prophylactic mastectomy but only based on what I know now



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