We invite you to join in the conversation by leaving a comment below.
Read More:
“Why Doctors Are Rethinking Breast-Cancer Treatment.” Time Magazine, October 1, 2015.
“Our Feel-Good War on Breast Cancer.” Peggy Orenstein. The New York Times, April 25, 2013.
I am not so sure that opting out of mammograms is the smartest choice we can make.
Her personal decision, but one founded, it seems, on a small bit of information.
I know a LOT of women, friends, whose lives have been saved because of mammograms.
Telling others not to have them is just plain irresponsible.
I do agree though, that the puny fraction of donations which is spent on research, is abhorrent. It is the same story with many disease – based charities.
I only know a few who stand the 100% to research test. Sadly, none of those are breast cancer related.
I don’t give money. I prefer to give my love, support and chicken soup to the women I know, who are still enduring this bitch of a disease.
I understand your choice to refrain from screening mammograms. What I would like to see instead is for all of of to show our displeasure of the inequity in healthcare. Men of all ages are covered for testing for breast cancer. Why aren’t women? Why is my genetic testing not covered by my health insurance? Why are more women not demanding a Molecular Breast Imaging test instead of the usual: screening mammogram, diagnostic mammogram then ultrasound then biopsy, then MRI? Why isn’t MBI covered by insurance? It has a >90% accuracy. It is far more accurate than an MRI at less than one-fourth the cost.
If we want better healthcare we should be fighting for MBI and better testing for women of ALL ages. Putting off detection only makes the patient more likely to have a less than favorable outcome or the chance of the cancer metasicizing.
As a internal medicine doc, I have patients diagnosed with breast cancer EVERY DAY. You are doing the public and the audience a disservice by posting this-as if you have any authority to direct their personal decisions and care! You need to have BRCA testing and get appropriate care. Take this crap off your website. I used to buy a lot of clothes from your catalog. No longer.
I am upset about the use of my email this way. I am your customer not your patient. I did not ask for your interpretation of the current literature (and you didn’t cite any research) nor do I have any idea why your opinion on something so personal should matter as your comments did not identify your credentials. You abused the use of my email address and assumed I wanted to hear what you think on matters. I am unsubscribing to title 9 email list.
I thought that I was one of the few among many who refused to have mammograms.
After my sister and several friends had unnecessary biopsies due to mammographers who didn’t trust their own machines, I begged my GYN for a breast MRI. His comment was that *MRIs* were far more accurate, but that insurance wouldn’t pay for them stunned me. They paid for unnecessary biopsies, but not MRIs? WOW. I think women need a lobby to fight for their best form if health care – whatever that may be-according to their DOCTORS.
I am in complete agreement with everything said in this article; just want to add that the “awarenesd” or “educational” aspect is far from limited to cancer charities. My son had Crohn’s Disease, and so very little funding went to research as compared to “education”. Meanwhile, the teaching brochures did nothing to stop the other children (or their parents, as such attitudes must be learned) from torturing my son when he had flares and literally sh*t his pants.
We are not a very kind, compassionate society. But, spending money on brochures and salaries to counter thus is both useless and takes dollars away from hard research.
Kudos for the bravery it took to speak out against the pink washing of such charities.
Suze
This is such a shockingly ill informed and illogical argument as well as unsolicited. Just unsubscribed and will be sending back the order I just got this week. Was a big fan of T9 but this puts a whol new face on your company.
I think it is completely irresponsible of you to email something like this to your customers. You have ZERO medical experience. I do not see “MD”, “DO”, “NP”, or “RN” behind your name. If you want to stop having mammograms by all means, go ahead, that’s your business. Why try to influence others? Regular mammograms are what caught my atypical hyperplasia and allowed me to get intervention treatment before it became cancer. Please don’t try to deter other women from benefiting from routine screening. Stick to what you know – retail – and leave medical advice to the medical professionals. SO disappointted, Title Nine
Well said. And it’s about time.
mammograms are not prevention, they are detection. Neither mammograms, nor ultrasound,nor MRIs are 100 % reliable. How about thermograms? Yes you will have to pay out of your pocket, but what is the value of your health and life???? We need more women making decisions for women’s health at he highest level. We have been guinae pigs for way too long. Yes you can fight with your doctor, come prepared with real info and stop being a yesser. Make informed decisions, yes this takes time and money.
When you go to court you have to give an oath, the truth, nothing but the truth, the whole truth.
That is not happening in the information given to the patients, what we are given is feed for the money machine, not our best ” health” interest. This is called the “standard of care”, or the “do not get sued care”. Good luck with that one. Anne
Mammograms save lives ! Not a choice taken likely .. As a breast cancer survivor , a sister and a mother also survived breast cancer we all had mammograms and are alive because of the confirmation from a mammogram and of course a biopsy . I am dumbfounded when women take this kind of stand .. So disappointed that a woman who owns a successful clothing line that I love feels this way . You don’t have to donate but please continue to have your yearly mammograms for your sake and your health