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.
oh boy. I read this about 20 minutes ago. During this time, I thought about how to write a comment describing the sinking feeling I had reading that from missy. I’m just a normal at home mom. I worked for ten years as a Flight Attendant. I’ve spent a lot of years with women and serving the general public. I have a little two year old baby girl and I am 46 years old. I was lucky enough to already raise three other children. All of which are college graduates, my daughter graduating from UC Berkeley. Vaccinations were always the hardest part for me, when my kids were young. I worried and I questioned the ingredients and the people who advocated how important this is for my kids. I think of my husband, who is Pilot for a Major Airline. How stressful and despite what you hear, is a pretty low paying job for the amount of responsibility. There is fear, fear of flying the public and being safe, you always prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Without it you do become complacent, that, I believe is a critical error. You may opt to vaccinate, I did, despite those making a stand against it. I listened to my inner voice and made, with my doctor, an informed decision on what I wanted to do. I’m vaccinated, my parents and my three grown children. My youngest daughter, you bet. I took an approach of slowing down the time frame of vaccination. A lot more shots, but that was my choice. I support those folks who don’t choose to vaccinate, I don’t agree, but I support them. Really my choice to vaccinate, it’s for the herd, we have to keep people safe, as best we can. Some people do die as a result of misinformation.
Everything we do in life has an element of fear. I know my chances of getting into a car accident are high, I still drive. My kids are out in the world, somedays I feel like the phone is going to ring with bad news, but I realize, that’s life. It’s very hard at times. The point……we cannot let our opinions and our fears infect the livelihood of those around us by such influential people. I’m glad you have your experience and your opinion about mammogram for you, but to open a dialogue like this, with a boycot of your mammogram, come on, that’s irresponsible. I am not saying I agree or disagree with what is right for you, but I disagree with the harm this can cause a woman who is otherwise wanting to take care of herself, even if the fear is overwhelming. If my husband or myself let fear take us over we wouldn’t be living. That is just my personal story.
I am totally bummed about this. Pink, orange, red or any color that represents a disease that is tough and even deadly, are ways people can support and love, to begrudge because it may not affect you, simply not cool.
If you don’t like the way your donation money is spent, start a better campain. You have to have a bit of trust, it doesn’t always work out, but doctors are the best resource we have. With your wonderful women’s intuition, go forth and take care!
I just received my first ever title nine clothing. It’s overpriced, I feel a bit taken advantage of, but I’m not going to boycott you, I mean the clothing total came to 667 dollars. I feel it’s worth about 450, maybe. I got six items. I could’ve used that extra money to take my family out on the town, or maybe to have two months of unlimited yoga, but I wanted your clothes, hmmmmm? Life!
I agree that the lack of progress in fighting BC is discouraging, and that the percentage of funds raised that make it to researchers us scandalous, but may I respectfully inquire why you feel forgoing mammograms is a good response?
this is exactly my question.
Two things. #1, While I agree with your assessment that we have not made adequate strides toward a cure, a strongly disagree with your opinion that mammograms are ineffective procedures in the fight against breast cancer. I am a perfect example of why mammograms are essential in the prevention of breast cancer. Because I was diligent with self exams and annual mammograms, my cancer was found at a very early stage one, by comparing the previous years scan. Because of this early detection, I was fortunate to be able to opt for a mastectomy with no chemo or radiation. Every doctor I’ve spoke to tells me if I had waited until it was big enough for me to actually feel a lump, it is very likely my treatment would have to have been much more aggressive, with less chance of success. Five years out and still cancer free I’m confident that early detection is the most important and effective thing we can do to protect our Breast health.
#2, While a agree you have every right to your personal opinion, I did not ask for it, nor did I join your website for group discussion on this topic. I signed up for emails and notifications related to the Title9 clothing line, not unsolicited medical advise from someone not medically trained to give it. I will be happy to continue to receive retail sales related emails, but if you send more unsolicited medical advice or opinions I will opt out of Title9.
As a diagnostic sonographer registered in breast ultrasound I work in a busy imaging center and perform hundreds of breast ultrasounds in a year. The professionals I work with – Radiologists sonographers and mammographers – are passionate about detecting breast cancer in its early stages so that lives can be saved – lives of our Mothers, sisters, friends, daughters, aunts and grandmothers. You are entitled to your opinion and there is certainly room for improvement in how the research dollars are spent, but I am dismayed at the false information your e mail conveyed and pray that it does not lead to any woman forgoing her screening mammogram thus leaving an early cancer undetected. I have referred many patients seeking relief from breast pain to Title Nine for a proper fitting and supportive bra but do not feel they will find the support they need in your organization. I will not be referring them to Title Nine from this point on and request that I be removed from your Email list.
Amen
I agree with Ms. Walker. I had my cancer found through an annual mammogram – it was still stage 1. Had I waited until I could feel it, it could have been stage 4. I think promoting organizations that fund research would be a much more helpful and intelligent way to support your opinion than skipping something that might save your life, especially considering your risk factors. And, I certainly pray that your opinion does not cost the lives of others who might think what you are doing is “cool.”
Yes! Yes! My family doctor was adamant that I get screened prior to 50, even with no family history. My chances of having breast cancer, statistically, were .067% (no family history, no genetic abnormalities) and my FIRST mammogram at age 41 found cancer. Certainly, opting out of screening tests is a personal choice, but it’s also very important for women with dense breast tissue to know and understand that they have a higher risk of developing cancer, and you can find out whether your tissue is dense by having a mammogram.
How about you explain to woman that mammograms can actually cause an erratic cell to turn cancerous due to the crushing of the breast tissue. Where as our body may have self corrected had it not been subjected to such a traumatic treatment. Mammograms are old science medicine. We know better now. I suggest you do your research. I agree with this email and say bravo to the founder for speaking out. No more fear. You should also research how powerful our minds are over our immune system. If we constantly live in fear of breast cancer there’s a good chance will cause ourselves to develop it. But bottom line mammograms are dangerous and I will never have one and I am so happy that woman are speaking out against them.
Trinity, they are OLD science but still one of the best early detection tools. Unfortunately we still have little to no alternatives at this time but opting out shouldn’t be one of them. Again, each choice is personal so no one can choose for someone else. p.s. I’ve never heard of a mammogram CAUSING breast cancer. A lack of testing does not remove fear. It just turns a dull ear to it.
Having desire & passion to detect breast cancer should not be confused with the actual ability to detect it.
You are merely the end of the “labor” chain of a long complicated cover-the-radiologists-legal-liability algorithm, despite the well wishes & good intentions of your colleagues.
Thanks for your opinion and for sharing your experience!
I think we all need to decide what is best for us and what we need to do to take care of ourselves. From research I have done I have concluded that high levels of stress can contribute to cancer..choosing our own paths can certainly help there! I choose to try to eat healthier, rest longer, run more frequently, self-monitor cautiously, and appreciate life every day that I can.
Well, let’s throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Are mammograms perfect? No…in fact, my Stage III breast cancer was found three months after a normal screening mammogram. But do mammograms help find many early breast cancers? Yes, they do.
One comment I must provide input on is this: “For those undergoing the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, the outpouring of support and awareness is a huge solace during a lonely struggle against many unknowns.” “A huge solace…” Not so much.
The pink oreos, pink buckets of KFC chicken, pink flashlights, notebooks, handguns, yogurt, wine, you name it…just make me feel like my disease is a marketing opportunity. And it’s IN MY FACE all damn October long. The pink tutus, wild pink wigs, and bedazzled bras make me feel infantilized and trivialized. The “awareness” rah-rah just makes me sad. We’re all aware. Where’s the funding for a cure?
“Save the ta-ta’s.” Yeah, right. You can have my ta-ta’s. In fact, at this very moment, they’re both occupying a specimen bottle on a shelf in a lab somewhere. Just please…save my life.
Gotta love these reactionaries who are immediately never buying T9 again because Missy stated her opinion. God forbid a woman think for herself, have an opinion, make her own choices. And I’m assuming most of those flying off the handle are women, who would bristle if someone tried to condemn them for stating their opinion. Yet another symptom of this polarized society where if you don’t agree with me, you are my enemy. Come on, people. We need to be better than this. Try “I don’t agree, Missy. Here’s why.” Try “Your experience is valid, just as mine is. Here’s mine.” Try getting outside of the black and white thinking…we are each individual and what is good for one is not good for all across the board. There is no right and wrong here, and none of us can tell someone else what is right or wrong for her. For crying in a bucket, people.
Try, I don’t need to find this in my inbox. If I want an opinion on it, I will seek it out. By sending this to our inboxes, she is inviting all the comments she receives and yes, I agree we all have our opinions. I didn’t ask for this one.
I agree completely…..sad when people boycott over an opinion. An opinion that never said everyone STOP getting mammograms. Her personal opinion only about mammograms. Do we end friendships when our friends have different opinions?
Missy is, of course, welcome to her opinion. But to state her opinion in a blast email to this list is not. Perhaps that is why many write that they will not support Title Nine. I can agree with much of ‘Missy Musing’ about the problems of lack of research and solutions, and the pink washing of the true issue, but to begin and end with stating she will opt out of mammograms is irresponsible – not for herself, that is her choice – but seemingly to encourage others to do the same. Missy has to know the impact this email would make. A very poor Business decision. Just my opinion.
It is not the opinion that is concerning- I am fine with her voicing her opinion. It is the manner in which that opinion was communicated.
If you read the responses instead of just condemning people for expressing *their opinions, then you will find that most people are upset that she used such a public platform in which to do it–thereby influencing people who are unwilling to look for the vast body of literature that supports early detection screening tests. When an influential person states opinion as fact, it can be much more damaging than if I state an opinion based on false facts when I am, for example, out to lunch with friends. The damage that can be done is much more far reaching. This public, unsolicited opinion is irrevocably damaging if even one life is lost because someone used this information as a reason to fail to get her screening mammogram–which is a harsh, but very real possibility. When you have public platforms and influence, opinions have to be much more carefully given. Anyone in the public eye who has flown off the handle with their personal opinion and thus lost revenue or careers can attest to that. So, yes, *my opinion is that the founder of a clothing company with no medical expertise has no business providing medical information, just as I, as a medical provider have no business providing an opinion in a public way over which clothing companies I will support. But, since she has effectively declared herself as an expert in my field, I will declare myself as an expert in her field, and state that I will now only shop at Athleta. Do screening tests cause some women to need further workup, and some unneeded worry? Yes. That is the point of screening-to pick up everyone with a real problem, recognizing that you will have some false positives. But, that is sure better than loss of health and life without screening. Screening mammograms save lives–So, to answer your last point, there *is a “right” here.
I think Missy’s reference about how the money is spent for cancer research versus cancer prevention is where I’m lost. Especially as an owner of such an important women’s only clothing company. Such an influence and to use it so incorrectly, I’m personally offended. Mammograms are used in the treatment of infertility. Lots of hormones are used to help women become pregnant. Making sure that a cancer isn’t present prior, could absolutely save your life. The use of the word “mammogram” and “boycott” should be used very carefully, it can be misconstrued that she means you should not get one in any circumstance. Our voice can powerful, use your influence wisely. Spread the message without the boycott, it really is hazardous.
Thank you for your comment, we all have levels of acceptance, for me this is unacceptable of Missy.
You are missing the point. It is not her opinion, it is the reckless use of a forum to disseminate a potentially life-threatening influence on women who may fall under an influence four to trust I the company. A dispicable mis-use of a forum.
Try: having breast cancer and then reading this.
Try: most comments have been very sensible and calm.
Try: Not subscribing to her blog, and still getting this post as a survivor.
yes. this. exactly.
Her company is one that has built on reputation and goodwill of the customers. It can go both ways. Her opinion is hers and while I may not agree with it it wouldn’t bother me for the most part.
However, she chose to use the company mailing list to share this opinion. A list which is primarily collected for marketing purposes. It is a misuse of that list and poor marketing.
Missy’s boycott, in her influential position, is wrong. It isn’t wrong to start a discussion about these important topics, when you opt out of something this important. Unfortunately, some gals are going to stop having mammograms. Sadly, some will die as an indirect result of this very ill comceived plan. That’s the facts!
“I don’t agree with Missy” and I think you can count yourself a contributer to this madness, in a bad way. Some gals on here are really crushed by this and if you notice, they’re b cancer survivors! Or in the medical field. It is a huge slap in the face. I support women who support women, I’m not sure opting out doesnt resemble some cultish, weirdo maneuver by an influential person. Kinda like Waco on a very different scale. Bottom line we have to protect the women who therwise for various reason are not on a level to make choices for themselves, but rather because if Missy does it, I’m going to also. She reaches our young audience, your opinion plain sucks!
Thank you for speaking your truth Missy. I really appreciate you saying what you think regardless of the tired mainstream media pitch. It is refreshing to see someone speak out without the worry of how this reflects on the company. Thank you for speaking up, speaking out, and speaking truth.
I agree Nancy, our society has too many people afraid to speak over political correctness, boycotts, and fear …. Our right to free speech is still here….voicing our opinions is our constitutional right. Funniest part here? Missy never once said stop getting mammograms, she said it was her choice…..readers then say”She’s giving out medical advice”?????…..NO…..she is stating her choice!
Finding this in my inbox after a long day using my 14 years of post high school education (4 college, 4 medical, 5 radiology residency, and 1 fellowship) was frustrating to say the least. I understand it is your right to voice your opinion, and it’s your company, so you can do what you want. When it may incorrectly influence others to act in a way that brings them harm, then I do feel I must speak up.
As a physician, and a radiologist (yes, the very doctor that interprets mammograms, ultrasound, and MRI), I feel it necessary to correct several points.
First, when evaluating medical info, you must first check your sources and verify your data. Citing Time magazine and such is hardly reliable. You need academic sources. I suggest you research information from the American College of Radiology. Yes, we have strict standards for performing and interpreting mammagrams. And yes, we have proven that screening saves lives.
Second, if you are not a physician, don’t espouse medical advice. You are not qualified.
There are many more points I could go on to make, but as a doctor working full time, and a full time mommy and wife, I have better things to do. So instead, I’ll just boycott Title Nine.
Please remove me from your listserve. I don’t need your medical advice. Clothes I’ll miss, but I’d rather do without than support a company dispensing erroneous medical advice.
Sincerely,
Aubrey Slaughter, MD
There was no medical advice given just an opinion. And everyone has one, and no, just because she’s not a doctor doesn’t mean she can’t speak about medical things. Doctors aren’t God and they are not privvy to all things medical. They are humans and they make mistakes. Just ask the lady with full blown inflammatory breast cancer that went undetected by her radiologist. There’s two sides to every coin but it seems many medical works are brainwashed to think one way.
A federal health task force that has been criticized for its mammography recommendations now has scientific support from the World Health Organization.
The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has just finished its review of mammography to screen for breast cancer, and it, too, concludes that the value of these screening X-rays is “limited” for women in their 40s.
That’s basically what the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force decided in April, triggering howls of protest. Both reviews said there’s no question that mammography benefits women in their 50s and 60s. They also agree it’s not universally valuable for women in their 40s. The U.S. task force suggested that women in their 40s talk to their doctors about their individual circumstances, such as family history of breast cancer, to decide whether mammograms are appropriate for them.
That advice sounds benign, but that draft recommendation has potential financial implications. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s weak recommendation for women in their 40s means insurance companies and government programs won’t be obligated to provide free mammograms for that age group. Insurance companies may still choose to keep covering these screening tests at no cost. Mammograms must be provided free to women 50 to 74 years old.
Motivated by the payment implications, some critics have been calling on the U.S. task force to strengthen its science-based recommendations for women in their 40s. “We know that there are women that will die if this recommendation goes through,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., told NPR.
A change in mammography guidelines could affect their cost for many women.
SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS
Change To Mammogram Guidelines Could Lead To Coverage Shift
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends mammograms every other year, while the American Cancer Society endorses annual scans.
SHOTS – HEALTH NEWS
Federal Panel Revisits Contested Recommendation On Mammograms
But from a scientific standpoint, the U.S. task force can now point to the WHO’s cancer agency for support. The IARC expert committee met in November to review the most careful research studies worldwide that evaluate the benefits and risks of mammography.
The IARC findings, published online by New England Journal of Medicine, say that there’s “sufficient” evidence to say that mammography reduces breast cancer mortality in women 50 to 69 years old, but “limited” evidence that it reduces mortality among women in their 40s. That’s also what IARC concluded during its last analysis, in 2002.
“We carefully reviewed the results of all available, randomized controlled trials and reaffirmed the findings from the previous evaluation of the efficacy of mammographic screening in women 50 to 69 years of age,” the committee writes. “The evidence of efficacy for women in other age groups was considered inadequate.”
It was a close call, though, for women in their 40s: “The vote was almost evenly divided between limited and sufficient evidence.”
Both the U.S. and the international reviews balanced the benefits against the harms of mammograms. These tests do detect tumors, but most of the results are actually false alarms. Most false alarms are cleared up easily, but researchers say some women undergo surgery, radiation and drug treatment they simply don’t need.
The benefits for women over 50 clearly outweigh the harms. But the IARC review didn’t reach that conclusion for women under 50, where the benefit is small because breast cancer is much less common in that age group.
Radiation from the test itself can also raise the risk of breast cancer, but very slightly. The IARC put that risk at somewhere between 1 and 10 cases of breast cancer for every 100,000 women who are screened, which is “smaller by a factor of 100 than the estimates of death from breast cancer that are prevented” by mammograms. Starting mammograms in a woman’s 40s increases the number of X-rays she will have in her lifetime.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is now reviewing the public comments it solicited in response to its draft recommendations. It will eventually issue final recommendations (there’s no specific timetable). If the science-based findings don’t change, there’s another option to guarantee that mammograms will be covered by insurance policies for women in their 40s. Congress can mandate that. In fact, that’s the reason mammograms are guaranteed coverage right now.
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/06/03/411778601/international-group-says-mammograms-of-limited-value-for-women-in-40s
Bravo, Aubrey! Wish I could have been so eloquent. I no longer feel anybody should trust this woman’s opinion about anything!
I found the TIME article to be very interesting. To those of you who are decrying Missy’s statement, please read it. You will find more information there about Dr’s Re-thinking Breast Cancer. I do have to disagree with this article though, as my insurance would only pay for the initial mammogram. Given that I have cystic breasts that run in the family, I often had to shell out hundreds of extra dollars on my own only to find out that the ultrasound showed a “cyst”. After the second time this happened and I predicted it in my dr’s office without even seeing the scan, I made a determination that I would do more self-monitoring and be less involved in mammograms on a yearly basis. I have had aunts who have had very invasive procedures done only to find out that it was a cyst. I had one aunt who refused to have it done, her dr told her she would die of BC and the lump was gone 3 weeks later. I know that this is not everyone’s experience but I am tired of being dragged through the technology mud for what I consider not much.