This week I received another unwelcome reminder of my age. An invitation to have my breasts screened arrived in the post. Women receive their first invitation to attend a free screening when they are between 50 and 52 years old.  Now I have to decide whether to attend the appointment.

The Obvious Choice?

Attending might seem like the obvious choice but things are not quite as simple as that.  I am very naughty about this sort of thing generally as I am always busy and rarely ill and so tend to visit medical facilities about once each decade and only if I am having a near death experience.  I am also fortunate enough to have been born into a family which has had no instances of breast cancer on either my mother’s or father’s side. This does mean that I am less likely than some to fall victim to the disease but I am aware that I could be suffering from a false sense of security. One in eight women in the UK will suffer from breast cancer at some point in their lives.

Saving Lives

The current statistics show that the NHS breast screening programme saves 1300 lives each year by detecting breast cancer early. The mammograms are able to detect cancers which are too small to be seen or felt otherwise.  This all sounds great but there are downsides too.

The Downsides

The screenings do pick up cancers which would never prove to be a problem for the women concerned. Once found, they are treated which means that having a mammogram could lead to unnecessary treatments and a whole lot of worry. Ironically the x rays can actually slightly raise your chances of getting cancer in the first place. There is also the danger that getting the all clear could make women complacent about checking themselves. Cancers could develop between screenings which are offered every three years.

Decisions, Decisions

So the decision to get checked is not as straightforward as it might first appear. I am genuinely wondering if I should attend or not and if having a mammogram might do more harm than good in my case. I don’t want to be worried about something that would not threaten my health or to undergo unnecessary treatments. Neither do I wish to expose myself to a greater risk of contracting the disease.

On the other hand I would be incredibly angry at myself if I didn’t go and then developed cancer which was much more difficult to treat because it had been discovered later.  I have known people who have had breast cancer scares and I have had cause to write about post mastectomy bras in my time as a writer and the mere thought of the illness is truly horrible.

On balance I think that I will probably have the screening. It only takes 10 to 30 minutes of my time and at least that way I wouldn’t have to punish myself in the future by pondering the what ifs. Perhaps the invitation was a reminder of my age that I really needed after all.

Article by Sally Stacey