Safe alternatives to mammograms for annual breast cancer screening that do not involve radiation or painful breast compression.
I once asked my 91 year old Mother why she has never had a mammogram. My late Dad, a practicing MD for 40 years, supported my Mom in her decision.
Her answer startled me.
She told me that it made no sense to her to screen for breast cancer with a test that actually causes breast cancer!
What my Mom was referring to is the radiation from mammograms which is cumulative over time and can actually cause the very disease it is screening for!
If only our conventional medical community made decisions using this much common sense!
At my age, I should have had 10+ mammograms by now. However, I’ve chosen to follow my Mom’s advice by never having one.
This includes when I had a suspicious lump a few years back. What I opted for instead is discussed below.
One-Fifth of Breast Cancers Caused by Mammograms
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, the dirty little secret is that a single screening mammogram of both breasts exposes you to as much as 1,000 times the radiation of a single chest x-ray! (1)
If you find this shocking and hard to believe as I did, then research the facts for yourself.
Your doctor will most likely deny this vehemently, insisting the amount of radiation exposure is trivial.
Where have you heard that line before? From dentists about regular dental x-rays!
Don’t take a doctor’s word for it. Research both sides of the issue and come to your own conclusions.
Dr. Samuel Epstein MD, one of the world’s top cancer experts estimates that up to 20% of all breast cancers diagnosed in the United States annually are actually linked to the cumulative radiation effects of mammograms!
Another major problem with mammograms is the compression factor which serves to spread any breast cancer that may be present.
As early as 1928, physicians were warned to handle “cancerous breasts with care– for fear of accidentally disseminating cells” and spreading cancer (7). Nevertheless, mammography entails tight and often painful compression of the breast, particularly in premenopausal women. This may lead to distant and lethal spread of malignant cells by rupturing small blood vessels in or around small, as yet undetected breast cancers. (2)
Best Mammogram Alternatives
For those women seeking an alternative to the radiation of mammography, I suggest investigating two safe alternatives.
I’ve used both of these over the years.
Thermography
First is the option of thermography or thermogram.
This technology screens for the vascular changes associated with early breast cancer.
Read about my experience with thermography at the link if you’d like more details.
Breast Ultrasound
If the thermogram detects one or more suspicious areas, the next step is to get a breast ultrasound.
Unlike fetal ultrasound which is dangerous to babies risking hearing loss and speech delay among other issues, breast ultrasound is safe enough to use as a regular screening tool.
Read about the 7 benefits of breast ultrasound at the link, where I dive into the subject in-depth including my own experience getting one.
The problem is that mammography is such a racket that most doctors will not write you a script for an ultrasound without getting a mammogram first.
Why is this?
What is not widely known is that some physician groups get kickbacks for the mammograms they prescribe. Do they disclose this to their patients?
Almost never.
If you find yourself in this situation, the company Herscan will do a breast ultrasound for you without a prescription! The results will be examined by a licensed radiologist and you will get a report in the mail.
Simply go to their website, find when Herscan will be in your area, and book an appointment.
Will Insurance Cover It?
The biggest issue for most women is that mammogram alternatives aren’t covered by insurance.
Thus, you will need to be prepared to pay for thermography or a breast ultrasound out of pocket unless you have health-care sharing, which DOES cover it!
Read about my review of our family’s healthcare sharing experience at the link.
We switched about 10 years ago and will never go back to traditional health insurance. It is such a scam in so many ways.
It is Possible to Never Get a Mammogram!
The truth about mammograms as a significant contributor to breast cancer will gradually become more widely known.
Eventually, the tide of public opinion will force their removal as a breast cancer screening test.
Permanently!
When the reality of mammography madness finally makes the Evening News, make sure you aren’t one of the women who look back and regret not stopping sooner!
It is possible to never have a mammogram and still get the proper screening your health requires!
(1) Mercola versus the Medical Establishment
(2) Cancer-gate: How to Win the Losing Cancer War
(3) HerScan. How to Get a Breast Ultrasound without a Mammogram
Thank you for this wonderful article!
Getting a thermography each year is some of the best money I spend on myself. In FL it saved me money over PA.
I stopped having mammograms probably 10 years ago or more. I always thought that the smashing of your breast could not be good for them. I have used HerScan ultrasound yearly ever since. I love them. I have an appointment scheduled next month. I have also done thermography once and may start alternating every 6 months between HerScan ultrasound and thermography.
Is what you’re suggesting a sure way to detect cancer,& if yes,what to do if cancer detected?Also,if they suggest mammogram,why?The point was to avoid mamograms,right?
Hi Lisa, according to my research, a thermogram/breast ultrasound combo is a better way to find cancer early than a mammogram. If cancer is detected, obviously then more consideration of whether a person wants to go the chemo/radiation route is required. The Weston A. Price Foundation recommends removal of the cancerous lumps surgically if breast cancer is found, with alternative methods for healing rather than mastectomy/chemo/radiation.
i highly recommend thermography, too! this is an excellent web site to share with anyone considering getting a mammogram or anyone fighting breast cancer:
http://www.breastcancerchoices.org/
Also, if you are looking for an immune system booster, please check out the Colostrum6 product here:
30867.anovite.com
I have had a handful of mammograms in my lifetime. I don’t want any more. I believe that the compression to the breasts during s mammogram causes trauma to the breasts & trauma can cause cancer. Also, the radiation is bad. Besides, mammograms are painful. It is 2022. There should be better alternatives. I have tried thermography once. That may be my thing going forward.
So are the “experts” saying don’t get a mammogram even if you have a lump? What do you do if you get an ultrasound for a lump but it’s inconclusive?
I meant to add. I had an ultrasound scan by HerScan and they recommended that I get a mammogram ?
They do that for everybody for legal reasons, I believe. They told me that too even though my ultrasound was clear.
Hello,
Thank you for your articles on alternatives to Mammogrammy. I read in your posts that one mammogram is equivalent in radiation to 1000 chest X-rays. Do you have the research to back that up? I would really b interested in reading it as I have been unsuccessful in finding that documentation on my own.
Thanks so much.
Yes, see the credible sources linked in the article.
Dr. Samuel Epstein, one of the world’s top cancer experts, has stated:
“The premenopausal breast is highly sensitive to radiation, each 1 rad exposure increasing breast cancer risk by about 1 percent, with a cumulative 10 percent increased risk for each breast over a decade’s screening.”
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/03/experts-say-avoid-mammograms.aspx
Ugh… just the mention of Dr. Mercola makes me cringe. He’s a gifted marketer who hates big pharmaceuticals for making money yet pawns his overpriced products and makes millions….
Thank you for this! I am 40 and recently went to the doctor to get all my routine blood work done. And then she said, “oh and you’re 40 now so it’s time to start getting mammograms!” and wrote up an order for one. Every fiber of my being was screaming NO this cannot be good for me. I am hoping to still have another baby and feel like all the compression is rather invasive and violent to a breast that is still in it’s lactating years. Maybe that’s nuts, but your post makes me feel like it isn’t!
This comment is for BPK above – too bad Dr. Mercola makes your skin crawl. Yes, he does have a business and makes money from it. He has also tried to expose the skulduggery of the Big Ph. However, the difference between the two entities is that his products don’t kill you and he’s not a known felon. He does not do “health studies” and then hide the evidence when things go south from the general public. If over 25,000 deaths from the Covid vaccine in the US alone (which Harvard claims only represents 1% of actuals) does not at all bother you – while hidden by pharma-paid doctors and media, well, there’s not much more to say.
Agree! There is nothing wrong with earning a living and being good at business which Dr. Mercola obviously is. He isn’t killing people like Big Pharma and then burying the evidence.
I'm 51 and have been feeling guilty about not having a mammogram–but scared to have one because–well I broke my hip when I was 10 and since this was caused in part by a bone weakness that could turn malignant till I stopped growing–I was xrayed at least once a year until I was 16–then again in my 20s for several months when I had a stress fracture. I figure I have had more than enough radiation for one life. More people need to start speaking out about this. I have a friend from my teens who was just diagnosed with breast cancer (52) and I am pretty sure she has had the yearly mammogram–still the cancer was pretty advanced and they are going back in to take the lymph-nodes in two weeks. The yearly mammogram didn't really help her at all.