The Mammogram Scam

About 20 years ago, when I was in medical school, I remember reading about the bold experiment our culture was about to undertake to deal with the rising tide of breast cancer. Without having any knowledge as to the cause of this disease, which would allow true breast cancer prevention, it was reasoned that the best alternative to prevention was early detection and treatment. Towards this end, a massive mammogram experiment began.

I paid little attention to this at the time. Breast cancer was not a personal issue for me, and the theory that early detection and treatment was the best option seemed reasonable. In the absence of knowing the cause of a disease, all you can do is hope you don’t get it, and look for early signs to attack the problem before it is too late.

When my wife discovered a lump in her breast, the issue took on a new meaning. She was pregnant at the time, and we were reluctant to go through the radiation of a mammogram. We were also wary of the next steps in the process. Once a suspicious lump is discovered, there will be a biopsy. A biopsy can spread cancer, since tumors grow within a capsule that contains the malignant cells. Piercing the capsule to get a tissue sample with a biopsy, even using only a needle, can spread the cancer cells throughout the breast and the rest of the body. So a biopsy could make things worse. And then there are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, none of which were acceptable to us.

What nagged at us most was the big question of WHY? Why did this lump develop? Without understanding the cause of the problem, how could we effectively cure it or prevent it from happening again?

The medical industry offered no answers to the question of WHY. The cause of breast cancer, they said, has something to do with genetics, and lifestyle, although they admit they cannot explain the cause for over 70% of all breast cancer cases. Without knowing more, they said, all you can do is look for the tumor and treat it as soon as possible. Getting regular mammograms, they insisted, was the best a woman can do.

Of course, you cannot prevent a disease by looking for it. Once you find it, you’ve got it. Early detection means you get cancer. This is not prevention, despite claims made in the propaganda campaign to get women to comply with mammogram guidelines.