Musings...: One Very Important Reason to get a Mammography Done

A lump in the breast is what most women dread. What dreaded me most was a mammography.

I have lived with a lump in my left breast for a long long time, since school... Had a similar one in my right breast, was operated and the biospy showed it was a fibroadenoma, and when I discovered another one, I took it cool. Since it never bothered me, I never bothered with it. Years went by and I forgot about it.

(What is a fibroadenoma? According to the Mayo Clinic, these are 'solid, noncancerous breast tumors that occur most often in adolescent girls and women under the age of 30.' These are usually painless and move under your touch. Treatment includes monitoring, fine needle biopsy and removal by surgery.)

After the birth of my second son, I gained quite a bit of weight, and at the same time, I also started feeling a bit of discomfort around the lump and armpits. This discomfort had lately increased. At around the same time, we had our biannual medical examination and for the first time, ladies had a physical examination, and the doctor was shocked to find the lump. I was asked to go in for a mammography immediately. I told her the history but she said better be sure, 'My mom had a lump for a long time', said doc, 'since I was in class 4. She passed away recently because of cancer, which was discovered too late.' I understood, nodded my head, and then forgot about it.

It was time for my next biannual exam, and I still hadn't gotten my mammography done. You have to do it immediately, I was again told. I nodded and came back home. Between work, kids and home, it gain got postponed. A few days ago, while chatting on Whatsapp with my kid's school's moms group, a mom spoke of getting her mammography done and going in for a surgery, then another shared her experience of how she had fought cancer and survived. We all spoke of immediately getting check-ups done. I shared my experience and was pushed by all the 49 moms into immediately getting it done. In the meantime, our garden doctor's wife, a happy and very positive person, too had been diagnosed with breast cancer but luckily in the first stage and was undergoing chemotherapy, and had very good results.

Maybe it was because of them, maybe I was also getting anxious, and I finally stood and said I must get this done. Sent a message to my cousin who was a doctor, and Sanjib called her and she immediately fixed an appointment. I was terrified the night before. I really did not know what a mammography was. Too scared even to google, I decided to just go with the flow.

What exactly is a mammography? Now that I have been through it, I can tell you. It is nothing invasive..that is, no needle is inserted, no cuts are made. It is basically an x-ray of your breast tissue. But with regard to privacy, if you think you could go into this fully clothed and remain fully clothed throughout, then no, you cannot. Your breasts, one after the other, are put between two plates and then squeezed by the upper plate. There will be discomfort (and this is putting it mildly). And I was terrified when I saw what was about to happen the first time! They will probably do each breast twice from two angles and with the armpits also coming in view. This will probably be done by female nurses who are professionals and after the first few seconds, you will cease to be embarrassed by the experience.

Once my mammography was done, the doctor wanted to do an ultrasound examination. What was discovered was a calcified fibroadenoma in my left breast, 3.5 x 1.9 cm and another in my right breast which was considerably smaller. The armpit area had breast tissues, which the doctor said was there in quite a few women... and the final diagnosis was not to worry. Benign.

Never felt so relieved before. But, if this was the real deal, then my delay could have really really caused problems. Sent a prayer of gratitude!

On a serious note, here are some facts: It is always better to get your mammography done immediately if you feel a lump, and if you are above 40, it is recommended that you get one done every year. Husbands should also be taking their wives for an annual check-up even if there are no lumps. It really, really does not cost anything to be a bit more cautious as Breast Cancer is the commonest cancer in women worldwide. According to WHO, over 508 000 women died in 2011 due to breast cancer. Almost 50% of breast cancer cases and 58% of deaths occur in less developed countries (GLOBOCAN 2008). survival rates vary from higher than 80% in developed nations like USA and Japan to less than 40% in low-income nations. This is because of late detection in the latter. The lowest incidence rates are found in most African countries.

Women who are more at risk of breast cancer:

1. Women who smoke, take alcohol or junk food are in the risk group.

2. Women who have had their first child after 30 years.

3. Childless women or women who have breastfed for a very short interval.

4. Women with mother or siblings who have had breast cancer have a 50% greater risk factor.