I am asthmatic, and a member of the generation that received many childhood chest x-rays -when radiation doses were much higher. I worked with radioisotopes as a grad student. In my 40's and 50's I received many cervical spine x-rays, and needed to get pretty assertive about chest protection. I have often needed to ask for a lead apron during dental x-rays. If my breasts aren't exposed to radiation at all from the procedure, why do they need to leave the room. I had a baby at 18 and breast fed. I do not smoke. My alcohol intake is very low. I use olive oil for almost all ingested oils. I am low risk for breast cancer — except possibly something due to total lifetime radiation exposure. No doctor would ever tell me that there was zero risk for mammogram radiation. And I asked.

If I had a baseline at 40, and a mammogram every year up to 80 – that would be 40 exposures to radiation. No physician was ever able to tell me that that much total radiation would not increase my risk of having breast cancer in my 70's or 80's.

I decided in my 40's to have a baseline mammogram at 50, and one every two or three years thereafter – unless information or technology changed.

I had one false positive. The suspicious 'lump' was in breast tissue that bordered the axillary region. The team doing the X-ray guided routine tissue collection, had trouble positioning my 'lump'. I finally asked them to let me position myself and they were able to collect the tissue sample without surgery. This was a painful and difficult process due to the location of the 'lump', and my cervical and lumbar fusions. I don't know the radiation dose I was exposed to as they tried to get the instruments to reach the shadow on the screen. It turned out to be a lymph node. I am grateful. If needed, I will go through this procedure again. But I do not want to irradiate my breasts any more than necessary. False positives are not just extra cost – and to be honest I am not as concerned about extra cost as I am concerned about the extra radiation, pain, and anxiety that may follow a false positive.

I am asthmatic, and a member of the generation that received many childhood chest xrays -when radiation doses were much higher. I worked with radioisotopes as a grad student. In my 40's and 50's I received many cervical spine xrays, and needed to get pretty assertive about chest protection. I have often needed to ask for a lead apron during dental xrays. If my breasts aren't exposed to radiation at all from the proceedure, why do they need to leave the room. I had a baby at 18 and breast fed. I do not smoke. My alchohol intake is very low. I use olive oil for almost all ingested oils. I am low risk for breast cancer — except possibly something due to total lifetime radiation exposure. No doctor would ever tell me that there was zero risk for mammogram radiation. And I asked.

If I had a baseline at 40, and a mammogram every year up to 80 – that would be 40 exposures to radiation. No physician was ever able to tell me that that much total radiation would not increase my risk of having breast cancer in my 70's or 80's.

I decided in my 40's to have a baseline masmmogram at 50, and one every two or three years there after – unless information or technology changed.

I had one false positive. The suspicious 'lump' was in breast tissue that bordered the axillary region. The team doing the X-ray guided routine tissue collection, had trouble positioning my 'lump'. I finally asked them to let me position my self and they were able to collect the tissue sample without surgery. This was a painful and difficult process due to the location of the 'lump', and my cervical and lumbar fusions. I don't know the radiation dose I was exposed to as they tried to get the instruments to reach the shadow on the screen. It turned out to be a lymph node. I am greatful. If needed, I will go through this procedure again. But I do not want to irradiate my breasts any more than necessary. False positivesd are not just extra cost – and to be honest I am not as concerned about extra cost as I am concerned about the extra radiation, pain, and anxiety that may follow a false positive.