Still Undergoing Routine Mammograms? Perhaps You Should Consider This

As soon as you turn fifty, you start receiving letters from the NHS containing a ready-booked appointment for breast screening, also known as a mammogram.

They say that it will help them ‘save lives from breast cancer’, and so you feel like you don’t have much choice in the matter so do what you think is best and make yourself an appointment.

But did you know that there’s a chance you might not be making the right decision for the health of your breasts?

Did you know that having the mammogram might not be an accurate way to detect breast cancer, and could actually increase your risk of developing breast cancer or allowing cancerous cells to spread?

I’m not willing to undergo this risk, so recently I decided to decline my NHS breast screening and ask to be taken off the list. And I’m not alone in doing this- around 1 in 8 women in the UK decline to undergo a mammogram for the same reasons.

They understand the risks, they’re aware that they have the choice, and they decide to stand up for their health instead of putting it into the hands of a health authority.

I’m all about making informed choices about your health, so I’d like to help you choose to do what is right for your breast health too.

Let me share with you the many reasons why I refused a mammogram and what I’m doing to protect my health, prevent cancer and detect any changes instead.

Why I refused a mammogram

Of course, I didn’t just refuse the breast screening on a whim. The decision was made after carefully considering my options and the implications of undergoing these mammograms.

#1: I don’t want to undergo unnecessary x-rays

A mammogram is a type of x-ray, and whilst x-rays can be a wonderful tool to help detect health problems, they are also known carcinogens which can harm your health and even cause cancer.

During a mammogram, your breasts are exposed to a small amount of radiation which can cause changes in your DNA and potentially cause cancer.  Although we are all exposed to a small amount of radiation over the course of the year, this soon adds up and honestly, I’d prefer to protect myself from any extra risks of developing cancer as much as possible.  

Worst of all, any cancerous cells which are already present are likely to be spread, thanks to the breast compression that happens in the mammogram itself.

#2: I don’t want to be part of a cancer screening programme

The trouble with cancer-screening programmes is that they’re looking for end-stage disease which the medical profession can treat with drugs and therapies in an attempt to ‘cure’.

But preventing cancer (and disease) doesn’t come from just having a mammogram every couple of years after you hit 50. It’s not something you consider once and then forget about until the next reminder letter lands on your doorstep.

It starts with prevention.

Factors such as the lifestyle choices you make, the food you choose to eat, whether or not you expose yourself to known cancer-causing factors like alcohol, cigarettes, chronic stress, along with your genetic likelihood of developing the disease will all have an impact on your body’s ability to fight off disease and prevent the development of breast cancer.

The best thing we can do to minimise our risk of developing breast cancer is to take better care of our bodies, minds and spirits so breast screening becomes another option we can use if entirely necessary, but not the be-all-and-end-all.

#3: I understand my body (and I listen to it)

As a women’s health expert, I understand that my body is constantly sharing messages with me about my health and wellbeing because it’s not my enemy- it wants me to be well. If it tells me it needs more sleep, more rest, more nutrition, more fresh air, more exercise or more time with my friends and family, I make sure I listen so I can remain in a state of great health as much as possible.

So there doesn’t seem to be any sense at all of putting my healthy breast into a clamp every three years. When I know that my body is healthy, that I’m methylating well, I have a strong immune system and there are no risks present, then there seems no real need to undergo a mammogram.  

What is methylation and why does it matter?

In that last paragraph, I mentioned the word ‘methylating’ to explain how I understand that my risks of developing breast cancer are low without undergoing a mammogram. Unless you’re a health professional, it’s unlikely you know what this word means. Let me explain…

Methylation is a chemical reaction that happens inside of every one of the cells inside of your body. This process is like flicking on or off a set of little switches that control how your body reacts to the world around you.

This includes how you respond to stress, how you think and feel, how well your body can eliminate toxins, how you get the energy from your food, how your body responds to the genes you were born with, what happens when you damage your cells and how your immune system works.

If any of this process gets stuck or broken, it will be much harder for your body to fight off pre-cancerous changes and you are much more likely to develop breast cancer.

How to prevent breast cancer naturally

Reducing your risk of developing breast cancer is actually quite straightforward- you just need to take good care of the body you were blessed with, and listen closely for any changes that might happen. 

Step 1: Keep methylating, baby!

The first step in cancer prevention is to strengthen the methylation process, and avoid those factors which can slow the process down and leave your body weaker, and more at risk.

To boost the process, you should ensure you’re sleeping well, getting enough exercise and daylight, managing your stress effectively, and you’re eating a great diet which is high in fresh, unprocessed foods.

Gut health also plays an important role so it’s a good idea to give your digestive system some TLC too.  Vitamins B6 (thiamine), B9 (folate)  and Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) also help natural methylation.

You should also avoid drinking excess alcohol, taking acid blockers, drinking excessive amounts of coffee, eating a poor diet and also being under stress.

 Step 2: Take care of your immune system

Your immune system also plays an important role in preventing breast cancer. You can strengthen yours by ensuring you’re getting enough sleep, exercise, daylight and fresh air, and also that you’re eating a diet high in antioxidant-rich, immune-boosting fresh vegetables and fruits.

Gut health also plays an important role in methylation, so if you struggle with IBS, leaky gut, candida, you’ve ever taken antibiotics or the contraceptive pill, or you have other digestive issues, you might also want to address these.

Step 3: Give your mental health some TLC

Did you know that it’s not just your life and immediate environment that can stress your body- your thoughts can do this too? Toxic thoughts and stressful situations or lifestyles increase your stress hormones, reduce the efficiency of your immune system and can also wreak havoc with your immune system. This puts your health and risk and could potentially increase your risk of developing a long-term health problem.

If you struggle with unwanted negative thoughts or stress, please read through many of the other articles on my website- I have lots of free resources that will help you feel calmer and more in control of your thoughts, your emotions and your life.

Step 4: Consider taking the DUTCH Test

One of the ways I can gain a better insight into my overall health and understand my cancer risk is by taking the DUTCH Test periodically. Whilst it doesn’t detect cancer, it does measure how well my body is processing the oestrogen in my body and provides great insight into the methylating process. If you’d also like to take the test, please get in touch and I can point you in the right direction.

What to do if you notice breast changes

Before I round up this article, I’d like to mention that it’s very important that you do seek medical advice should you notice any changes in your breasts. These changes include:

• A painless lump in your breast or armpit
• A change in the size or shape of your breast
• Changes in the skin of your breast, such as a dimple or skin that looks like orange peel
• A change in your nipple, including scaling of the skin, a nipple that turns in, or discharge or bleeding
• A change in the colour or feel of the skin around your nipple.

It’s probably nothing, but it’s best to be safe.

I’d prefer not to undergo a routine mammogram to detect breast cancer because I don’t believe it’s worth the risks, I don’t believe it’s an effective way of detecting cancer and I’m a strong believer of prevention before cure. I also know how to listen to my body and understand when I should be concerned, or not.

Having said that, it’s my personal choice. Breast screening doesn’t feel right for me, and I’m fine with that. I’m owning my health.

What you do is ultimately your choice too.