WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, SportsBreast cancer survivor speaks out about new recommendations

Breast cancer survivor speaks out about new recommendations

by Colby Robertson

RHINELANDER (WAOW) -- For years, women over 40 were told to get a yearly mammogram. Now, experts say women should wait until they are 50 and then, get one every two years because of radiation risks.

Some groups say the change is mainly a way to save money on healthcare costs. The new guidelines are not for women who have high risk factors for breast cancer. But even those who have no history of the disease are sometimes diagnosed before the age of 50.

That's the case for a woman in Rhinelander who is speaking out about these new recommendations.

Tammy Ives was 47 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She says, "It's truly like someone socks you in the stomach and takes your breath away."

She's thankful everyday that she decided to get her scheduled mammogram in June of 2008.

Ives says, "I actually canceled due to financial reasons and a glitch in my schedule and a few weeks later I decided that it would be better to go and get it done anyway's even though I had no family history or anything and I hadn't missed one since I was 40."

Luckily, she rescheduled. It was that annual mammogram screening that saved her life.

Ives says, "I had stage zero cancer but I was told by Dr. Gall away that had I not had the mammogram and had the surgery by the time it wouldn't have been detected."

Tammy's mass was on the back of her chest wall meaning monthly self breast exams would not have detected her lump until much later on.

"When you have the diagnosis of breast cancer, there are a lot of options for you to have and if you wait until later. At stage one, two or three your options become less."

That's why these new mammogram recommendations are so hard for Tammy and other survivors to swallow.

"That one life which was mine, which is obviously important to me and my family would not have been spared."

According to research roughly 15 percent of women in their 40's detect breast cancer through mammography. On the other hand, many women experience false positives, anxiety, and unnecessary biopsies as a result of the test.

Leaders at both the Susan G Komen Fund and American Cancer Society disagree with the new recommendation.

Some in the health industry fear this could give insurance companies the ammunition they need not to cover screenings for women under 50.

Online Reporter: Colby Robertson