Mammograms - Safe or Dangerous in Menopause?

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Mammograms - Safe or Dangerous in Menopause? - Felice Gersh

Рет қаралды 3,340

Күн бұрын

Dr. Felice Gersh is here to tell us about her new research into mammograms. We talk about the risks, the benefits, the alternatives and what a woman going through the menopause transition needs to know to make the best decision on how to monitor her breast health, and keep her risks for breast cancer as close to zero as possible.
Felice Gersh, M.D. is a multi-award winning physician with dual board certifications in OB-GYN and Integrative Medicine. She is the founder and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, which provides comprehensive health care for women by combining the best evidence-based therapies from conventional, naturopathic, and holistic medicine.
For 12 years, she taught obstetrics and gynecology as an Assistant Clinical Professor at Keck USC School of Medicine, where she was honored with the Outstanding Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award. She now serves as an Affiliate Faculty Member at the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the University of Arizona School of Medicine, where she lectures and regularly grades the case presentations written by the Fellowship students for their final exams. Additionally, she is a sought after medical forensic expert and has worked on numerous high profile legal cases. Dr. Felice loves writing and lecturing She has been around the world presenting on women’s health issues and she regularly publishes in peer-reviewed medical journals.
You may have already heard Dr. Felice on the podcasting circuit or in popular media like Cosmopolitan, Shape and Health magazines talking about her specialty - PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), menopause and other issues related to women’s health.
This episode is sponsored by Oxford Healthspan. The makers of my favorite spermidine supplement Primeadine. Use code ZORA for 15% off Primeadine spermidine ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Menopause Method training⁠⁠⁠⁠ for doctors and medical professionals to learn how to prescribe hormone therapy for women in menopause. Go to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Institute of Menopause Medicine⁠⁠⁠⁠‘s website iobim.org to make an appointment to learn more and use the code ZORA for a discount. Go the sister site brite.live to find a menopause trained doctor near you.
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0:00 - Introduction to Dr. Felice Gersh's Research
2:30 - Mammograms and Breast Health
4:14 - Evaluating Mammography's Impact on Mortality
5:40 - Regular Mammography vs No Screening
6:32 - Breast Cancer Industrial Complex
8:18 - Inherent Problem with Breast Cancer
9:52 - Identifying Women at Risk
12:07 - Hormone Blockade
13:46 - Effects of Radiation
14:27 - Overdiagnosis in Breast Cancer
19:50 - Frequency of Mammography Screenings
25:57 - Harms of Over-Treatment and Ongoing Research
36:16 - Breast Composition and Aging
38:13 - Callback Rates in Mammography
40:44 - Advancements in Mammography Technology
43:28 - Grooming Women to Fear Breast Cancer
47:10 - Chemical Exposure and Menstrual Cycle
50:28 - Estrogen's Role in Growth and Healing
55:20 - Misconceptions about Estrogen
58:05 - Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Mammograms
1:00:02 - The Uncertainty of Early Detection
1:06:55 - Advice for Women Going Through Menopause Transition
CONTACT
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Telephone: (949) 753-7475
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Instagram: / dr.felicegersh
LinkedIn: / felice-gersh-md-b0422b13
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Пікірлер: 68

@MistyBell13 3 ай бұрын

What a wonderful interview! I have been aware of the problems with mammograms for years and decided they are not for me. Unfortunately I have to lie to my gp about having them otherwise she refuses to prescribe my HRT, which I think is pretty appalling.

@hackmyage 3 ай бұрын

Oh wow. But I know this is a protocol for many doctors. I believe that monitoring your breasts is very important. How you do that is up to you, but I wouldn't ignore it completely. This goes to say whether you are on HRT or not. I personally believe through what research I have done so far and the discussions with my menopause doctor, that for myself my bioidentical hormone therapy gives me more benefits than risks.

@arleenm7367 Ай бұрын

Good interview - thanks! I was one of those who were "overdiagnosed" 28 years ago. Her story about women stressed about an abnormal mammogram was exactly my experience. I was "watching and waiting" and stressing for months. Finally I realized it's just another racket to make money. I still believe in our medical system - but I've become really skeptical. The next money-making overdiagnosis in the medical industry will be the Dexa scans and osteopenia and osteoporosis. Just wait.

@janieraccoon Ай бұрын

Dexa scans are already overdone and big money makers. And the drugs for osteoporosis are very scary.

@hackmyage Ай бұрын

Oh wow. I am sorry to hear you experienced such stress for nothing. A pity we are now so skeptical about the medical system that we should trust. I am now curious to see if you're right about the DEXA. hmmmm... I am one of those who always recommends women to get scanned. But as I understand, there is no radiation in this. No?

@judithwyer389 28 күн бұрын

The osteoporosis "diagnosis" already is a big medical money maker (witness celebs. on the media pushing boniva for instance. If a celebrity pushes the drug it must be good). Osteoporosis meds is a multbillion dollar business. One of the curious aspects to making a diagnosis of osteoporosis is that the baseline for comparing a scan is a 35 year old woman. When a woman is in her seventies in the best of all world's her bone density will not be that of a mid-thirty year old woman. I lowered my dexa score through exercise and diet. I could not tolerate the medication and had to stop it. Thinning bones are part of aging.

@MaryBethMcCoy 28 күн бұрын

@@hackmyage From the research I have heard about, the Dexa scan was developed as a way to make money and the values that have been established for healthy bone mass is very arbitrary. In short, there is no scientific research to back it up. Basically, there is no evidence proving that women classified with Osteoporosis or Osteopenia per the Dexa scan values have higher incidents of bone fractures than women whose values are in what the Dexa scan classifies as normal bone density.

@alenasln3437 Ай бұрын

Thank you for such an informative podcast. I feel like the whole mammograms topic is such a taboo. I personally chose not to get mammograms. When I tried to explain my choice to a friend, she wouldn’t even listen, I got yelled at.

@hackmyage Ай бұрын

It's a personal choice and everyone should respect each others decision even if they don't agree with it.

@elainec5333 2 ай бұрын

This confirms exactly what I’ve known for decades.

@hackmyage 2 ай бұрын

Lucky you! I didn't realize that technology was actually getting worse and more harmful. I thought it would be the reverse.

@nancysrios Ай бұрын

I’m over mammograms. I don’t need the aggravation or all of the cumulative radiation. I rely on taking iodine and D3.

@hackmyage Ай бұрын

How many have you done in the past?

@mermaidcoveclothesandnails 3 ай бұрын

This was the single most informative and helpful video on this topic I've seen. Please do another chat together! I'll be looking out for it for sure.

@hackmyage 3 ай бұрын

Aw! I am so grateful for this feedback. We have another episode with Dr. Gersh on hormone therapy. Shall I share that one with you?

@mermaidcoveclothesandnails 3 ай бұрын

@@hackmyage yes, please! Thank you!

@s.w.9809 3 күн бұрын

Oh good lord, my jaw is on the floor 20 minutes into these video. I have a mammogram scheduled on monday, but i think im going to canceal that. I am 53, still have a period every month, and never had a mammogram. I may have to watch this video more than once. Never heard this before coming from a doctor.

@andreafabiana3161 27 күн бұрын

My mother was operated for a small milk calcificaton that was nothing serious, she never recovered psicolofically from having one smaller than the other, and the scar, physical, and emotional scars. I am furious at doctors!! They will never touch me.

@hackmyage 22 күн бұрын

Aw. I am so sorry to hear this. I appreciate you sharing.

@DianneElizabeth64 Ай бұрын

I have been so bullied since my first call to get a breast ultrasound to get a mammogram. I walked in for my appt and they ask to do a mammogram. They make an appointment for a biopsy and say “I am getting a mammogram then”. I feel out numbered and gaslighted.

@joannayen9043 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for the podcast, I’m in my perimenopause years and I did my first pep smear and mammogram gram screening last year and my conventional doctor recommended screening once every year. I don’t think I have history of cancer in my family.

@hackmyage 4 ай бұрын

Well, I hope this podcast episode helped.

@joannepigliavento7930 2 ай бұрын

So much conflicting information. I came from Dr. Barbara Taylor’s page who states radiation is not a danger. I appreciate this information, but women deserve clearer guidelines 🙂

@hackmyage 2 ай бұрын

Honestly; I think that we just still don't have a perfect solution and we just need to make the best decision individually based on benefits vs risks. I appreciate your comment and hope that one day we can have more clarity.

@MaryBethMcCoy 28 күн бұрын

Radiation is definitely carcinogenic. That’s already proven, but many doctors still tow the line as far as following the gold standard of care because they are worried about losing their medical license.

@rkongsja 5 ай бұрын

So helpful, thank you!

@hackmyage 5 ай бұрын

@colleenpec121 Have you seen this video? Dr. Gersh expalins the risks vs benefits of hormones.

@SunriseRev21.4 5 ай бұрын

Excellent information, thank you!

@hackmyage 4 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@mollieanne 20 сағат бұрын

I am confused. I am post menopause and going back on HRT. Went off because of scared of breast cancer. Does the HRT help prevent breast cancer? Because we have always been told the opposite.

@gigilaroux762 2 күн бұрын

I was really pro-thermography although I never had it I had had 2 previous mammograms but thought when I reached 50 I would get thermograms with the best dr over in NJ who only does that. I had yet to schedule when I went to a lymph massage therapist who told me she had had 2 thermographs within 6 mos due to her concerns and they showed nothing of concern she finally went to a n MD and said please give me a mammogram and they found 3b stage cancer. I will never trust them, but I also think we need to not get mammograms every year. It’s just too much radiation and most MRIs are what find breast cancer especially in dense breasts and even suspicious looking lumps in mammograms are eventually denied a followup MRI when requested by drs. The ins companies have everything to do with it.

@madelenewhite1576 19 күн бұрын

This makes me angry, my doctor makes me get a mammogram every year because my mom died of ovarian cancer. Whenever I object, I get my doctor ignoring me and gets me to do it anyway😢

@hackmyage 14 күн бұрын

I hear you. My mother died of breast cancer when she was 57. I have been having mammograms since my 30s. Personally, I don't panic. Damage is done, if at all. And if this is true. All I can do is take care of myself now moving forward and try to decide if I continue with mammograms or find an alternative, of which, Dr. Gersh says, so far, does not exist. What's a girl to do?

@iamblessed6741 3 сағат бұрын

Doctors won’t refill HRT medication unless the patient has a mammogram.

@commonsense6967 Ай бұрын

Verygood interview.Thanks to you both! I learned a lot. I don't think mammograms are useful for me, but like the Dr., I'm an older woman who's had a lifetime of too many call backs and biopsies, with nothing to show for it after30 years except anxiety! But I disagree with her about fake hormones. I've never taken them and am not starting now, at nearly 73. The science behind that is controversial.

@hackmyage Ай бұрын

Thank you for the feedback!

@MaryBethMcCoy 28 күн бұрын

The bioidentical hormones are not fake. I am nearly 71 and have taken them for 17 years. I had severe symptoms when I entered menopause and HRT has resolved them. Also, the HRT has gotten my bone density score, which was indicating Osteopenia, back into normal range. Of course, whether or not to take HRT is an individual decision, and the latest research does show that women get the most benefit from HRT if they start it early in menopause. I do agree about mammograms. I had them each year as advised for many years, and I did have one callback for a follow-up ultrasound. It turned out that what they saw was just a cyst. I stopped having them a number of years ago after I became aware of the data that doctor Gersh spoke about in this interview. She did a great job of clarifying all the issues.

@smoothjazz1954 3 ай бұрын

Hi, I have been watching your videos, very good! I have to have a mammogram every year, because I have PALB2 gene.. I am wanting to start back on my HRT, but having problems with my doctor. I am 69 years young. Do you think it would be safe for me to take Hormones??? Thank you 💕💕

@hackmyage 2 ай бұрын

I hear you! I also need to take regular mammograms and am seeking alternatives or ways to offset any damage. Dr. Felice Gersh would certainly be open to treating a woman 69 years strong with hormone therapy. Of course, this is an informed shared decision decision that must be made with your own doctor. My only recommendation is to read up as much as you can on hormones, do your research and ask questions. Keep listening to the podcast episodes and read some of the books in the resources here : hackmyage.com/menopause-resources/

@jennysiepka9900 2 ай бұрын

make sure your doc ascertains you have no cardiovascular disease. Get a CAC. If existing buildup you could be adding fuel to the fire by starting an estrogen replacement. I learned this from Mary Claire Haver. XO

@smoothjazz1954 2 ай бұрын

@@jennysiepka9900 Hi, thanks, I thought that Estrogen helped with all that. Hmmmm I will look into it. 😊

@hackmyage Ай бұрын

@@jennysiepka9900 I've got all the testing for CVD, which so far is good, plus, I don't take oral estrogen. Thanks for the heads up!

@MaryBethMcCoy 28 күн бұрын

I would find another doctor and get an additional opinion.

@miriamprayalways8955 3 ай бұрын

I'm over 60 years I've been diagnosed with breast cancer done 2 mamagrams from to 2023.. Can I just now do ultrasounds instead of the mamagrams???

@hackmyage 3 ай бұрын

This is a very personal decision and one to discuss with your doctor who knows exactly your risks and benefits. Dr. Felice Gersh says that ultrasounds are the future for mammograms, but they aren't yet here yet where they can detect enough. Why not reach out to Dr. Gersh and ask her for an opinion?

@smoothjazz1954 3 ай бұрын

This is disturbing!

@joannepigliavento7930 7 күн бұрын

@@hackmyage Do you follow Dr. Jenn Simmons? Check out the PerfeQTion Scan. This may be the future of “screening.”

@doodieevanshenagan3330 22 күн бұрын

I’ve been told that mammograms are too much radiation……& you point this out Dr.Girsh…..Thankyou. I’ve never heard anyone say all she is saying. My dr says since I’m on Estradiol patches, I NEED a mammogram……I disagree for sure now. What do you think about THERMOGRAPHY…..HEAT SENSORED WHICH IS MORE ACCURATE……DO YOU AGREE THERMOGRAPHY IS SAFER AND DETECTS CANCER BETTER.

@hackmyage 14 күн бұрын

I am happy you enjoyed this episode. If I recall, she said that thermography was in addition to other methods or early detection, because thermography isn't accurate enough yet. She said ideally, she would love for ultrasound to improve so it can be an alternative to mammograms. Unfortunately, we are not there yet. It's hard to decide. I think, personally, that mammograms are still gold standard, but we need to be very careful on how many we get, how often and be aware that we may be called in unnecessarily for a second one. It's really hard to navigate since we don't have better alternatives. Dr. Gersh if I recall correctly, said she is out of the "danger zone" of high risk for breast cancer, as she is older, so she herself doesnt feel the need to do mammograms for her case. It doesn't say much for those of us in the middle of the high risk age group, so we all need to make our own decisions to weigh the benefits vs the risks. Does this make sense?

@jelenakatic1778 Ай бұрын

So is it safe or dangerous, for us who don’t have 70 minutes to find out?

@hackmyage Ай бұрын

Well, it depends. Unfortunately, we don't have anything better than a mammogram. She wasn't impressed by the MRIs and says ultrasound and thermography aren't there yet. The takeaway for me was to not overdo mammograms and be aware that the new machines are much more sensitive than older ones (with more radiation) and create a lot of false positives that cause a lot of unnecessary emotional distress to the patient that may also contribute negatively to our health. You can read the transcript on Spotify.

@jelenakatic1778 Ай бұрын

@@hackmyage I’ve known of Siemens ultrasound elastography devices since at least 2008, that had 99% sensitivity AND specificity in diagnosing soft tissue cancers, including breasts, but also liver, spleen, thyroid etc… Almost no false positives or negatives, need for biopsies and psychological stress reduced by >90%. There’s been studies, I’ve been following development of this procedure with excitement, even reached out to to Dr Regina Hooley, MD at Yale Medicine Dept of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging in 2017, but even she couldn’t say why this breakthrough precision and noninvasive technology is sitting in a drawer somewhere for almost two decades, while women keep being pushed to dangerous and painful annual mammograms. Is it that there’s no funding for more research or marketing, or is it plain-old medical misogyny and women being second class citizens, who knows?

@MaryBethMcCoy 28 күн бұрын

The bottom line, in addition to what @hackmyage said, is that the data indicates that for women at average breast cancer risk, there is no reduction in death rates between women who have mammograms and those who do not, but there are significant risks associated with mammograms due to the damaging effects of radiation exposure, over diagnosis and treatment procedures, false positives and psychological anxiety.

@elainec5333 2 ай бұрын

Why isn’t an MRI without contrast a better diagnostic than a mammogram? There’s no squishing of tissue and radiation with an MRI. The strong EMF might be an issue though. I wish we currently had accurate diagnostics that caused absolutely no harm.

@hackmyage 2 ай бұрын

You pretty much answered why she isn't a fan of the MRI either. I concluded that there just isn't a good test out there yet and we all need to understand the risks vs the benefits of any scans we take. Her hope is that in the near future ultrasound technology will become strong enough to detect any tumors, but we just aren't there yet.

@MaryBethMcCoy 28 күн бұрын

MRIs on a regular basis are not a good idea due to the radiation. Ultrasound does have a place in that it can differentiate between a solid mass, such as a possible tumor, and a liquid cyst. I was once called back after a mammogram and instead of an additional mammogram, they did an ultrasound and determined that what they saw was just a cyst. But currently, as you said, there is no diagnostic that is 100% accurate. However, I no longer get routine mammograms because of all the risks associated with them as well as the problems of over diagnosis and false positives.