Breast cancer scan error

[floo]

deleted

[Rhiannon]

This is the problem with everything being centralised. My local surgery won’t accept you for a smear test unless you have been called by the central screening service, even if you know you need one. So women ‘chasing’ their doctors may not have been able to get very far.

As an aside, results are now also issued centrally via computer generated letter rather than by the GP, which is dehumanising given the nature of some of the information that they may contain.

[jeremyp]

This is the problem with everything being centralised. My local surgery won’t accept you for a smear test unless you have been called by the central screening service, even if you know you need one. So women ‘chasing’ their doctors may not have been able to get very far.

As an aside, results are now also issued centrally via computer generated letter rather than by the GP, which is dehumanising given the nature of some of the information that they may contain.

So if the result is positive i.e. it shows you do have cancer, you find out by letter? That's terrible.

[Rhiannon]

So if the result is positive i.e. it shows you do have cancer, you find out by letter? That's terrible.

I don’t know about breast cancer screening. For cervical screening you get a letter saying that changes have been found that require further investigation, rated as low or high grade, and sometimes in language that is hard to understand. It’s not the same as getting your results explained to you by a GP or practice nurse. A smear test is only a screening process, it’s not a diagnostic test.

What very often doesn’t get explained is that changes to cells are extremely common. Even 90% of precancers don’t develop into cancer. But most of the time procedures are carried out to remove the cells ‘just in case’. As I understand it over a hundred unnecessary procedures (with all the attendant risks) are carried out as a result of screening for every cancer that gets found. It’s unlikely that cervical screening as we know it know would be introduced under today’s demands for evidence- based medicine. But with the roll-out of the HPV vaccine the screening process will look very different in the long term anyway.

[Rhiannon]

It annoys me that women are encouraged to think that they are putting their lives at risk by not getting screened. As you say, LR, risk can be assessed by looking at lifestyle and any symptoms that may be presenting - in the latter case screening is pretty redundant anyway and diagnostics should be used.

Making smears less painful would encourage the take-up - I was reading recently about a group of women engineers who are working on a new speculum design to replace the current duck-shaped car jack with its screw that can catch on skin. And nurses and GPs really need better awareness training on dealing with women who have a history of abuse, rape, birth trauma etc, although I’m not holding my breath.

[Rhiannon]

I can't say I ever found the smears painful.

I’ve talked to my friends about this and we all do, to varying degrees. There are various reasons for this - back problems, birth trauma etc - plus some healthcare professionals are better at it than others. Pretending that it’s pain-free for everyone (‘you may feel some discomfort’) doesn’t help with the take-up - it’s possible to have a sedative in order to make it less painful/difficult but few people know that they can ask for it.

[Robbie]

I can't say I ever found the smears painful.

I've been told that it is more likely to be painful in an older person, ie post menopause. Not had problems so far myself though it is uncomfortable & the more you tense up, the worse it is. Soon over though.  Dentist is far worse  .

I agree with you about the breast screening, I keep a note of when I am next due to have mammography (I've had two so far) & if I didn't hear anything I'd contact the breast screening unit.

We're so fortunate here to have these screenings on the NHS. Has to be paid for in America and  health insurance doesn't always cover it.

[Robbie]

Yes that happens all too frequently and people with chronic conditions don't get the care they need.  Never mind routine screening! Mustn't forget there is routine screening here for bowel cancer when people reach a certain age.

[jeremyp]

We moan about the NHS but we are so fortunate to have care at the point of need, unlike the USA. I was in contact once with an elderly American woman whose son had died because he couldn't afford health insurance.

At the risk of derailing the thread, the story at this link:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/05/woman-recieves-5751-er-bill-for-an-ice-pack-and-a-bandage

makes me profoundly grateful that the NHS exists. And don't be deceived by the headline. Price gouging is only part of it. The woman was forced to choose between the potentially ruinous cost of treatment and losing her ear.

[Rhiannon]

I've been told that it is more likely to be painful in an older person, ie post menopause. Not had problems so far myself though it is uncomfortable & the more you tense up, the worse it is. Soon over though.  Dentist is far worse  .

I agree with you about the breast screening, I keep a note of when I am next due to have mammography (I've had two so far) & if I didn't hear anything I'd contact the breast screening unit.

We're so fortunate here to have these screenings on the NHS. Has to be paid for in America and  health insurance doesn't always cover it.

I understood from my US friends that screening was a condition of having health insurance. I don’t know how the cost is covered but you can’t get insurance without it, including regular colonoscopies.

[Rhiannon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44016206