Attie -- contrary to popular opinion (among ignorant doctors) there is
absolutely no problem having a mammogram while you are breastfeeding. A
MOTHER DOES NOT NEED TO WEAN TO HAVE A MAMMOGRAM. You just need to have
mammogram read by someone who has experience with reading mammograms from
lactating women. The doctor should be able to find someone qualified by
simply calling around. Mammograms can be digitized and sent over the
internet or as an email attachment, so it wouldn't necessarily take any
longer to send it away for evaluation.
Given that breastfeeding lowers your risk of breast cancer, not to mention
is good for your kid -- she should breastfeed as long as possible (years and
years would be good for everyone concerned) AND she should get a yearly
mammogram, do monthly breast self-exams, and have her breasts physically
(manually) examined by an oncologist who specializes in breast cancer every
year.
There is also no reason why she can't be breastfeeding on both sides -- in
fact, I strongly encourage her to, to try to prevent breast cancer from
recurring in the breast that had the lumpectomy. She may find it doesn't
produce a ton of milk, as some of the ducts were probably cut during the
lumpectomy. But the rest of the ducts should be intact and should still
work.
I had my first lumpectomy in 1986 (supposedly a benign fibroadenoma).
Thereafter, I had YEARLY mammograms every may at Scott and White Clinic in
College Station, Texas, including one the year I was next pregnant (in May
of 1991, with the baby born in August of 1991) and every May thereafter,
even though I was breastfeeding from August 1991 to March of 1997. They
were read by a radiologist who had no problems at all interpreting the
mammograms of a lactating woman. They were clear in May of 1998 as well.
They were not clear in August of 1999 -- :( -- but the lump had been
discovered by manual exam by the ob/gyn before the mammo anyway. They've
been clear since. :)
Kathy Dettwyler, happy to talk to anyone about this
>From: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Fwd: K. Dettwyler
>Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 11:16:25 -0400
>
>
>>X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21)
>>Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 10:22:22 -0400
>>Reply-To: Lactation Information and Discussion
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>Sender: Lactation Information and Discussion
>><[log in to unmask]>
>>From: "Sandink, Attie" <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: K. Dettwyler
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> We have a patient in our clinic who is BF onesided after having
>>had
>>breastcancer just one year ago. She has many questions around the issue of
>>trying to make sure she can prevent it from occurring again or catching it
>>early.
>>
>> Based on things her oncologist has said about inconclusive
>>research,
>>she feels that she should probably quit around the one year mark from the
>>time she had the lumpectomy which would be August. (baby will than only be
>>1
>>and 1/2 months old.) to have her repeat mammogram atc.
>>
>> I would love to connect privately with Katherine Dettwyler and
>>would
>>not mind any one elses response if they have any other research on this.
>> Attie Sandink
>> <[log in to unmask]>
>>
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>
>Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC co-owner Lactnet, Indep. Consultant
>http://together.net/~kbruce/kbbspin.html
>LACTNET Archives http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/lactnet.html
>
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