Mammogram Parties...The New Fad?

Every 12 minutes a woman in America dies of breast cancer.  With early detection though, doctors believe that number could be significantly reduced, that’s why they’re hosting mammogram parties.
Relaxing with a massage, being pampered with a manicure. No, this isn’t a day spa. It’s a mammogram party. The parties are sweeping the nation, helping take the stress out of getting mammograms.


"This way being around other people it takes away the nervousness,” Judith Wiersema, Mammogram Party Attendee said.
“We would like to see more women come out and participate in screening mammography. It saves lives,” said one radiologist.

The American Cancer Society recommends all women over the age of 40 get a mammogram every year. But only two out of three women say they’ve gotten a mammogram in the last two years.

 “I’ve never had a mammogram I’m just too afraid to go,” one attendee said.

But you don’t have to be. Let’s separate fact from fiction. True or false? You do not need to get a breast exam if you get a yearly mammogram. That's false! A mammogram only picks up 85-percent of lesions.  Drinking caffeinated beverages can cause breast cancer.  That's also false! A new study shows it may reduce your risk, but drinking high amounts can make your breasts more sensitive during a mammogram. The radiation you receive from a mammogram does not cause cancer. True! The risk of harm from radiation exposure is very small and that risk decreases as a woman ages.

These parties just may make mammograms worth toasting to.