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← Return to Pap Smears after age 65
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What's really sad about the pap smear debate is that Cervical cancer grows so slowly. So the equation for testing and this is for all testing, paps, mammograms everything. Is the equation takes into account your age. How quickly cancer can grow because as we age cancer grows far slower than in our youth. So at 65 if you say had a slow growing cancer it may not kill you till your well into your 70's and they figure something going to kill you. It overburdens the system to continue to test people. The "system" is set up to reap the highest profits all while not bankrupting the country. The term "cost effective" is used in medicine today because its the way it's set up. Always remember this, you are your best advocate, if you want the test demand it!
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Thank you, Gigi. I so agree with you, and I’m willing to pay out of pocket and will most likely still be told not to do it. So am I to insist upon it? Do I find yet another doctor who will perform it?
Here’s another debate- if you have dense tissue, they put a warning on your mammogram. My doctors alway say that the risks are sooooo low. I believe there are two states where sonograms are required for further testing. My niece in NY was required to have the sonogram because she has dense breast tissue. And they ended up finding a very small cancer! Thankfully they found it so early and she had surgery to remove it. She may have had radiation as well. How scary is that?