mammogram?

[lashes]

hiya i just wondered if anyone knew what age you had to be to have one and is it upto you ?x

[Annie0904]

They don't do them routinely until you are 50. I actually got my first appointment to go on my 50th birthday

[nomorepanic]

I had one at 40 but this was a health check the company I worked for paid for when I reached 40 so it was free !

[lashes]

thanks annie im quite worried and confused at the moment as the doctor referred me to the breast clinic recently im 22 but i sadly lost my mum when i was 5 and she was 28 to breast cancer . when i went to the clinic they said come back when im 40 ! but after reading things recently about this gene that you can have im worried. i didnt know much about it and havent ever really checked because it scares me and i dont really know what to look for and things i really dont know where to go from here x

[Annie0904]

If your doctor referred you to the clinic then I would speak to your doctor about it again. I was under the impression that they check earlier when there is a family history of it. Talk to your doctor and tell him your concerns x

[lashes]

thanks i think id been avoiding the whole situation as i find it upsetting , i had to take a family history form in and they said it wasnt a high risk thing and they cant check for the gene as my mum isnt here but i think i will go back and speak to the doc again x

[xvolatileheart]

They can still do genetic testing for the high risk genes, even if they don't know which one caused your mum's breast cancer. You definitely should be eligible for early preventative care since it's in your family, so speak to your GP about it again! Hope you can get it sorted.