In Praise of the Mammogram
You’ve got to love a mammogram. Maybe not the procedure itself, reminiscent as it is of slamming your boobs in a fridge door.
I’m exaggerating of course. The women at the clinic place your soft bits between those squeezy plates with endless consideration, and ensure your dignity is left intact.
And what we can totally love is the science that makes it possible to get a good look inside these fleshy orbs to see what’s going on.
One day, I hope it will be possible for the reading to be instant - that wait between mammogram and receiving the report is, no matter how zen you try to be, an anxious few days, made all the more weighty when there is a history of breast cancer in your family.
I’ve had a couple of dodgy mammogram results which - whoop! - have turned out to be nothing more than a cyst. One of those cysts literally disappeared before my very eyes – popped itself into oblivion as we watched on the monitor as the biopsy needle attempted to take a tissue sample. I swear it is the most satisfying drama I have ever seen play out live on a small screen. I felt so lucky, and so relieved, I laughed and then immediately burst into tears.
My oldest and dearest friend has survived breast cancer not once, but twice. We lost her mother to it 40 years ago so with that, plus close family members experiencing it, breast cancer has been in our lives for a long time.
In 2021 I was invited to be an ambassador for the New Zealand charity, Breast Cancer Cure, and I jumped at the chance.
BCC raises funds for cancer research being undertaken right here in Aotearoa. They get no government funding, relying entirely on people’s generosity by holding delightful events with a particular focus on fashion and food - thanks to fabulous local designers and chefs who donate their time and talent to the cause.
My favourite t-shirts in my drawer at home have been especially designed by creatives like Adrian Hailwood, Trelise Cooper and kowtow for Breast Cancer Cure. There’s also a team of actors and performers who model them each season, and who also MC fundraising fashion shows and lunches.
It is tremendous fun to be part of these events - and I wild time for someone like me who has, ahem, never been in huge demand anywhere near a catwalk.
But as much as I enjoy the fashion - and the high drama of charity auctions (shopping! bargains!) - what I really love is the science.
At these events we hear about breast cancer research happening right here in New Zealand. Inspiring stories from people like Dr Emma Nolan at Auckland University who has created a model that tests treatment on patients’ tissue samples before their medication is started to make sure each patient gets exactly the right treatment for their own tissue type.
Often the research has particular significance to Kiwis - projects which focus on getting faster diagnoses and earlier detection are especially important for Māori, Pasifika and other higher risk populations.
BCC’s aim is to keep a steady stream of funds arriving so researchers can commit to long term projects for better diagnosis and treatment, and ultimately a cure.
Somewhere along the way, I’d love someone to come up with a way of doing a mammogram that feels less … crushing? (Pretty sure that’s not how they check for testicular cancer.) But I’ll take a little discomfort while they focus on a cure.