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Feedback: Did A Mammogram Save Your Life?

Story Published: Mar 18, 2010 at 5:16 PM EDT

Story Updated: Mar 18, 2010 at 6:43 PM EDT

It was the best outcome Claudette Mainville could hope for in a bad situation and she really has herself to thank.

Claudette can smile and her husband can breath easier.  

They now know that her breast cancer is stage one and it's not in her lymph nodes.

The 42 year old woman is the picture of good health, but when it comes to health, looks can be deceiving. 

A teacher, Claudette has a new lesson to share.

"Be an advocate for yourself. If you know you have an exam that you have to get to for that year or every six months, make sure that you do it.  If you can do something on your own, self-breast exams, make sure that you do them every month," she said.

It was during a breast self-exam that Claudette's cancer was detected.

But it's mammography which detects most cases. 

Although the recommendation for baseline mammograms recently changed from 40 to 50 years old, Claudette's doctor isn't convinced.

"The science on survival of breast cancer clearly shows that there's a benefit to survival by early detection and that early detection was accomplished by increased frequency of mammography," said surgeon Dr. Jan Turcotte.

When it comes to breast cancer, the advice is clear:  don't be afraid of what you know.  Be afraid of what you don't know. 

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Saturday, May 25, 2013
, Watertown, NY

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