What is The Busiest Time of Year for Breast Cancer? - Dr. jay harness

>>> DR. JAY K. HARNESS: Unfortunately, it’s human nature to put things off. We are all procrastinators – you are; I am. We can also be procrastinators when it comes to our own healthcare needs. One of the most interesting phenomena that I have seen in my over 25 years of practice in breast surgery is the phenomena of the stampede of women to have their screening mammograms done in the month of December. It’s typically the end of the year where our insurance co-pays are now all fully covered or the doctoral bills are fully covered, or whatever the situation may be. So at least where I have been practicing over these many years, what we see is a rush of people coming in late November into December, wanting to get their mammograms done. What happens to me then as a breast surgeon is that not only sometime in December, but typically in January, I am seeing all sorts of patients coming in who need workups or newly diagnosed with breast cancer, etc. So it’s true, it’s human nature for all of us to procrastinate. I do it; you do it. But what’s the take home message? What’s the bottom line here? At least do it. Please, please get your screening mammograms done, please do them on a regular basis, please include a breast self-examination when you do that, and whatever you do, don’t be worried by the findings. Get to a confident, qualified provider; a confident, qualified breast surgeon. Find out what is going on because only in that way can we really save lives.