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Lisa Wilkinson, Georgie Gardner to have mammograms on Today

Today show's Lisa Wilkinson and Georgie Gardner will do their bit to help raise awareness for Breast Cancer.

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2013-11-13_2226Today‘s Lisa Wilkinson will have a mammogram test, filmed by cameras, to help raise awareness for Breast Cancer and Georgie Gardner will join her.

Wilkinson is an ambassador for The Australian Women’s Health Diary, which raises money for Breast Cancer research, but admits she is overdue for a mammogram by twelve months.

It was watching a story from the US in which presenter Amy Robach’s detected cancer in an on-air mammogram that Wilkinson realised it was time to act.

“That to me was such a wake up call. I’ve had a piece of paper sitting on the kitchen table for a year, from my doctor saying ‘Here’s the paperwork go and get it done and I haven’t.’

“Three years ago I had my last one. I do regular hand checks but you have to have a mammogram to make sure you’re really covering it off.”

 

Last week US Today show hosts Matt Lauer and Al Roker underwent prostate exams live on camera to raise awareness of men’s health issues.

8 Responses

  1. For mass Mammograms and Prostate Screening the medical profession is divided on whether or not they provide any benefit.

    Official recommendations are for regular mammograms only for women over 50 for about 20 years (after that you are more likely to die of something else other than an undetected breast tumour). Unless there is a family history or genetic basis.

    The screenings are not very accurate and generate massive numbers of false positives and positives where there is disease but it poses no risk. The bad outcomes from unnecessary surgery may outway the few cases of cancer that would not be detected by other means.

    Especially with genetics and other testing better able to identify individuals at higher risk of the diseases who can then be targeted with testing. Though many such women opt for preventative mastectomies rather than life-long monitoring e.g. Angelina Jolie.

  2. Who cares if its a publicity stunt. If it helps other women wake up and get checked then thats a good thing.

    I hope for there sakes they dont get the same result as the american tv host did

  3. @Anthony Mai – Prostate cancer detection starts with a regular PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test. A DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) won’t tell him if he has prostate cancer, and is pretty pointless and not routinely done unless he has any prostate enlargement problems (which doesn’t mean “cancer”). Just like breast cancer, there can be cancer cells working away inside that no physical exam will detect – only blood test, mamogran or biopsy. Any promotion of awareness, without the childish commentary, is useful.

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