‘I’ve tried to tell my doctor this’: Expert issues warning to anyone who gets mammograms—and shares what tests you should get instead

A doctor issued a serious PSA about mammograms. But is it based in fact or misleading pseudoscience?

In a TikTok viral video with over 1.5 million views, Dr. Goodbinder (@dr.goodbinder) explained why he believes annual mammograms are dangerous.

He wants women to be weary of using them to screen for breast cancer and be aware that there are other options.

A warning to anyone who gets mammograms

According to Goodbinder, recent data indicates mammograms may actually be harmful to some patients.

"For every 10,000 people that you give a mammogram to, eight people will die that would've never had breast cancer," he began in the clip.

He continued to explain that many justify the use of the machines saves hundreds of lives. That's because early detection of breast cancer leads to better survival rates.

However, the doctor said he firmly believes in the Hippocratic oath taken by doctors. The phrase "first, do no harm" is central to the oath. It reminds doctors to be mindful when treating patients.

"That's doing harm," the doctor argued about ordering the procedure. "You're killing eight people per every 10,000 mammograms."

The doctor also argued that the assertion that hundreds of lives are saved by annual mammograms may be a misrepresentation.

"There's a ton of data that actually shows there's a 52% over-diagnosis when using mammography," he argued. "That means that we are treating a great deal of people that would've never died of breast cancer in the first place just by doing the mammogram."

Doctor recommends 'safer' mammogram alternative

Goodbinder still believes its essential to screen for breast cancer, but said there are safer ways.

"You have a couple options," he said. "You could do ultrasound, which literally is super definitive."

He also argued ultrasounds don't use radiation. Another alternative to mammograms recommended by the doctor included a thermogram.

"Have them take a heat signature of your breast tissue and you could actually see if there's metabolic activity," he said.

Is this just a common mammogram myth?

According to an article from Johns Hopkins Medicine, this is one of six common mammogram myths that can potentially lead people to miss the health screening, which is recommended annually for women over age 40.

The article features Dr. Sarah Zeb, a breast imaging specialist at Johns Hopkins Medical Imaging. Zeb notes that mammography is regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and other governing entities. "While a mammogram does use radiation, it is a very small amount and is within the medical guidelines," she says.

Additionally, the article notes that humans are exposed to "constant background radiation" in their daily lives. "The radiation dose from a mammogram is equal to about two months of background radiation for the average woman," the article states.

The FDA published an article that states thermography "has not been shown to be effective as a standalone test for breast cancer screening and detecting early-state breast cancer." The article further states that patients who opt for thermography should not take the results as definitive if they don't also get another test such as the mammogram.

In the comments section, plenty of users said they agree with Goodbinder. However, not everyone agreed with the advice.

One user wrote, "Mammogram found my lump... Tried ultrasound several times and never found it!" Goodbinder replied, "Awesome. Glad they found it."

@dr.goodbinder Mammograms can be deadly#breastcancer #breastcancerawareness #cancer #mammogram #thermogram #ultrasound #healthy #health #functionalmedicine #doctok #doctor #science #miracle #nature #microbiome #epigenetics #testing ♬ original sound - Dr.Goodbinder

The Daily Dot contacted Dr. Goodbinder's office via email for comment.

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