I have question regarding whether routine dental x-rays would be contraindicated in someone who had possible suspected breast cancer (hence being unable to ask my doctor since I don't have one yet.)

There is a very strong family history of breast cancer, I have a lump in my breast, and I'm in the age range of other family members when diagnosed with BC (I'm 48).

28 years ago I was involved in a serious car accident and sustained numerous spinal fractures, for which I received daily, then weekly, then monthly x-rays to head, neck, chest, and mid-abdomen for over a year. I've also always accompanied my kids for their x-rays if they were due to injuries (and with 5 kids, there were a few!) My point here being that, since x-ray radiation is cumulative, I have probably gone way over my lifetime limit.

As far as the breast lump, I have not had a mammogram, but found the lump myself. I haven't decided whether I am going to have it investigated further, only because, out of all the family members (on both sides) with cancer, all sought treatment (chemo, surgery) and not a single one has survived. Not one. Obviously our family seems to develop a strain of cancer that is impervious to treatment, so I would definitely not have medical treatment, but would instead use holistic methods to stay as healthy as possible to slow the inevitable.

So, does anyone know whether I should get my dentist off my back and submit to routine x-rays, or refuse since, if it is indeed cancer, would x-rays not be a good idea?

Thanks all in advance!

I forgot to add that I have recently lost about 10 lbs for no reason, I haven't done anything to lose weight, and my weight has stayed the same for the last 20+ years.

to be honest with you, chest/back x-ray (traditional x-ray... not mri or ct scan) carries a risk of less than 0.0001% per x-ray. So given... that you've taken about 1000 x-rays, your risk of cancer is raised by about 0.1%.

I understand your hesitation of not seeking medical treatment as the success rates of remission has been low, however, as a medical student, I absolutely implore you to get it looked at. Not all cancer is the same, not all treatments are the same, and not all bodies react the same to cancer and treatments.

Get a mammogram and go to your dentist.

As a breast cancer survivor myself I also implore that you get a mammogram AND a fine needle biopsy. I too found mine during my monthly self breast exam. I opted for a bilateral mastectomy and 6 months of chemotherapy.

I can tell you, 11 years later, I am as healthy as a horse and in nursing school. I was 32 at the time by the way.

If you have 5 children, you don't want to leave them motherless. You should want to do all you can to fight this monster of a disease. So many medical advances have been made in just the 11 years since my diagnosis, that early detection is the key to complete recovery.

Thank you both for your thoughtful answers! I will absolutely give serious consideration to your recommendations to get it checked, but I'm sure you can understand my lack of confidence in the mainstream medical treatments for breast cancer after seeing so many of my family members suffer through the effects of the treatments, only to ultimately have it all fail. The misery they endured ruined the time they had left. I guess I am not sanguine enough to think I would be any different than all my other family members and would be the one to be the family's first and only survivor. I think that was the most heartbreaking thing of all, to see them get so hopeful, putting their faith into their treatments, only to see that fragile hope crushed, and along with it their spirits, when they realized it was all for naught.

ISneezeFunny, I see my dentist twice a year, I just keep refusing the x-rays. My teeth are great, I've never had any problems with them (knock on wood). Have you read any of the research done by John Gofman?: X-Ray Imaging: Breast Cancer: Why Do We Permit So Many Preventable Cases?, XaHP Doc 110, 6/01
Also see American Chronicle | Routine x-rays can save lives – but be aware of the dangers for an article about California 55th District Assemblymember Jenny Oropeza's work to pass AB929, a bill introduced to reduce unnecessary exposure to medical x-rays.

J_9, I'm so glad that your treatment was successful! I know many, many people who have also survived and thrived after cancer, just none of them in my family, unfortunately.

Thank you again so much for taking the time to respond to my post.

I completely agree with both articles that radiation DOES pose a risk for cancer. Radiation... just overall is not good for you.

However, doctors recommend getting the x-rays because the benefit outweighs the risk. As I said in my prev post, a normal x-ray will raise the risk of cancer by less than 0.1%. To be quite frank, getting a dental x-ray once a year won't hurt you more than going outside in the city and taking deep breath.

Please do let us know about your visit to your doctor (I'm not going to even give you the option of not going... you're going!) Hope things go well.

I know you're right, I'll let you know how things go.
Thanks again both of you for your help!