The Big Squeeze: A Social and Political History of the Controversial Mammogram

132 Pages·2012·0.601 MB·English

by  Handel Reynolds

THE BIG SQUEEZE
A VOLUME IN THE SERIES
The Culture and Politics
of Health Care Work
edited by
Suzanne Gordon and Sioban Nelson
A list of titles in this series is available
at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.
HANDEL REYNOLDS, MD
THE BIG
A Social and Political History of the
Controversial Mammogram
SQUEEZE
ILR Press
An imprint of
Cornell University Press • Ithaca and London
Copyright © 2012 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof,
must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher.
For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street,
Ithaca, New York 14850.
First published 2012 by Cornell University Press
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Reynolds, Handel, 1963–
Th e big squeeze : a social and political history of the controversial mammogram /
Handel Reynolds.
p. cm. — (Th e culture and politics of health care work)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8014-5093-8 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Breast—Radiography—United States—History. 2. Breast—Cancer—
Diagnosis—United States— History. I. Title. II. Series: Culture and politics of
health care work.
RG493.5.R33R49 2012
618.190754—dc23 2012013738
Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and mate-
rials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. Such materials include
vegetable-based, low-VOC inks and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-
free, or partly composed of nonwood fi bers. For further information, visit our website
at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.
Cloth printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my dear family, Marlene, Gevin, and Telissa
for their unfailing love and support

CONTENTS
I ntroduction: Th e Mammography Story 1
1. Timing Is Everything 5
2 . First Exposure 15
3. Th e Aftermath 28
4 . A Tale of Two Epidemics 36
5 . Age Is Nothing But a Number 50
6 . Pulling the Plug on Granny 62
7 . Th e House Th at Mammography Built 72
8 . Overdiagnosis: Mammography’s Burden 84
Notes 95
Index 113

THE BIG SQUEEZE