Are Mammograms Safe? | Dr. Jenn Simmons

Are mammograms truly protecting women — or is it time to rethink how we approach breast health? In this powerful and deeply nuanced conversation, Dr. Anna Cabeca sits down with former fellowship-trained breast surgeon turned integrative oncologist Dr. Jenn Simmons to unpack one of the most important questions in women's health today: Are mammograms safe — and are they enough? Together, they explore how conventional breast cancer screening became the standard, what the research actually says about radiation exposure and screening frequency, and why early detection is not the same as prevention. Dr. Simmons shares her personal turning point — from 17 years at the forefront of breast oncology to leaving conventional medicine and founding Real Health MD after her own health crisis. What she discovered changed everything: inflammation, toxicity, hormone disruption, and metabolic dysfunction matter far more than women are being told. This episode goes beyond mammograms. It dives into: • Radiation risks and over-screening • Alternative imaging options including thermography, ultrasound, and emerging technologies • Hormones and breast cancer — clearing the misinformation • Why anti-estrogen messaging can be harmful and incomplete • Bioidentical progesterone and protective mechanisms • Birth control pills and breast development risk • The power of metabolic health, fasting windows, detoxification, and terrain theory Most importantly, this conversation restores agency. You are not powerless when it comes to breast health. Knowledge is evolving. Screening is evolving. Hormone science is evolving. And you deserve the full picture. –––––––––––––––––– KEY TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Reimagining breast health and questioning the narrative 01:23 Introducing Dr. Jenn Simmons and her paradigm shift 09:47 From breast surgeon to integrative oncologist: her turning point 12:28 Functional medicine approach: "What caused the cancer?" 27:19 Mammography myths and reviewing the research 33:01 Radiation exposure: known carcinogen discussion 35:31 Biopsy concerns and imaging alternatives 42:07 Medical board pressures and guideline rigidity 53:04 "Anti-estrogen talk is misogynistic" 01:04:10 Birth control pills, teens, and breast cancer risk –––––––––––––––––– MEMORABLE QUOTES Dr. Jenn Simmons: "Radiation is a known carcinogen." "Any anti-estrogen talk is misogynistic." Dr. Anna Cabeca: "What caused your cancer to begin with?" "It takes more than hormones to fix our hormones." "There's always one next right step we can take to advocate for our health." –––––––––––––––––– CONNECT WITH DR. JENN SIMMONS Website: www.realhealthmd.comInstagram: @drjennsimmons YouTube: @dr.jennsimmons Book: The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer –––––––––––––––––– CONNECT WITH DR. ANNA CABECA Website: www.dranna.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/thegirlfrienddoctor YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thegirlfrienddoctor TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@drannacabeca Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegirlfrienddoctor –––––––––––––––––– If this episode spoke to you, share it with a girlfriend, your daughters, your mother — every woman deserves this conversation. You are seen. You are informed. You are empowered. 🌹