I spoke to a woman the other day who told me she wasn't getting her annual mammogram this spring because she was worried about missing a half a day's work. She felt it would affect her record with her boss. Hmmm. That argument for missing a mammogram would only make sense if she had recently been abusing her hours, I would think.

Another woman told me she didn't want to know if she had breast cancer because she couldn't afford to have the treatment done. So, waiting until a tumor is bigger is going to make it more affordable? Again: Hmmm. Or perhaps she just figured she'd wait until she could cash in her 401K on a casket.

I'm of course not saying that breast cancer treatment isn't expensive. Radiation-$30,000. Chemotherapy-$30,000 to $100,000 or more. Surgery-$3,000 to $60,000. Hormonal therapy-$80 a month for 10 years. Targeted biologic therapy ... well, you get the picture. But the higher the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis, the more expensive the treatment is likely to be and the lower the survival rate is also going to be, even with all the necessary treatment having been performed.

And you know that the time you'll miss from work if you need treatment will greatly exceed the half day it takes to get a mammogram. Sure, the economy is dicey right now, but you can't let a cranky boss endanger your health. Many mammography facilities will make an effort to schedule you late in the day or early in the morning. Call and ask.

So, please reconsider if you've decided to skip your screening this year. Along with your annual mammogram, get a clinical breast exam from your gynecologist—and while there, get your gyn to check your lower half, too.

The peace of mind that comes from knowing you have healthy breasts? Priceless.