Of the various different types of cancer that people are now getting, breast cancer is one of the more treatable of them. But it is important that if a woman wants hers to be treated effectively it needs to be detected in the very early stages of growth. In fact because of the way it can be detected today breast cancer is considered to be one of the more favorable forms of cancer that can now be treated.
When it comes to detecting cancer of the breast in its early stages is by doing a breast examination or using a mammography as these are the more favored methods. In fact in studies carried out the smaller the breast cancer once it has been detected then there is a much higher chance the person with it will survive.
Certainly women are now being told it is extremely important that they carry out regular breast examinations on themselves as they will be more aware of any changes to their breasts. But also if there is a history of breast cancer in the family then having regular mammograms will help to ensure that detection of the disease can often be found during its much earlier stages of formation. In fact both examinations and mammograms are now used as the basis for detecting breast cancer in women today.
But a lot of women will be wondering just how often they should under go a breast examination or mammogram in order to help to see if they have this form of cancer or not. Certainly with breast examinations a woman could carry out this for herself each week and the best place to do this is when you are having a shower.
As for mammograms in the USA the ACS (American Cancer Society) recommend that women have their first mammogram when they reach the age of 40. This will then be used as a base reading and after this they will need to have a further mammogram test each year. However the ACS do suggest that with those women who are at a much higher risk of developing this form of cancer or suffer from any other type of breast problems. Then they should have their first mammogram at the age of 35.
A mammogram uses an x ray machine which is then able to detect cancer in a woman's or even sometimes in men's breasts. These machines are able to detect the cancer at its earliest stage when it is very small and would not be detected using the more traditional breast examination.
Today around 85 to 90% of all the breast cancer now be detected and treated have been found using the mammogram test. This in turn has helped to reduce the number of women dying from this form of cancer by up to 30% of those women over the age of 50 who are found to have it.
Although mammography does help to detect breast cancer in most women, there is a small percentage (10-15%) whose form of breast can not be detected using this method. Yet upon carrying out a physical examination it can so it is vital that all women learn the correct way of examining their own breasts for signs of breast cancer. Certainly it is best that a woman does carry out an examination of her own breasts on a monthly basis and if she feels that there may be a problem can as her doctor to then carry out a physical examination as well. Mammogram and Breast Cancer Screening
Cancer screening
The term screening is commonly used for a test that is used for evaluation of a person for possible disease without the person ever having any symptoms or signs of the disease. Screening tests are usually undertaken in a target population, which has significantly high risk of developing the disease. Mammogram is a screening technique used for breast cancer, and the target population for mammogram is women who are aged 40 and above. PSA testing is a screening test for prostate cancer and the target population is men over 50 years of age.
Screening tests cannot be employed in all diseases. In some cases a useful screening test may not be available, and in some other cases it may not be worth screening for a disease because screening and finding out the disease early may not change the natural history of disease. The later is probably true in case of screening of lung cancer. From the studies so far published, there is no clear evidence to suggest that screening for lung cancer in high-risk population (smokers) would improve survival.
Breast cancer screening
Unlike lung cancer, breast cancer can be screened using available techniques with beneficial results. Mammogram is the only accepted screening test for breast cancer. Mammogram till this date may have saved lives of thousands of women, by detecting the disease at a very early stage, when it is mostly curable. Screening for mammogram does not prevent the occurrence of breast cancer, but instead it provides a very simple and useful technique to detect breast cancer at a very early stage. Mammogram is capable of detecting breast cancer at a stage prior to infiltration of the tumor to the surrounding structures, called stage 0 breast cancer or carcinoma in situ.
Recommendations for breast cancer screening vary from country to country and within the same country according to the views of different organizations who recommend the screening. American Cancer Society recommends that "women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health."
What is a mammogram?
Mammogram is just an X-ray photograph of your breast, and works in principle the same way as your chest X-ray. The breast tissue is compressed between two plates and an X-ray picture is taken. Doctors would look at the X-ray and determine if there are any abnormalities in the picture. Breast cancer usually appears in the form of calcifications, architectural distortions, or abnormal densities.
Since mammogram uses X-rays, there may be slight risk associated with exposure to radiation in women who get mammograms. However the amount of radiation associated with mammogram examination is very small and is strictly controlled by regulatory agencies like National Department of Health and Human Services. Very strict regulations are enforced by this agency to make sure that mammography equipment is safe and uses the lowest dose of radiation possible. The dose of radiation used by the modern mammogram machines does not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.
Digital mammography
Digital mammograms are similar to conventional X-ray film mammograms except that the pictures are produced in the digital media in a computer. Digital pictures have the advantages of manipulation of light and contrast and hence would be more useful for the studying the mammography picture. It was claimed in the past that digital mammogram is superior to conventional mammograms in terms of accuracy, however a recent study has shown that digital mammography no better than regular mammography.
Computer Aided Detection (CAD)
CAD is sophisticated computer program that can compare areas of the digital mammography picture and aid the physician to more easily detect breast cancer. Studies have shown that CAD system improved diagnostic accuracy by about 20 percent.
Clinical breast examination and self breast examination
An article on breast cancer screening will not be complete without mentioning clinical breast examination and (CBE) and self breast examination (SBE). CBE and SBE are useful adjuvant to mammogram for detection of breast cancer. It is also to be mentioned that about 10 percent of all tumors that can be felt by the physicians may not be seen in a mammogram, hence if the physician feels a tumor, the absence of abnormality in the mammogram does not ensure absence of a breast tumor. Such patients should be evaluated by biopsy.
Self-breast examination as the name implies denotes examination of breast by women, without the help of a physician. This can be undertaken in the privacy of their home. Probably the best time to do a self-breast examination is while taking showers. Women can ask their physicians to teach them the technique of self-breast examination. American Cancer Society recommends "women in 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast examination (CBE) as part of a periodic (regular) health exam by a health professional preferably every 3 years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health professional every year." Regarding self-breast examination, American Cancer Society gives the following recommendations:
"BSE is an option for women starting in their 20s. Women should be told about the benefits and limitations of BSE. Women should report any breast changes to their health professional right away."
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