Breast Cancer Detection
October. . . leaves are starting to turn into a fire of beauty, daily temperatures are dropping into a more comfortable range, kids are choosing their Halloween costumes, and women everywhere are being reminded of one very important medical consideration…their breast health. October is national breast cancer awareness month and a good reminder for all of us to make certain that we are up to date with the two most important means of detecting breast cancer: annual mammography and breast exams.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in this country. In fact it is projected that in 2007, approximately 178,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and 40,500 will die from this disease.
Current studies to support the value of screening mammograms is stronger than ever.
All women 40 years old and older should have annual screening mammograms with a baseline exam at an earlier age (35) if there is a strong family history of the disease.
Women in their 20s and 30s should have clinical breast exams every 3 years by a health professional. At age 40, this should be done every year. All women should also receive instruction on self breast examination in their 20s and perform this monthly.
Women at high risk (greater than 20% lifetime risk) should have breast MRI performed along with a mammogram every year.
Mammography has come a long way since its inception in 1969. It can detect a very small cancer in its earliest stages and uses very low levels of radiation. Many people concerned about the radiation dose may be comforted to know that studies show that the level of radiation used in a mammogram produces no significant increase in the risk of breast cancer over an entire lifetime. Also, an interesting fact is that a woman with breast cancer will receive a treatment radiation dose of about 5000 rads whereas the total mammography dose from receiving annual exams from age 40-90 is only 20-40 rads total dose. This being said, there is no justifiable reason not to receive yearly mammograms.
The procedure is relatively quick and only mildly uncomfortable. Many centers are using the MammoPad which is a breast cushion specially designed to ease the discomfort of mammography.
During a mammogram a skilled technologist positions and compresses the breast between two plates and a specialized camera takes two pictures of each breast. More pictures are sometimes required if the patient has had previous breast surgery or if the radiologist deems necessary.
Remember, a simple test such as mammography can save your life and currently it is the most powerful breast cancer detection tool.
For questions contact Dr. Jill Wilkens At the Colonnade Imaging Center in Bel Air 410 838-7895