The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends a baseline mammogram for all women at age 40 and annual mammograms for women 40 years and older as long as they are in good health.
In womans with a "lumpy breasts" or symptoms of breast, as well as women pad premises of a high risk of developing breast cancer, sometimes a baseline mammogram at age 35 years is recommended. This recommendation is somewhat controversial, and there are other views.
In womans with a "lumpy breasts" or symptoms of breast, as well as women pad premises of a high risk of developing breast cancer, sometimes a baseline mammogram at age 35 years is recommended. This recommendation is somewhat controversial, and there are other views.
Mammograms and Women-Younger Women
There is a special issue of mammograms in younger women. Because young women have dense breast glandular tissue, mammograms are routinely have difficulty penetrating the dense breast tissue. Therefore can not afford mammograms to detect breast cancer because of dense breast tissue obscures cancer around. However, this problem can be partially offset (offset) with the
use of breast ultrasound in particular, who now is an additional imaging technique is very important and used to complement mammography in difficult cases. Ultrasound can make a mole which is hidden amongst dense breast tissue visible. He can also detect lumps and breast cancers early when mammograms fail to identify a problem. Ultrasound can also help doctors put the specific areas in the breast for a biopsy. Sometimes doctors also recommend the use of screening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in younger women with dense breast tissue.There is a special issue of mammograms in younger women. Because young women have dense breast glandular tissue, mammograms are routinely have difficulty penetrating the dense breast tissue. Therefore can not afford mammograms to detect breast cancer because of dense breast tissue obscures cancer around. However, this problem can be partially offset (offset) with the
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning
Recent research has shown that MRI scanning may be a useful screening tool for breast cancer in certain populations at high risk. In 2004, a team of Dutch researchers published a study of more than 1900 women who are at high risk for breast cancer in the New England journal of medicine. These women perform breast cancer screening that included physical examinations every six months along with mammograms and MRI scans breasts yearly. When conventional mammograpy detect many cancers at an early stage, some of the tumors identified by MRI are not detected by mammography. Altogether, MRI led to the identification of 32 tumors, where 22 of them are not visible on a mammogram in connection therewith. Likewise, some tumors that appear on mammograms that are not visible on MRI scans. Mammography detected a total of 18 tumors, of which eight of them are not identified by MRI.
Routine use of MRI, however, has many limitations. Where he allows the detection of multiple tumors in women at high risk, he also detect more injuries that are not cancerous, leading to further inspections and more medical procedures that do not need to be potential . In fact, MRI led to twice as many tests that do not need and three times the operations of unnecessary breast biopsies from the screening with mammography alone. MRI also is approximately 10 times more expensive (average cost $ 1000 to $ 1500) than on mammography.
Because of these limitations, experts believe that screening with MRI is not practical for women who do not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. However, its benefits exceed its limitations in a population of certain high-risk populations.
In March of 2007, the American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Advisory Group issued recommendations for a new breast cancer screening that includes MRI scanning in conjunction with mammography for women aged 30-69 who are considered to have an estimated lifetime risk of developing breast cancer by 20% -25%.
Recommendations of previous screening on breast examinations alone, examination, clinical breast examinations, and mammograms are not altered in screening recommendations in 2007. Adding an annual breast MRI is recommended for women who:
- having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, indicative of an inherited risk of breast cancer is strong,
- has a relative degree one with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation but has not been tested for the mutation, or
- received chest radiation to treat Hodgkin's disease or other cancers, such as aged between 10 and 30.
The new instructions state that at present insufficient evidence to recommend the use of routine MRI screening in women with other risk factors, including a personal history of breast cancer, a history of carcinoma in situ or atypical hyperplasia , or dense breast tissue which makes the interpretation of mammograms difficult. Women with these risk factors may want to discuss them with doctor screening program to better determine whether MRI may be useful in their case.
It is important to note that MRI should not be considered as a substitute for regular mammography, and mammography is the only screening tool for which a reduction in mortality from breast cancer has been demonstrated.
Recent research has shown that MRI scanning may be a useful screening tool for breast cancer in certain populations at high risk. In 2004, a team of Dutch researchers published a study of more than 1900 women who are at high risk for breast cancer in the New England journal of medicine. These women perform breast cancer screening that included physical examinations every six months along with mammograms and MRI scans breasts yearly. When conventional mammograpy detect many cancers at an early stage, some of the tumors identified by MRI are not detected by mammography. Altogether, MRI led to the identification of 32 tumors, where 22 of them are not visible on a mammogram in connection therewith. Likewise, some tumors that appear on mammograms that are not visible on MRI scans. Mammography detected a total of 18 tumors, of which eight of them are not identified by MRI.
Routine use of MRI, however, has many limitations. Where he allows the detection of multiple tumors in women at high risk, he also detect more injuries that are not cancerous, leading to further inspections and more medical procedures that do not need to be potential . In fact, MRI led to twice as many tests that do not need and three times the operations of unnecessary breast biopsies from the screening with mammography alone. MRI also is approximately 10 times more expensive (average cost $ 1000 to $ 1500) than on mammography.
Because of these limitations, experts believe that screening with MRI is not practical for women who do not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. However, its benefits exceed its limitations in a population of certain high-risk populations.
In March of 2007, the American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Advisory Group issued recommendations for a new breast cancer screening that includes MRI scanning in conjunction with mammography for women aged 30-69 who are considered to have an estimated lifetime risk of developing breast cancer by 20% -25%.
Recommendations of previous screening on breast examinations alone, examination, clinical breast examinations, and mammograms are not altered in screening recommendations in 2007. Adding an annual breast MRI is recommended for women who:
- having a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, indicative of an inherited risk of breast cancer is strong,
- has a relative degree one with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation but has not been tested for the mutation, or
- received chest radiation to treat Hodgkin's disease or other cancers, such as aged between 10 and 30.
The new instructions state that at present insufficient evidence to recommend the use of routine MRI screening in women with other risk factors, including a personal history of breast cancer, a history of carcinoma in situ or atypical hyperplasia , or dense breast tissue which makes the interpretation of mammograms difficult. Women with these risk factors may want to discuss them with doctor screening program to better determine whether MRI may be useful in their case.
It is important to note that MRI should not be considered as a substitute for regular mammography, and mammography is the only screening tool for which a reduction in mortality from breast cancer has been demonstrated.
Examination-breast examination alone and breast examinations by your doctor
- All women aged over 20 years of age should carry out breast self-examination every month.
- Those older than 40 should also have yearly breast examinations by their doctors.
- Those younger than 40 years can have breast examinations by their doctors every three years.
For women with a higher risk than normal, a good program will include breast self-examination every month and two times each year that focuses on physician examination. What changes are apparent on the breasts need further evaluation with mammography and ultrasound.
Implementation of a breast self-examination
Breast self-examination is best done when the hormonal stimulation of the breast at least. This typically happens seven to 10 days after the start of a menstrual cycle (or three days after one period). At that time, storage and fluid from the breast cell proliferation is lowest. An ideal circumstances to carry out this examination is bath time.
1. With moistened hands and breasts with soap, starting with the flattened fingers together and work down from the outside to the center of the breast. Is helpful to mentally divide the area to be checked into quadrants, quadrants and work around the quadrants, quadrants sequentially. Upper outer quadrant should be mentally extended into the armpit along the chest wall. This area should be carefully incorporated into the examination.
2. The process is repeated in the same sequence with the fingers move in a vibrating movement (fluttering motion). Different movements, the flat Fingered stroking and fluttering fingertips, allowing detection of abnormalities somewhat different networks.
3. Breast examination by feeling (palpation) should be accompanied by a brief visual inspection. With hands in addition to looking into a mirror, notice the symmetry. Then raise your hands slowly above the head, check out the areas that interested her skin or into any lumps or visible distortion.
Inspection process can be performed entirely within a few minutes.
Any detectable change of appearance or feeling that ordinary should be reported to the doctor. If there are areas that can be felt feared (obviously) and the mammogram did not show any abnormality, then a specialized breast ultrasound can be very beneficial.
For women who are concerned they have breasts that bump and can not understand their examinations, it is best to do a careful examination after a doctor's examination. It serves as the baseline for the normal bumps. This examination should be repeated several days in a row so that the findings are clearly recalled. After that, if a new or progressive changes in develops, it is more likely to be detected. The goal is to maintain an appropriate degree of alertness without creating a continuous fear. Make checks and remove mentally until the next time. - All women aged over 20 years of age should carry out breast self-examination every month.
- Those older than 40 should also have yearly breast examinations by their doctors.
- Those younger than 40 years can have breast examinations by their doctors every three years.
For women with a higher risk than normal, a good program will include breast self-examination every month and two times each year that focuses on physician examination. What changes are apparent on the breasts need further evaluation with mammography and ultrasound.
Implementation of a breast self-examination
Breast self-examination is best done when the hormonal stimulation of the breast at least. This typically happens seven to 10 days after the start of a menstrual cycle (or three days after one period). At that time, storage and fluid from the breast cell proliferation is lowest. An ideal circumstances to carry out this examination is bath time.
1. With moistened hands and breasts with soap, starting with the flattened fingers together and work down from the outside to the center of the breast. Is helpful to mentally divide the area to be checked into quadrants, quadrants and work around the quadrants, quadrants sequentially. Upper outer quadrant should be mentally extended into the armpit along the chest wall. This area should be carefully incorporated into the examination.
2. The process is repeated in the same sequence with the fingers move in a vibrating movement (fluttering motion). Different movements, the flat Fingered stroking and fluttering fingertips, allowing detection of abnormalities somewhat different networks.
3. Breast examination by feeling (palpation) should be accompanied by a brief visual inspection. With hands in addition to looking into a mirror, notice the symmetry. Then raise your hands slowly above the head, check out the areas that interested her skin or into any lumps or visible distortion.
Inspection process can be performed entirely within a few minutes.
Any detectable change of appearance or feeling that ordinary should be reported to the doctor. If there are areas that can be felt feared (obviously) and the mammogram did not show any abnormality, then a specialized breast ultrasound can be very beneficial.
