Since doctors are unable to predict who will or will not get breast cancer (family history of breast cancer, early menstruation and late onset of menopause have been tagged as some of the risk factors), women need to take responsibility for their breast health�a responsibility that includes scheduling regular mammograms, performing breast self-exams and getting annual checkups that include a clinical breast exam, says Joan E. Berkowitz, M.D., chief of Mammography at Northwest Hospital.
The earlier that breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the outcome,� notes Berkowitz, who adds that women�regardless of family history of breast cancer�should have regular mammograms after age 40. Experts note that mammograms are a critical screening device for the early detection of breast cancer and other diseases of the breast.
Mammograms can serve one of two purposes: as a screening tool to make sure there are no abnormalities in healthy breast tissue, and to help diagnose other breast issues such as a lump that might be detected during a self-exam.
During a mammogram the breast is placed between two plastic plates that compress the tissue to produce a clear X-ray image. Compressing the breast also reduces the amount of radiation used.
Since no women�s breasts are alike, no two mammograms will be identical. Mammography is based on comparison. What�s normal for one woman may not be normal for another,� says Susan Katz, R.T. (R) (M), a radiologic technologist at Northwest Hospital�s Center for Breast Care and Bone Health. In the 17 years that Katz has been at the Center, she has seen more women coming in for regular mammograms�an occurrence she credits to public awareness and the success mammograms have in detecting early breast abnormalities.
A mammogram can pick up a lump or abnormal breast tissue two to three years before a woman can feel it,� says Katz. Early detection is the best protection women have when it comes to the health of their breasts.� Katz dismisses the notion that what you don�t know or can�t find can�t hurt you. Some women think that if they don�t feel a lump or if their doctor doesn�t feel it, they don�t need a mammogram. That�s just not so.�
Mammography can also be useful in picking up cancers where there are no discernible lumps, such as ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS), a form of breast cancer that occurs in the milk ducts. Perhaps most reassuringly, in many cases, mammograms show that a breast abnormality is benign.
Other imaging techniques are commonly used along with mammography. Ultrasound is helpful in distinguishing a fluid-filled mass (cyst) from a solid mass. It is also used when the patient has a palpable lump. Increasingly, ultrasound is used to biopsy breast abnormalities. MRI is gaining acceptance in the evaluation of patients with breast lumps, especially to screen for additional cancers once one has been diagnosed. Mammography remains, however, the gold standard for breast cancer screening.
With all of the sophisticated technology available, experts agree that a woman�s first line of defense for breast health begins with knowing her own body. Katz recommends that women take an active role for optimal breast health: monthly breast self-exams; annual physical exams that include a breast exam by a physician (also known as a clinical breast exam); and an annual mammogram for all women over age 40.
Related Links:
Herman and Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital
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