Overview
Breast Cancer screening is the best and the safest way to detect cancer on time. Early detection of breast cancer is very important because the earlier stages of breast cancer is when it is most treatable .
this is a very important topic for every woman. it is important that you consult a good health care provider about breast cancer screening. you need to do this so that you can be properly informed about the benefits and possible risks of screening in order to determine whether screening is right for you and when to have your screening if you decide to have one.
what is breast cancer screening
Breast cancer screening means checking the breast – personally or professionally – for breast cancer before they are any visible signs or symptoms of the disease
Screening may involve multiple tests that are used to examine the breast. It may be done by physically examining the breast or by using imaging tests to see inside the breast tissue.
Screening Tests Include
- Mammogram
- Ultrasound
- MRI
- Biopsy
Mammogram
Mammogram is a low-dose x-ray picture of the breasts, used to screen for breast cancer. so far mammograms are one of the best tests available for breast cancer screening.
Although mammograms are great, they also have their own risks.
these risks include:
false positive results: this is when the results wrongly shows that cancer is present in the breast
false negative results: this is when there is counsel present but it doesn’t show in the results. 10 to 15% of mammogram results show false negatives.
Ultrasound
This is also called sonography, is a type of imaging method that uses sound waves to produce images of the structures within the breast. ultrasound can be used in various other aspects in the medical field such as:
- viewing the uterus during pregnancy blood flow valuation
- screening for genital and prostate problems
- to check the thyroid gland
Going for ultrasound is a safe procedure so they are currently no known risks. however, it does have some limitations as sound waves don’t travel well through air or bone.
MRI
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses radio waves and strong magnets to take detailed pictures of the structures within the breasts. Although MRI is more accurate, it also has high risk of “false positive”.
Biopsy
This may be recommended if there cancer signs or symptoms showing during a screening. during this process a small piece of the breast tissue from the suspected urea is removed and looked in at the lab to see if they contain any cancer cells.
A biopsy is like a confirmatory test for cancer. it may not always be positive but it is the best way to know for sure if there is actually cancer in the breast.
Conclusions
The best procedure for you will be discussed between you and your doctor. this will depend on your age, health conditions and other risk factors.
your doctor may use tools such as “national cancer institute’s breast cancer risk calculator” or the “tyrek Cusack score“.
Breast cancer screening results and not definitive but it will give your doctor a general indication of your breast cancer so that better recommendations can be made.
Sources
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Breast cancer – screening. Cancer.Net. 2022 May 24 [accessed 2022 Nov 3]. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/screening
Mayo Clinic. 2022 Apr 30 [accessed 2022 Nov 3]. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/ultrasound/about/pac-20395177#:~:text=Overview,variety%20of%20diseases%20and%20conditions.
What is a breast mri?: Breast cancer screening. American Cancer Society. [accessed 2022 Nov 3]. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/breast-mri-scans.html
What is a mammogram? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022 Sep 26 [accessed 2022 Nov 3]. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/mammograms.htm
What is breast cancer screening? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022 Sep 26 [accessed 2022 Nov 3]. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
What tests can help detect breast cancer early? Medical News Today. [accessed 2022 Nov 3]. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/early-detection-of-breast-cancer
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