We are in the middle of October, which is the Breast Cancer Awareness month, and as a woman and as a person with professional cancer research background I wanted to use this great privilege of being able to reach hundreds of women through this website and spread the word about importance of early diagnostics and share some information about basics of breast cancer diagnostics.
Doctors cannot always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. However, scientists have studied general patterns of cancer in the population to learn what things around us and what things we do in our lives may increase our chance of developing cancer. Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor; anything that decreases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a protective factor. Some of the risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot, e.g. genes you have inherited from your parents.
Breast health is an important part of every woman's personal health care program. Part of breast health screening begins with self-breast exams and mammograms, but it also includes evaluating factors that increase your risk for breast cancer. The treatment of breast cancer requires an individualized approach because the disease consists of many types of breast cancers in several stages.
Women in the United States get breast cancer more than any other type of cancer except for skin cancer. It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in women. Each year it is estimated that nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die. But early and accurate detection makes breast cancer one of the most treatable forms of cancer. Any woman who feels the something is not right during self examination, should immediately contact her physician who will prescribe all necessary diagnostic tests.
The most common ones are:
- Diagnostic or screening mammography: low-dose X-rays are taken by certified technologists and interpreted by board-certified radiologists including the use of computer-aided detection (CAD).
- Digital Mammography: a method of storing an X-ray image of the breast as a computer image rather than on the usual X-ray film. Digital mammography can be combined with computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD), a process in which the radiologist uses the computer to help interpret the mammogram. This is a useful tool when evaluating areas that are difficult to see in women with dense breast tissue or women who are premenopausal.
- MRI: a special imaging technique used to image internal structures of the body, particularly the soft tissues; creating an image superior to a normal X-ray. This is also a useful tool when evaluating areas that are difficult to see in women with dense breast tissue or women who are premenopausal. MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The way it works is that a huge magnet combined with radio frequency antennas and high speed computers produce digital images for radiologist to read. A contrast medium flows through the veins and highlights blood vessels in the body along with images of the tissues in the breast. The computer captures hundreds of images which produce a 3D view of the breast with color-coded areas showing the blood flow fro radiologist to read. Blood supply to cancer cells looks different than blood supply to healthy cells and along with the shape of the tissues allows the radiologist to see potential areas of cancer on the digital image.
The most important is to listen to your body and not to ignore any signs. Hundreds of women save their lives thanks to self exams and early detection.
So please, schedule your mammogram today! Don’t wait till next October.
for details click here