Breast Cancer Screening

Happy Monday, and welcome to Medical Mondays! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and since I already talked about Breast Cancer last October, this week’s topic is on breast cancer screening.

This topic hits pretty close to home, and I’m forever thankful that my family had a phenomenal doctor who was super on top of things, but it’s still something that scares me even though finding it and treating it has improved so much over the years.

Breast Cancer Screening

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer starts when breast cells start growing out of control–this usually forms a tumor that can be seen on an x-ray or felt as a lump. If it’s malignant (cancerous), the cells can grow into surrounding tissues and/or spread to other parts of the body. Although it happens primarily in women, men can get it too.

What is breast cancer screening?

This is done to check breasts for early signs of cancer in those who have no symptoms of breast cancer, and is usually completed using a special type of x-ray called a mammogram. Being screened for breast cancer lowers the chance that an individual will die of the disease.

Who should be screened?

There are different recommendations for screening, but generally, women from ages 40-74 and some older women who are healthy, are screened. Women who are at a high risk of developing breast cancer may need to be screened at an earlier age, including:

• Those who carry genes (e.g. BRCA) that increase their risk
• Those who have a first-degree relative (e.g. mother, sister, daughter) who got breast cancer at a young age
  • In this population, screening usually begins at 10 years before the age that the relative was diagnosed (e.g. if a patient’s sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at 43, screening would begin at 33).

What are the benefits of being screened?

This helps doctors to find the cancer earlier and may be easier to treat, thus lowering the chances of dying of breast cancer.

What are the drawbacks of being screened?

• False positives – A “false positive” may suggest that a women might have cancer when she does not, and can lead to unnecessary worry and tests. These are more likely to happen in women less than 50.
• Overdiagnosis – At times, mammograms may find cancer that never would’ve affected the woman’s health, which can be a problem because treating these cancers does not have any benefit and can actually cause harm.
• Radiation exposure – All x-rays lead to radiation exposure, but studies show that the # of lives saved by detecting cancer earlier on greatly outweighs the small risk from radiation exposure.

Should I be doing self breast exams?

Studies have not found that doing a breast exam and mammogram is better than doing a mammogram alone, and most experts do not encourage self-exams anymore, as most lumps that are found turn out not to be cancer but still lead to unnecessary worry and anxiety. However, if you feel comfortable examining your breasts and want to continue doing this, make sure you follow proper technique in doing so.

How often should I be getting mammograms?

Many experts suggest screening every 2 years, while others suggest yearly screening for younger women (under age 50-55). For women with a very high risk of breast cancer, this schedule may be different.

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Disclaimer: The statements made on this blog are as of guidelines written in 08/2016 and should not be taken as medical advice to treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please contact your own physician or health care provider before starting a health or fitness/wellness program. (See full disclaimer here.)