Breast Cancer Awareness Is Saving Lives and Families

Breast cancer is the second-most common cancer (behind skin cancer) among women in the United States. And due to a growing awareness of this disease, millions of women are surviving it.

We encourage you to read the following information and share it with other women. Early detection and proper treatment are simple to achieve and can have a long-lasting, positive impact on you and your family.

What is a screening test?

A screening test is used to find diseases, such as cancer, in people who do not have signs or symptoms. This allows early treatment. The earlier cancer is treated, the greater the chance of survival.

What screening tests are used to screen for breast problems?

Screening for breast problems includes mammography, clinical breast exams, and breast self-awareness.

What is mammography, and why is it done?

Mammography is an X-ray technique used to study the breasts. No dyes have to be injected or swallowed, and no instruments will be put in your body. Mammography is done for two reasons: 1) as a screening test to regularly check for breast cancer in women who do not have signs or symptoms of the disease, and 2) as a diagnostic test to check lumps or other symptoms that you have found yourself or that have been found by your GYN doctor.

When should I start having annual mammograms?

Age 40 years is recommended as the starting point in order to find cancer at an early and more treatable stage.

What if the result of my mammography reveals a lump?

Mammography by itself cannot tell whether a lump or other finding is benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). If a mammography finding is suspicious for cancer, a biopsy is needed to confirm that cancer is present. In a biopsy, the lump or a small sample of cells from the lump is removed and looked at under a microscope.

How do I prepare for a mammogram, and what happens during it?

The day you have a mammogram, do not wear powders, lotions, or deodorants. Most of these products have substances that can be seen on the X-ray and make it hard to read. To get ready for the test, you will need to completely undress from the waist up and put on a gown. You will be asked to stand or sit in front of the X-ray machine. One of your breasts will be placed between two smooth, flat plastic or glass plates. You will briefly feel firm pressure on your breast. The plates will flatten your breast as much as possible so that the most tissue can be viewed with the least amount of radiation. After the first X-ray, the plates may be removed so that another X-ray can be obtained from one or more other positions. The test then is done on the other breast.

What are the risks of mammography?

The risk of harm from the level of radiation used in mammography is low. Having a yearly screening mammogram does not increase cancer risk.

What is a clinical breast exam?

Your GYN doctor will examine your breasts during routine checkups. This is called a clinical breast exam. Women aged 29–39 years should have a clinical breast exam every 1–3 years. Women aged 40 years and older should have one every year. The exam may be done while you are lying down, sitting up, or both. The breasts are first checked for any changes in size or shape, then for puckers, dimples, or redness of the skin. Your GYN doctor then feels for changes in each breast and under each arm.

What is breast self-awareness?

Breast self-awareness is an understanding of how your breasts normally look and feel. Unlike the traditional breast self-exam, it does not require you to examine your breasts once a month or with a precise method. Instead, it focuses on having a sense of what is normal for your breasts so that you can tell if there are changes — even small changes — and report them to your GYN doctor.

What is dense breast tissue, and why does it matter?

Your breasts are considered dense if you have a lot of fibrous or glandular tissue but not much fatty tissue. Breast density can be determined only by mammograms — it is not related to breast size or firmness. Having dense breast tissue may increase your risk of getting breast cancer, and dense tissue also makes it harder to see cancer on mammograms: dense tissue looks white, and breast masses or tumors also look white, so the dense tissue can hide tumors.

If I have dense breasts, do I still need a mammogram?

Yes. Most breast cancers can be seen on a mammogram even in women who have dense breast tissue, and mammograms save women’s lives. Studies have shown that ultrasound and MRIs can help find breast cancers that can’t be seen on a mammogram, though both show more findings that are not cancer, which can result in more tests and unnecessary biopsies. Two additional tests available to women are the 3D mammogram and the 3D breast ultrasound, which has the advantage of no additional radiation and is available at our MidAtlantic Imaging Centers.

What should I do if I have dense breast tissue?

If your mammogram report says that you have dense breast tissue, talk with your GYN doctor about what this means for you. Be sure that your doctor or nurse knows your medical history and whether there is anything in your history that increases your risk for getting breast cancer. Women who are already in a high-risk group (based on gene mutations, a strong family history of breast cancer, or other factors) could consider having an MRI along with their yearly mammogram.

If you have questions about breast exams, breast cancer, mammograms, digital mammography, dense breast tissue, or menopause, please contact our GYN Clinic at (757) 312-8221. Our GYN doctors can help you.