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Screening and testing
It is important to detect breast cancer in its early stages, since it is then associated with a better prognosis. Screening is looking for evidence of disease before symptoms appear or when cancers are at an early stage and might be too small to notice. Depending on age and risk factors, screening includes breast self-examination, examination by your health care provider or doctor (clinical breast examination), mammograms (mammography) or other tests. Diagnostic tests (such as magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], blood tests, bone scans or other tests) are used when breast cancer is suspected or has been diagnosed.
Clinical breast examination
During clinical breast examination, the health care provider examines the breasts (including the nipples and areolae) for retractions, skin changes, and discharge. Then, the breasts and underarms are palpated (felt with the fingers), and also the neck glands above the clavicle. Health care practitioners often teach patients how to perform breast self-examination (for more information on this see: www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/self_exam/index.jsp) while doing a clinical examination.
Mammography
During a mammogram, the breast is compressed between two plates for a few seconds and X-ray images are used to obtain an image of the tissue of the breast. Radiologists analyze this image for any abnormal growths. Low-dose X-rays are used, thus the risk involved with the procedure is minimal. At this time, mammography is the modality of choice for screening early breast cancer. It is the gold-standard which other imaging tests are compared with.
For more information on mammography see:
www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mammography.html
Other tests
Ultrasound may be used to determine if a mass detected by clinical examination or mammogram is a cyst or a solid lesion. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the breast on a computer screen. Needle aspiration may be performed if ultrasound reveals a suspicious lesion.
The MRI (Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging) detects cancers not seen previously on mammograms. It is a very sensitive mean to detect breast cancers (almost 30 % more than mammograms). However, it appears less specific and can be a very expensive procedure. It is strongly recommended for those with a family history of breast cancer or when there is a very dense or scarred breast tissue.
More information about screening and diagnostic tests can be found at:
www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/index.jsp
www.breastcancercare.org.uk/content.php