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WHO should get screened for breast cancer?
- All women should get screened for breast cancer no matter your race or ethnicity!
- Breast cancer screening entails self breast exams, clinical breast exams, ultrasound and mammography.
- Self breast exams: I personally do not discourage women from doing monthly breast self exams (BSE), although it is no longer recommended that doctors teach their patients to do self breast exams because adequate evidence suggests that BSE do not reduce breast cancer mortality.
- Clinical breast exams: Performed by a doctor, the clinical breast exam will look for major differences between the size of the two breasts, changes in color, abnormal discharge from the nipple, tender areas,and dimpling/ abnormalities of the skin. Clinical exams not only include the breast but the chest wall area above the breast, the underarm areas which have breast tissue, as well as lymph nodes.
- Breast Ultrasound: if your doctor feels something suspicious in your breast, he/she may opt for an ultrasound first to get an initial clue to the anatomy of the tissue. Ultrasounds are usually preferred for women who are under 40 years old, or have low risk factors for breast cancer.
- Mammography: mammograms are low-dose radiation X-rays that can find a lump before you even know it's there. They are able to give a more accurate view of breast tissue and anatomy. They are highly sensitive for picking up abnormalities however normal results don’t always completely rule out cancer. Mammograms are the BEST way to screen for breast cancer.
- If your mammogram is suspicious, the next procedure will most likely being a breast biopsy where a sample of breast tissue is examined under a microscope to look for malignant (cancerous) cell
- Women who have had breast cancer in the past and had a mastectomy, radiation or chemotherapy must STILL get yearly mammograms!
- While you are in your 20's and 30's, your doctor may preform clinical breast exams once every 1-3 years.
- These exams may be performed by your primary care physician and/or Ob/GYN
- The USPSTF recommends screening mammography for women aged 50 to 74 years every 2 years.
- The decision to do a screening mammogram a woman below 50 years will be determined based on her risk factors including family history of breast cancer and any changes in her breasts. These women may also have mammograms yearly rather than every other year.
- Your primary care physician's office is a great resource and often a 1 stop shop for many screenings.
- If you do not have insurance here are some other options:
- CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening services to underserved women in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 5 U.S. territories, and 11 tribes.
- Also, look out for health fairs in your area that may offer free breast cancer screenings
- Contact your local health department to see if they offer any free screening resources.
- More information on screening can be found here: United States Preventative Task Force- Breast Cancer Screening
- Breast cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in women in the USA, only coming in second to non-melanoma skin cancer. It is also one of the leading causes of cancer death among women of all races.
- Here is the most recent data we have from the CDC, in 2009:
- 211,731 women in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer.
- 40,676 women in the United States died from breast cancer.
Tell your mother, daughters, and friends to get screened and if you are a mother, daughter or friend don't forget to get yourself screened as well!
