Ladies, it’s time for some real talk about your health. We know getting breast cancer screenings is right up there with doing your taxes and cleaning the gutters, but this is one to-do you need to move to the top of your list.
Getting screened for breast cancer could save your life. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and the scary truth is that you could be one of them. Fortunately, breast cancer is highly treatable, especially when caught early through recommended screenings.
Mammography 101: The Primary Screening Tool
Getting regular mammograms should be at the top of your health priorities. As the primary diagnostic tool for detecting breast cancer, mammograms have helped save countless lives by finding cancer early, when treatment is most effective.
What Is a Mammogram?
A mammogram is a form of medical imaging that uses low-dose X-rays to examine the human breast. Consistent mammographic screening can detect early signs of breast cancer, in some cases up to three years before a lump becomes obvious through palpation or a physical breast exam.
What Happens During a Mammogram?
During the exam, you will stand in front of a special X-ray machine. A technologist will place one of your breasts on a plastic plate, then gently press another plate from above to flatten it for the X-ray. Flattening and spreading the breast tissue ensures a clear view of the breast and reduces the level of radiation needed to produce an image. The technologist will repeat the process to X-ray your breast from a side view. Then, your other breast will be X-rayed the same way.
Screening vs. Diagnostic Mammograms
Screening and diagnostic mammograms use the same technology. However, they have different intents:
- Screening mammograms look for possible signs of breast cancer long before someone experiences symptoms. In particular, they detect calcium deposits called microcalcification, which could be benign or malignant. They appear as tiny white dots in X-ray images.
- Diagnostic mammograms examine the breast tissue closer, typically after symptoms arise or when a screening mammogram detects abnormalities.
Does It Hurt?
Getting a mammogram can be uncomfortable, and some women do feel a bit of pain. But don’t worry, it’s a quick process! Each of your breasts will be in a compressed state for only 20 to 30 seconds.
Your experience will depend on the technologist’s skill, your breast size, and how much pressure is necessary. If you are close to having your period, your breasts might be more sensitive.
Ultrasound and MRI – Additional Screening Options
Ultrasound and MRI are often follow-up procedures after a mammogram.
What Is an Ultrasound?
Also known as diagnostic medical sonography, this technique uses high-frequency sound waves to generate images of the breast tissue. If a mammogram reveals microcalcifications or a mass in the breast, a follow-up ultrasound provides a closer, more in-depth look.
Ultrasounds can identify some cancers that mammograms may miss, especially in dense breast tissue. However, ultrasounds may lead to a higher false-positive rate, resulting in unnecessary surgical biopsies.
What Happens During an Ultrasound?
Ultrasounds for breast cancer detection typically involve applying gel to the breast and moving a small handheld device (transducer) over the area. The transducer uses sound waves to produce clear images, aiding in pinpointing abnormalities. It is quick, painless, and radiation-free.
What Is an MRI?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed 3D images of the breast tissue. MRIs can be effective for screening in women at high risk of breast cancer, especially those with a family history or genetic mutation like BRCA. However, MRIs tend to have a higher false-positive rate, often leading to unnecessary follow-up procedures. They are also more expensive and can be uncomfortable for women with claustrophobia.
Further reading: Can Artificial Intelligence Detect Cancer and Reduce False-Positive Frequency?
What Happens During an MRI?
During an MRI exam, you will lie on a table that slides into a tunnel-shaped scanner. Radio waves and a strong magnetic field generate detailed images of your breasts. It is painless and does not involve ionizing radiation.
The decision to get an ultrasound, MRI, or both in addition to mammography depends on your risk factors, breast density, and doctor’s recommendations. These alternative screenings are not for everyone, but for high-risk women – especially those with dense breast tissue – the benefits of early cancer detection make the additional costs and false positives worthwhile.
Breast Self-Exams: A Complementary Tool In-Between Screenings
Performing monthly breast self-exams at home can help you become familiar with how your breasts normally look and feel, so that you can detect changes early on. They are an easy, cost-free way to monitor your breast health. Although, keep in mind that self-exams are not a substitute for regular mammograms.
How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam in Six Steps
- Examine your breasts a few days after your monthly period–when your breasts are less tender.
- While topless, stand in front of a mirror with your arms resting at your sides. Look for any changes or peculiarities in shape, size, skin texture, or nipple appearance.
- Raise your arms overhead and press the palms of your hands together. Again, look for changes.
- Gently squeeze each nipple to check for discharge.
- Lie down and place a pillow under your right shoulder. Use your right hand to feel your right breast. Move your fingers in small circular motions, applying light, medium, and firm pressure. Cover the whole breast from collarbone to bra line and from armpit to cleavage. Repeat on your left side.
- Finally, feel your breasts while standing or sitting, raising one arm overhead. Move your fingers using the same circular motions and apply different pressures. Cover your entire breast, including the outer and inner areas of the collarbone and armpit. Alternatively, you can perform this last step in the shower. The combination of soap and water can act as a lubricant, making it easier to feel your breasts for lumps.
What to Look For
When doing a breast self-exam, look for any of these changes in your breasts:
- Lumps or thickening: Look for a lump or mass, hard knot, or thickening in your breast or under your arm. Lumps are often painless, so focus on physical changes within the breast.
- Change in size or shape: Look for changes in the size or shape of your breast. Watch for any swelling, distortion, or change in breast contour.
- Dimpling or puckering: Look for indention in the skin of your breast. It may appear like the skin of an orange.
- Changes to the nipple: Look for changes in the direction your nipple points or its shape. Also, check for nipple discharge other than breast milk. Discharge may be clear, milky, or bloody.
- Changes in skin texture: Look for redness, soreness, a rash, or an orange peel-looking appearance.
- Pain: Report any sensation of pain to your doctor, especially if it persists.
What Age Should Women Start Practicing Breast Self-Exams?
Young women are not exempt from breast cancer. If you are assigned female at birth (AFAB), you should conduct monthly breast exams, beginning at age 20, and continue the practice throughout life, even during pregnancy and after menopause. The ideal time is 3 to 5 days after your period ends.
What if You Find a Lump?
If you feel a lump or notice changes in your breasts, make an appointment with your doctor right away. They will examine your breasts, double-check for lumps or abnormalities, and determine if further diagnostic tests are necessary. Don’t worry; not all masses or breast changes indicate cancer. In fact, up to 80 percent of them are noncancerous.
The Breast Cancer Index Test
Survivors, remember that breast cancer can come back. The Breast Cancer Index (BCI) test is a risk assessment tool for early-stage breast cancer survivors. It determines if you need extended hormone (endocrine) therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.
How Does BCI Work?
The BCI test analyzes the activity of 11 genes in your breast cancer tissue to determine your risk for recurrence. It examines the expression levels of two groups of genes that can influence how your cancer cells grow and spread. Measuring the activity of these genes allows the BCI test to generate a risk score, which categorizes your risk as low, intermediate, or high.
The BCI test uses a simple blood draw or biopsy sample, so it’s a minimally invasive way to gain valuable insight into your risk. The test is available for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer at stages I, II, or IIIA.
If you are a breast cancer survivor, ask your doctor if the BCI test could benefit you. Knowledge is power; this test gives you information to make the best healthcare decisions.
Why Should Survivors Get the Breast Cancer Index Test?
Knowing your risk of breast cancer recurrence can help guide critical treatment decisions. If you have a low BCI risk score, you may avoid or reduce extended endocrine therapy treatment. Conversely, if you have an intermediate or high BCI risk score, extended endocrine therapy could be life-saving. The test provides information to help you and your healthcare team personalize a follow-up plan based on your unique risk factors.
Further reading: A Survivor’s Guide to Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence
Who Needs Breast Cancer Screening and How Often?
As a woman, getting regular breast cancer screenings is one of the empowering moves you can make for your health and wellness. Screenings spot malignant tumors early, when breast cancer is most treatable. So, who should get screened, and how often?
All Women Over Forty
According to the American Cancer Society and, more recently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, women over 40 should get annual mammograms to check for breast cancer.
Higher-Risk Women
If you have certain risk factors, like a family history of breast cancer or inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 or BRCA2, you may need to start screening earlier and get additional tests. Talk to your doctor about your personal risk and the appropriate screening age. They may recommend starting annual mammograms and MRIs at age 30 or younger.
Breast Cancer Survivors
As a survivor, you must continue screening to check for recurrence or new tumors. Your doctor will determine a follow-up schedule based on the type of treatment you received and the risk of your cancer returning. You may need more frequent mammograms and additional screening options like ultrasounds and MRIs.
What Are the Benefits of Screening for Breast Cancer?
Here’s how a mammogram benefits you:
Detect Cancer Early
Breast cancer screening allows doctors to detect cancer, often before symptoms appear. When found early, breast cancer is small and confined to the breast, making it easier to treat and cure. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, localized breast cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 99 percent.
Better Treatment Options
Finding breast cancer early opens your world to more treatment options, including less invasive procedures that preserve one or both breasts.
Lower Treatment Costs
Treating early-stage breast cancer is often less expensive, as it may necessitate fewer physician visits, tests, and less intensive treatments compared to advanced-stage cancer. Early diagnosis can also avoid the costs of complicated surgeries (e.g., reconstructive surgery to rebuild the shape and size of the breast) down the road.
Save Your Life
Getting regular breast cancer screenings at the recommended intervals can help save lives. So make your life a priority–talk to your doctor today about when and how often to get screened for breast cancer. The few minutes it takes can give you peace of mind and help ensure many more healthy years ahead.
Tips for a Positive Breast Cancer Screening Experience
Getting a mammogram or other breast cancer screening can be an anxious experience, but do not avoid or delay screening out of fear. Here are some tips to make your screening a more positive experience:
- Do your research: The more you know about a process, the less uncertainty there will be. Read our explanations on what to expect during a mammogram, ultrasound, etc., and ask your doctor any questions you may have. Knowledge is power.
- Bring a loved one: Emotional support from a close friend or family member can help alleviate anxiety and provide comfort. See if someone can accompany you to your appointment.
- Wear comfortable clothing: Since you need to undress from the waist up for a mammogram, choose a comfy top and bra. Other imaging tests, like an MRI, may require changing into a gown. So wear something breezy and easy to slip on and off, like a button-down dress.
- Relax and breathe: Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation to keep calm and help pass the time.
- Ask questions: Don’t hesitate to ask your technician or radiologist any questions about the equipment, the screening process, or your results. Getting your questions answered will help you feel more at ease.
- Bring entertainment: Waiting for the receptionist to say, “The doctor will see you now” can heighten anxiety. Bring a book and read it, listen to calming music, or play games on your phone to distract yourself.
- Celebrate completion: Once your screening is over, do something nice for yourself. Get coffee with the loved one who accompanied you, go shopping, or simply go home and take a warm bath. You did something positive for your health and deserve to feel good about it.
What to Do if Your Results Say You Have Breast Cancer
Finding out you have breast cancer can be an emotional shock. Here are the steps to take if your mammogram or biopsy results come back positive:
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- Don’t panic: Take a deep breath and try to stay calm. Many women with breast cancer go on to live long, healthy lives.
- Get your complete diagnosis: Your doctors will tell you the stage of your cancer, explaining the tumor size, degree of spread, treatment options, and prognosis.
- Consider a second opinion: See other oncologists to ensure you have the correct diagnosis and are exploring all treatment choices.
- Build your support team: When you’re ready, tell your close family and friends about your diagnosis. Going through cancer treatment can take a severe toll on your body, mind, and spirit. Your loved ones can offer the help, support, and encouragement you need during the battle with cancer. You can also join a support group to connect with others in the same situation.
- Discuss your treatment options with your doctor: From chemo and radiation treatments to immunotherapy for breast cancer, ask questions about the pros and cons of each approach, allowing you to weigh your options. For all you need to know about alternative treatment options for breast cancer, contact New Hope Unlimited.
- Think positive: Never underestimate the power of optimism. Being optimistic about your treatment and prognosis may strengthen your immune system and help you triumph over breast cancer.
You’ve got this! Stay strong and keep fighting.
Takeaway: Get Screened. Your Life Could Depend on It
There you have it, ladies–the facts about breast cancer screening and why you should schedule your appointment today. Early detection is crucial, and mammography has been proven to save lives. Please don’t put it off another day, week, or month. You owe it to your future self and everyone who loves you.