Breast cancer screening and early detection
What is breast cancer screening, and why is it so important?
“Screening” means going through tests or exams to find a disease such as breast
cancer—even though you may not have any symptoms. “Early detection” means being
able to find breast cancer at an early stage. Using early screening exams for early
breast cancer detection is important because these exams can find a tumor before
it causes symptoms.
When breast cancers are found because of the symptoms
they’re causing, they tend to be larger and are more likely to have spread beyond
the breast. But cancers found early, during screening exams, are more likely to
be smaller and located in the breast alone. The size of a tumor and how far it has
spread are important factors in predicting the
prognosis (medical outlook) of a woman with breast cancer.
Doctors feel that screening could potentially save thousands of lives every year,
and that cancers found at earlier stages can often be treated more successfully.
The American Cancer Society recommends the following program for early detection:
- Women should have annual mammograms starting at the age of 40
- Women should have annual clinical breast exams (CBEs) every 3 years
in their 20s and 30s, and annually after the age of 40
- There are some benefits to breast self-exams (BSEs), but also some
limitations. Women with a higher risk of breast cancer are recommended to perform
breast self-exams monthly, starting in their 20s
Talk to your doctor about the breast cancer screening plan that makes sense for
you.
Find out how breast cancer is diagnosed
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