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Detecting Breast Cancer – From Vigilance to Suspicion to Confirmation

Publication: Fort Worth Magazine

A cornerstone of health consciousness for adult women includes being on the lookout for breast cancer. There’s plenty of evidence that this eternal vigilance is worth it. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, women who receive regular mammograms are more likely to detect cancer early, require less aggressive treatment, and have better outcomes.

The path from routine screening to suspected cancer to confirmed diagnosis usually is the shorter part of a longer cancer journey. But better understanding of these preliminary steps can help set you on the right course for a successful cancer fight.

For more than 30 years, research has shown a steady decline in mortality rates due to a combination of early detection and improvements in treatment. Early detection is key to increasing the possibility that cancer could be found at an early stage when treatment is most likely to produce a cure.

Screening, testing methods, and technologies continue to advance and include 3D mammograms, which are currently available in some areas, and new blood tests that are in development. These innovations and all screening options are intended to work in combination with this essential, albeit decidedly low-tech recommendation: Discuss with your doctor your individual risk factors, such as age, menopausal status, and family history.

Self-Exams

Women are encouraged to perform a breast self-exam every month, because with regular examination they have a greater chance of finding a lump early in its development. Women should check their breasts for lumps or unusual changes in feeling, appearance, or discharge. Pay attention to how your breasts normally look and feel, and immediately report any changes to a physician.

Conducting regular self-exams is important in detection, but it has limitations in detecting early-stage breast cancer, when symptoms do not always appear. That’s why physicians recommend additional screenings.

Screenings

Screenings can find cancer cells before symptoms are present. Preventative, proactive screenings, such as mammograms, clinical breast exams, and MRI, are the most effective methods for early detection.

Mammograms, which use low-dose X-ray images to identify potentially cancerous breast changes, are the most common screening method. Mammograms identify any abnormal areas in the breast, such as calcifications (white spots) and masses (tumors) that can only be detected from screenings.

Women should receive clinical breast exams at regular intervals depending on age. Physicians may recommend an MRI for some women. Women should understand their risk as those with a family history of breast cancer are known to be of higher risk should start screening early and can take other preventative measures.

Confirmation and Identification

If a suspicious area is found, additional tests can confirm if the area is benign or cancerous. Also, breast surgeons often perform procedures to collect tissue to determine if it is cancerous and identify the tumor characteristics.

Tests on tissues from the tumor help in determining staging and identifying tumor markers. Tumor markers provide valuable insights to a patient’s care team, such as how aggressive a cancer is, most appropriate treatments, and whether a tumor is responding to treatment.

If a tumor is cancerous, breast surgeons consult with patients and their care teams about the best course of treatment for the individual patient. More surgical options and techniques are now available to help patients make a very personal decision that is right for them.

Ultimately, patients are their bodies’ best advocates, and it is important for women to actively take control of their health with regular preventative checks for breast cancer. Early detection is important, but with the myriad of treatment options available and more promising treatments on the horizon, we offer women even greater hope for successful outcomes.

This article appeared in the October 2021 issue of Fort Worth Magazine.

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