Screening Guidelines
The American Cancer Society provides the following recommendations for Early Breast Cancer Detection.
• Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year.
• Between the ages of 20 and 39, women should have a clinical breast examination by a health professional every 3 years. After age 40, women should have a breast exam by a health professional every year.
• Women age 20 or older should perform a breast self-examination (BSE) every month. By doing the exam regularly, you get to know how your breasts normally feel and you can more readily detect any signs or symptoms.
• If a change occurs, such as development of a lump or swelling, skin irritation or dimpling, nipple pain or retraction (turning inward), redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin, or a discharge other than breast milk, you should see your health care provider as soon as possible for evaluation. However, remember that most of the time, these breast changes are not cancer.
• Although there are some features of a mass that suggest whether it is likely to be benign or cancerous, women examining their own breasts should discuss any new lump with their healthcare professionals. Experienced healthcare professionals can examine the breast and determine whether the changes you have noticed are probably benign or whether there is a possibility they may be due to a breast cancer. They can determine when additional tests are appropriate to rule out a cancer and when follow-up exams are the best strategy. If there is any suspicion of cancer, a biopsy will be done.
Early detection remains the best weapon against breast cancer and protecting breast health. The breast's complex structure, great variations in the appearance of normal tissue and the often subtle characteristics of breast cancer make early detection a significant challenge for physician and patient alike.
Allegheny uses sophisticated technologies that complement basic screening and diagnostic mammography in order to find the smallest anomalies that may lead to the diagnosis of cancer. Efficient techniques let us biopsy tissues with the least discomfort and inconvenience to the patient. The availability, clarity and speed of highly sophisticated screening and diagnostic technologies available at the Allegheny Cancer Center means that patients can be examined at the Breast Care Center and receive diagnosis and treatment plan options - in most cases, in just one visit.
Last Updated: May 30, 2008
