Breast Cancer Early Detection and Risk Factors at the Mayo Clinic

Early detection is the most important factor in determining the treatments necessary to survive cancer. Because of this, there has been a tight focus on early detection and treatment in many medical organizations, including the Mayo Clinic. There's plenty of reason for optimism as far as breast cancer is concerned, because women have far more options than ever before and the technology for detection has improved considerably.

If you have one or more of the risk factors that up your chances of developing breast cancer, you should be especially vigilant. Chances for breast cancer increase after the age of 50. Chances also increase if one gets pregnant after 30, menstruated before age 12, and a host of lifestyle choices such as smoking, birth control and obesity. Go to mayoclinic.com for a full list of risk factors.

A family history of breast cancer should be a big red flag for any woman trying to determine risk factors. If you have a daughter, sister, mother or male relative who got breast cancer, you should be attentive about getting a yearly exam. The more relatives that have been diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause, the higher your chances of developing it yourself.

Although Stephanie L. Hines, M.D. of the Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic says that "Only 5 to 10% of all breast cancers that occur are related to an inherited genetic predisposition," if you're in that percentage bracket, you should make sure you're tested annually and immediately if you find a lump during self exams. You can also get genetic testing to determine if you carry the genes for breast cancer. Most women who get the tests already have close family who have experienced breast cancer and have the family history.

"The most common genetic mutations that increase a person's risk for breast cancer are in BRCA 1 and BRCA 2. These mutations are passed down through a family in a dominant fashion and can also increase the risk of ovarian cancer or breast cancer in the other breast (in women who've been diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast). Therefore, women with a personal history of premenopausal breast cancer or with a suspicious family history of breast and /or ovarian cancer should consider testing for this condition." says Dr. Hines Hines.

Besides genetics, Mayo clinic also performs breast MRIs in women who have just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

According to Dr. Laura Vallow, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, "We have...found MRI detects additional disease in 16% of women. This is additional disease not detected by routine mammography and/or ultrasound. We also detected mammographically occult cancer in the opposite breast in 4% of women. This translates to 20% of women [who] will have additional disease detected only by breast MRI."

The sensitivity of breast MRIs is also a pitfall, because "many non-cancerous abnormalities are also detected." Women have to go through extra evaluations "with further ultrasound and possibly biopsies." While it does increase patient anxiety, it can also catch things other methods cannot.

"We continue to review our experience with pre-operative breast MRI and are hopeful a more accurate evaluation of the extent of the breast cancer can improve surgical planning and patient outcomes."

Not having risk factors doesn't mean you won't develop breast cancer. It seems the only prerequisite for getting breast cancer is having breasts (although some men can develop it as well). With tools like MRI, genetic testing, risk factor evaluation, self exams and yearly mammograms, women have a better chance today of detecting the onset of breast cancer.