Breast Cancer- Reasons to Take a Mammogram

For the past several years, experts have debated the effectiveness of mammogram x-rays and at what age women should first get them. But research shows that this type of screening is one of the most reliable tools that doctors have right now for diagnosing breast cancer. A 2003 study of more than 200,000 women found that death rates from breast cancer dropped 44 percent from 1978 to 1997, after mammography programs were introduced. Every women at an average risk should get an annual mammogram beginning at age 40. But if your mother or your sister had breast cancer when they were around the age of 35, have a mammogram a decade earlier than the age of the one who was youngest when diagnosed. This means that if your relative was diagnosed at 35, you should get checked at 25.

Research shows that mammograms are not as reliable in younger women, whose dense breast tissue can make the x-rays difficult to read. If you are 35 or younger or have dense breasts , ask your doctor about getting an ultrasound or an MRI as well. In 2004 study shows that doctors found 32 tumors in high risk patients screened with both a mammogram and MRI, but only 18 tumors using a mammogram alone. Another new option is a digital mammography.

What to do if you find a lump? About four in five of all breast lumps biopsies are benign. It is still imperative to get it checked out as soon as possible by an experienced health professional. Your doctor will feel the lump and may order a mammogram, MRI or ultrasound to help distinguish between a solid mass, which is most likely to be cancer, and a fluid-filled mass, which is more likely to be a benign cyst. If you have dimpled or thickened skin, bloody nipple discharge, a rash on the nipple or redness of the breast, see your doctor even if you do not feel a lump, since these also be warning signs. Then if the lump is solid, the doctor will then remove cells using a needle and examine them under a microscope. If the cells are benign, a breast specialist may still advise a removal of the lump, depending on the type of benign cells or how the lump feels and looks. If the cells are malignant , the doctor will discuss treatment options, which might include surgery, medication, chemotherapy or a combination. Mammograms don't prevent breast cancer, but they can save lives by finding breast cancer as early as possible.