National Mammography Day can be noticed Saturday, Oct. 21, which makes this a superb time to be taught concerning the significance of breast cancer screening with mammograms.
Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 3 of all new cancers recognized in women within the U.S. every year, in accordance with the American Cancer Society. It’s estimated that almost 44,000 women within the U.S. will die from breast cancer this 12 months.
Mammograms play a key function in early breast cancer detection. They can detect breast cancer earlier than it causes indicators and signs, reducing breast cancer deaths.
Understanding your threat
Breast cancer risk assessment takes under consideration a number of elements of your gynecologic health, private historical past of breast biopsies, breast density and household historical past to calculate whether or not you might be extra doubtless than common to develop breast cancer. You and your healthcare crew can use outcomes from a breast cancer threat evaluation to find out when you’ve got an elevated threat of breast cancer. A breast cancer threat evaluation might help you and your healthcare skilled resolve whether or not you need to take into account measures to scale back your threat of breast cancer.
Researchers have recognized hormonal, way of life and environmental components that will enhance your threat of breast cancer. And an estimated 5% to 10% of breast cancers are linked to gene mutations handed by way of generations of a household. It’s not clear why some individuals who haven’t any threat components develop cancer whereas different individuals with threat components don’t. It’s doubtless that breast cancer is attributable to a posh interplay of your genetic make-up and your setting.
Some threat components, comparable to household historical past, cannot be modified. However, you may make way of life adjustments, together with limiting alcohol, eating a healthy eating regimen, sustaining a healthy weight and being bodily energetic, to decrease your threat.
Mammogram
A mammogram is an X-ray picture of your breasts. It can be utilized for breast cancer screening and for diagnostic functions, comparable to to research signs or uncommon findings on one other imaging check.
During a mammogram, your breasts are compressed between two firm surfaces to unfold out the breast tissue. Then an X-ray captures black-and-white photos which are displayed on a pc display screen and examined for indicators of cancer.
3D mammogram
A conventional mammogram creates 2D photos of the breast. A more recent kind of mammogram known as a 3D mammogram, or breast tomosynthesis, creates 3D photos of the breast. Many medical amenities supply 3D mammograms along with the normal 2D mammograms for breast cancer screening.
A 3D mammogram is used to search for breast cancer in individuals who haven’t any indicators or signs of the illness. It additionally can be utilized to research the reason for breast issues, comparable to a breast mass, ache and nipple discharge. 3D mammograms additionally could also be really helpful for women with dense breast tissue.
When used for breast cancer screening, the 3D mammogram machine creates 3D photos and normal 2D mammogram photos as a result of each varieties of photos have some benefits in revealing sure breast abnormalities.
Connect with others speaking about breast cancer screening within the Breast Cancer Support Group on Mayo Clinic Connect, a web-based affected person neighborhood moderated by Mayo Clinic.
