Detect Protect - Breast Cancer Awareness - Best Private Hospital in Dubai Al Mankhool | IMH Dubai

Mammography

What is mammography?

Mammography is pro-bably the most important tool doctors have to help them diagnose, evaluate, and follow women who’ve had breast cancer and also for screening women for breast cancer.

Safe and highly accurate, a mammogram is an X-ray photograph of the breast. The technique has been in use for about thirty years. It can detect most breast cancers at an early stage, before symptoms develop. Routine mammography is not available to women under 30 unless you have a first degree relative (mother or sister) who has had breast cancer at a young age.

Why is mammography important?

digital-mammographyMammography saves lives. About 1 in 12 women develop breast cancer at some stage in life, mostly over the age of 50. The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better the chance of a cure.

Finding breast cancers early with mammography has also meant that many more women being treated for breast cancer are able to keep their breasts. When caught early, localized cancers can be removed without resorting to breast removal. Research studies have shown that mammography screening has significantly reduced the number of deaths from breast cancer.

When to get a mammogram?

There’s a lot of confusion about when and how often to get a mammogram. For now, the recommendation is that women get a mammogram once a year, beginning at age 40. If you’re at high risk for breast cancer, with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, or have had radiation treatment to the chest in the past, it’s recommended that you start having annual mammograms at a younger age (often beginning around age 30).

What if there is an abnormality?

Most women have a normal mammogram. Some women are asked to attend again if the X-ray picture is not clear, or to look more closely at a special area of the breast which needs a further detailed check. A small number are found to have early breast cancer and are offered referral to a surgeon for treatment. If any abnormality is detected, the patients would be advised to have an ultrasound of the breast with FNAC (A small needle would be put through the area of abnormality with or without ultrasound guidance, where cells would be taken from that site and sent for microscopic evaluation for cancer cells.)

Three important things to know about mammograms

1. They can save your life. Finding breast cancer early reduces your risk of dying from the disease by 25-30% or more. Women should begin having mammograms yearly at age 40, or earlier if they’re at high risk.

2. Don’t be afraid. It’s a fast procedure (about 5-10 minutes), and discomfort is minimal. The procedure is safe: there’s only a very tiny amount of radiation exposure from a mammogram. To relieve the anxiety of waiting for results, go to a centre that will give you results before you leave.

3. It is our most powerful breast cancer detection tool. However, mammograms can still miss 15-20% of breast cancers that are simply not visible using this technique. Other important tools-such as breast self-exam, clinical breast examination, ultrasound, and MRI can and should be used as complementary tools, but there are no substitutes or replacements for a mammogram.

Knowing Breast Cancer – “Breast Cancer Awareness – DETECT PROTECT”

Breast cancer awareness


October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same.

 Know the symptoms of breast cancer

Early breast cancer usually doesn’t cause symptoms. But as the tumor grows, it can change how the breast looks or feels.

  • A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area
  • A change in the size or shape of the breast
  • Dimpling or puckering in the skin of the breast
  • A nipple turned inward into the breast
  • Discharge (fluid) from the nipple, especially if it’s bloody
  • Scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast or nipple
  • The skin may have pitting so that it looks like an orange

These symptoms do not automatically indicate breast cancer. But, if you have any of these conditions, you should tell your health care provider so that the problems can be diagnosed and treated.

Knowing Your Body:

For women under 50-years old:

  • Employ annual clinical breast examinations and monthly breast self-examinations as your primary early detection protocol.
  • Once a year, every year, without fail, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to perform a clinical breast examination. We recommend you schedule it on or near your birthday.
  • Once a month, every month, without fail, set aside 15 minutes to conduct thorough breast self-examination. We recommend you schedule it on the first day of menstruation.
  • Schedule a mammogram only if needed for diagnosis of a suspected lump. Even then, be sure to schedule that mammogram within the first 14 days of your menstrual cycle.

For women over 50-years old:

  • Employ annual clinical breast examinations and monthly breast self-examinations as your primary early detection protocol.
  • Once a year, every year, without fail, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to perform a clinical breast examination. We recommend you schedule it on or near your birthday.
  • Once a month, every month, without fail, set aside 15 minutes to conduct a thorough breast self-examination. We recommend you schedule it on the first day of your period if you are still menstruating.
  • Schedule a mammogram if you discover a lump. Even then, be sure to schedule that mammogram within the first 14 days of your menstrual cycle if you are still menstruating.
  • Employ mammography screening every other year.

Steps to help you respond with maximum intelligence to this diagnosis and help you rebuild your self-healing functions.

The basic action points are:

  1. Step back from the day-to-day pressures of your life to evaluate your current situation in its entirety.
  2. Assess both current life issues that must be changed as well as future needs that must be met.
  3. Create a simple plan to restore health and total well-being.
  4. Work in partnership with health advisors who have your confidence. Begin a self-care plan to create whole-person well-being.
  5. Conduct quarterly reviews of your progress, making adjustments as necessary.

Taken together, these action points will play the central role in mobilizing all your healing options and capacities, both external and internal.

The Breast Cancer Prevention Lifestyle
Yes, you can maximize your potential for actually preventing breast cancer! It’s all about personal choices in how we take care of ourselves.

American Cancer Society Releases New Breast Cancer Guideline – The new recommendations are :

  • Women with an average risk of breast cancer – most women – should begin yearly mammograms at age 45.
  • Women should be able to start the screening as early as age 40, if they want to. It’s a good idea to start talking to your health care provider at age 40 about when you should begin screening.
  • At age 55, women should have mammograms every other year – though women who want to keep having yearly mammograms should be able to do so.
  • Regular mammograms should continue for as long as a woman is in good health.
  • Breast exams, either from a medical provider or self-exams, are no longer recommended.

The guidelines are for women at average risk for breast cancer. Women at high risk – because of family history, a breast condition, or another reason – need to begin screening earlier and/or more often. Talk to your medical provider to be sure.

 
×