Two Routes to Breast Cancer Detection

For years, the United States Preventive Services Task Force has recommended mammography in addition to breast self-examination as the best way to screen for breast cancer.

A 2002 report based on a study group of more than 250,000 Chinese women reaffirms the need for the use of mammograms in addition to breast self-examination. Let me shed some additional light on this issue and explode three of the more common myths that may persist regarding breast cancer.

1. “I have no family history of breast cancer, therefore I am not at risk.”

Wrong. Nearly 80% of all women who develop breast cancer have no family history of the disease.

2. “As long as I can’t feel a lump during monthly self-exams, I’ve nothing to worry about.”

Wrong. Breast cancer is a very slow growing cancer. By the time you detect a lump during self-examination, the cancer may have been growing for up to four years – long enough to have spread to other parts of your body and significantly increasing the risk of death. To complicate matters, many women have breasts that are either very dense or have fibrocystic qualities that make it difficult even for physicians to detect subtle changes that may represent a developing breast cancer.

3. “I heard someone say that mammograms themselves can cause breast cancer.”

Wrong. There is simply no evidence that mammograms cause breast cancer. Having discussed the experience with my wife and many patients, I am aware that having a mammogram can be far from a pleasant experience, but one should not be deterred from having this important test due to unjustified fears.

Of course, breast self-examination is still to be encouraged, but it is not a substitute for mammography or for an examination by a physician. Remember that in addition to a positive family history, other factors can also increase one’s risk for developing breast cancer. These factors include smoking, delayed childbirth, having had no children, and having no history of breast-feeding.

As a reminder, the American Cancer Society recommends that screening with annual mammography in women with no family history begin at age 40. More information is available on their website at www.cancer.org.

For more information on this topic, see the HealthLink articles Nutrition and Exercise Tips to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk, Coping with the Discomfort of Mammograms and Conditions Men Get, Too.

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