Health Tip posted by Kyle Steele July 11, 2011
Taken from: Top 10 Breast Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Tips
by Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor
Last updated: May 07, 2011
Get regular mammograms. It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many women don't. An Australian study found that women who get regular mammograms had a 4 percent risk of dying of breast cancer; women who weren't screened had a 56 percent mortality rate. Ready to make that appointment?
Find out whether you or women close to you have dense breasts. What does this mean?
It means the breast cells grow and multiply more rapidly, raising your risk. Plus dense breasts make it harder for a mammogram to "see" through the tissue and detect a tumor. While dense breast tissue is more common in younger women who haven't yet had children, it's also hereditary and can affect any woman.How to find out? Schedule a breast exam and ask your doctor. Also talk to the radiologist who's administering your mammogram.
Ask your doctor to recommend other tests. Surprise: Mammograms are only 16 to 40 percent accurate, studies show. Meanwhile, ultrasounds and MRIs can detect breast tumors that may not show up on mammograms. MRIs, the gold standard, are 70 to 100 percent accurate. Dartmouth University published a study showing that MRIs found tumors in 20 percent of patients who'd already "passed" a mammogram or ultrasound. If you have any reason for concern, ask your doctor to refer you for an ultrasound, MRI, or both.
Last updated: May 07, 2011
Get regular mammograms. It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many women don't. An Australian study found that women who get regular mammograms had a 4 percent risk of dying of breast cancer; women who weren't screened had a 56 percent mortality rate. Ready to make that appointment?
Find out whether you or women close to you have dense breasts. What does this mean?
It means the breast cells grow and multiply more rapidly, raising your risk. Plus dense breasts make it harder for a mammogram to "see" through the tissue and detect a tumor. While dense breast tissue is more common in younger women who haven't yet had children, it's also hereditary and can affect any woman.How to find out? Schedule a breast exam and ask your doctor. Also talk to the radiologist who's administering your mammogram.
Ask your doctor to recommend other tests. Surprise: Mammograms are only 16 to 40 percent accurate, studies show. Meanwhile, ultrasounds and MRIs can detect breast tumors that may not show up on mammograms. MRIs, the gold standard, are 70 to 100 percent accurate. Dartmouth University published a study showing that MRIs found tumors in 20 percent of patients who'd already "passed" a mammogram or ultrasound. If you have any reason for concern, ask your doctor to refer you for an ultrasound, MRI, or both.