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Mammography: Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis

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Mammograms for Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis

Mammograms are x-ray exams performed for the purposes of detecting and diagnosing breast cancer. There are two types of mammograms that can be ordered by medical professionals, and it is important to know the difference between these two tests.

Screening Mammograms
Because the threat of breast cancer is ubiquitous, it is generally recommended that all women have mammograms on a regular or semi-regular basis. When mammograms are given to women who have no symptoms of the disease, or no history of symptoms, they are given what is known as a screening mammogram. This test involves two frontal x-rays and two taken from the side, and in most instances it can discover any abnormities that may be present in one or both breasts. A thorough clinical breast exam can also be given in combination with a screening mammogram, since there are limitations to the screening mammogram that can let some lumps or malformations elude detection. It is estimated that screening mammograms may miss as many as 20% of the tumors, either cancerous or benign, that are present in the breasts of women receiving this exam. A women’s breast contains both fatty tissue and denser types of glandular and connective tissue, and if the latter are present in higher than normal amounts it can mask the presence of tumors.

Diagnostic Mammograms
If a screening mammogram, or a breast self-examination performed at home detect abnormalities, then a diagnostic mammogram will be prescribed to look at these abnormalities more closely. Diagnostic mammograms involve many x-rays taken from different angles, and suspicious areas will be examined with extreme care, usually with the aid of equipment that can magnify images several times. If cancer cannot be ruled out or definitively diagnosed after medical professionals assess these detailed images, the next step will involve the use of ultrasound, which can detect the presence of solid tissue that could possibly be cancerous. The final step would then be a needle biopsy to remove a tissue sample for laboratory testing. While as many as eight to ten percent of screening mammograms will find something potentially troublesome, fortunately in the majority of cases the follow-up diagnostic mammogram, performed alone or in combination with other tests, will reveal the malformations to be completely benign and non-life threatening.

Knowing the Risk Factors
The rate of breast cancer increases with age, and most of the cases occur in women past the age of 50. Interestingly, studies do not seem to show much benefit in screening mammograms for women under the age of 40, and the necessity of this procedure for women in this age group has become a matter of disagreement and contention. However, it is known that certain factors exist that can increase the risk of breast cancer in all women regardless of age, and if one or more of these factors is present then it is widely agreed that regular screening mammograms are a wise precaution.

The risk factors that increase the likelihood of a woman coming down with breast cancer include:

  • A previous diagnosis of breast cancer
  • Family history
  • Alterations in certain genetic markers
  • Higher than normal amounts of dense breast tissue
  • The onset of menstrual periods before the age of 12, or menopause past the age of 55
  • Radiation therapy to the chest area before the age of 30
  • More than five years of menopausal hormone replacement therapy
  • The first full-term pregnancy occurring after the age of 30
  • Poor physical health – obesity, lack of exercise, etc

The Role of Mammograms in Fighting Breast Cancer
For every 100 women born in the United States today, it is expected that at least 12 will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. The prevalence of this potentially deadly disease is something that all women should be aware of, and it is wise and necessary to have regular medical checkups if you are at risk for this disease. If there is a controversy, it comes from deciding who is at risk and who isn’t. The general consensus is that even though most breast cancer victims are past the age of 40, it may still be a good idea for women under 40 to occasionally have a screening mammogram performed, even when they have not noticed any suspicious changes or found any lumps or malformations during a breast self-examination. But for women over 40, or for those under 40 affected by other risk factors, a screening mammogram once every one or two years is still highly recommended by most medical professionals. And for women of any age who have found lumps in their breast or are having pain or discharge, there is no question they should schedule an appointment for a diagnostic mammogram immediately.

Related Articles: 
Does the Radiation from Mammograms Actually Cause Breast Cancer?
Mammograms: Should I Have One?
What to Expect During Your First Mammogram

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