Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Breast Cancer Diagnosis

The symptoms of breast cancer vary widely — from swelling to lumps to changes in the skin — and several types of breast cancers exhibit no visible symptoms at all. Moreover, a number of unrelated conditions such as cyst or infection can cause symptoms similar to those produced by breast cancer.

A self-performed breast diagnosis should be made a part of your regular health care routine, and it is always a good idea to consult your doctor if you detect any suspicious changes to your breast. In order to have any chance of beating breast cancer, it is important that the condition is diagnosed and treated at a very early stage in its development. Women above the age of forty, who are at a statistically higher risk for the condition, should think about having a mammogram along with complete physical exam every year. Remember that a clear and thorough breast cancer diagnosis can only be performed by a medical professional.

Read on to learn about some of the different techniques of breast cancer diagnosis.

Self-Exam

If you are in your 20's, a self-exam is a good place to start. It is also advisable to consult a doctor who will let you know your risk for the disease based on your medical history and that of your family. While performing a breast self diagnosis, here are some of the changes that you need to report to the doctor.

* Lumps or swelling of parts of the breast
* Inflammation or skin rash
* Skin dimples
* Abnormal pain in the nipple or breast
* Abnormal discharge from the nipple

Although many of the above symptoms could be explained by hormonal cycles or other non-cancerous health conditions, it never hurts to be safe.

Clinical Breast Exam

If you are in your 20's or 30's you should consider undergoing an annual clinical breast exam. If any abnormalities are found, an ultrasound and mammogram will throw more light on the exact nature of the condition. A clinical breast exam can be performed by your gynecologist or your physician and it is a good time to learn about breast health. The doctor will also be able to advise you on what changes to your breast are natural results of age, pregnancy and other health conditions.

Mammograms

Mammograms are the most trusted technique for breast cancer diagnosis available today. Mammograms can diagnose close to 90% of breast cancers at a very early stage, even before the cancer would be detectable through other methods of diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, women above the age of 40 should have an annual mammogram. Even if you are in perfect health and your self breast diagnosis has revealed no symptoms of the disease, it is a good idea to have the exam to maintain a record of mammogram images. Such a record would be invaluable in detecting the disease as early as possible.

Breast MRI

A breast MRI is another technique of breast cancer diagnosis. It is a good compliment to a mammogram, as it is designed to reveal different aspects of your breast health than a mammogram. Breast MRIs are not as cheap or widely available as mammograms and are often not covered by Medicare and insurance. However, women who are at a high risk for the disease should consult their doctor about having a breast MRI.

 

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: Breast Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer Screening, Breast Cancer Diagnosis

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