Breast Cancer And Mammograms

Dr. Emily Senay Gives An Overview Of What Women Should Be Doing

(CBS)  On The Early Show's HealthWatch segment Monday, Oct. 2, Dr. Emily Senay launched a three-part series on breast cancer awareness. The American Cancer Society estimates that one woman in eight will suffer from breast cancer at some time in her life.

Breast cancer awareness begins with proper screening.

"For the vast majority of women," says Dr. Senay, "screening involves a mammogram, which is basically a set of X-rays of the breast. The procedure takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. Physicians look at those X-rays for abnormalities in the breast tissue. And the reason it's so important is that the earlier a cancer (or even a potential cancer) is found, the easier it is to treat it successfully."

The American Cancer Society urges all women age 40 and older to have a mammogram done once a year, says Dr. Senay. "These annual exams should be done for as long as the woman remains in good health. In addition to the mammogram, women 40 and older should get a clinical breast exam once a year. That's a thorough hands-on physical examination of the breasts by a health professional.

The same advice applies to women who are younger than 40, if they are considered to be at high risk because of family history.

Dr. Senay says that breast cancer is very rare in women under 40, so mammograms for the typical younger woman are considered unnecessary. Still, it's wise for those women to undergo clinical breast exams at least once every three years. That way, any lumps in the breast, or other physical abnormalities, can be found and quickly treated.

During the time between those exams, women of all ages can learn to do self-exams, checking themselves for lumps or other changes in the way their breasts feel to the touch. Self-exams, advises Dr. Senay, can be very valuable between visits to a professional, but they are not a substitute for those visits. Even if you do self-exams, it's still extremely important to be examined by a professional on a regular schedule.

Mammography now has been around for more than 35 years. Is there anything newer or better that women should consider?

There are some more modern imaging techniques, says Dr. Senay. They include MRIs, which combine magnetic fields and radio waves to take a more detailed look at the breast. But they're often reserved for women at higher risk, because they're more expensive and time-consuming, and it's still not clear that they're any better for routine screenings.

Digital mammograms, which create computer-generated images instead of pictures on X-ray film, are also being evaluated. But they're also more costly, and it's too soon to say whether they screen for cancers more effectively.

So, for now, the word to the vast majority of women is: Stick to mammograms on the recommended schedule. They could save your life.

On Tuesday, Oct. 3, in Part Two of The Early Show's series on breast cancer awareness, the focus will be on the latest treatments for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

For more breast cancer information from the American Cancer Society, click here.

[xrtech]

nanruz2, try eliminating caffeinated coffee from your diet for 2 weeks before your mammogram. Or at least 1 week. I am an xray technologist and our radiologists suggest this. Do it gradually, though or you will get a terrible "coffee" headache if you suddenly abstain.

We have many patients (including myself)who have been helped by this. Hope this helps.

[mamalanni]

This morning's piece on mamograms was disturbing. It suggested that BSE is not as helpful as mamos. Not true. Mamos miss up to 30% of all tumors. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 after I found a lump doing my monthly exam. It probably began up to 5 years earlier and each of those mamos missed it. I've had yearly screenings since age 40 and a baseline at 35. Also, many young women get breast cancer and BSE may be the only way they will detect it. Technology cannot always save us; it starts with our own 2 hands. I recently finished a 3 day bc walk and met many women who were diagnosed when their kids were babies. Dr. Senay would do well to talk to real women, real dr.'s and stop quotting the ACS. You really didn't tell the whole truth today.

[nanruz2]

Thank you so very much first of all, for allowing me to comment here.
I have gone in for mammograms several times, and each time, I run out in tears, they hurt so much!
ISN'T THERE SOME WAY THEY CAN CHANGE THE MACHINERY
so that us women don't have to endure the awful and excruciating pain of crushed and bruised
breasts!?