| Breast Cancer; What the Experts Say You Should Know |
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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What a perfect time to review the screening guidelines put forth by the American Caner Society (ACS). These guidelines are reviewed and updated often and are meant to aid health care professionals in the prevention and early detection of cancer. Because breast cancer can affect relatively young women, the guidelines stress the importance of education and awareness for women 20 years old and older. According to the guidelines, at age 20, women should be educated about breast self-examination. (1) This is the process of using one’s hands to feel for lumps in the breasts. Any palpable lumps should be quickly brought to the doctor’s attention. The ACS used to recommend monthly breast self examinations, but do not any more. Instead they offer that if a woman chooses to do breast self-examination that she be given information on proper technique and have her technique evaluated by a health care professional periodically.(1) For women in their 20s and 30s, regular breast exams by a health professional are recommended. These types of exams are recommended at least once every three years for women under 40 and annually for women over 40 years of age. (1) It is also important that women over the age of 40 get a mammogram once a year. There are definite benefits to getting yearly mammograms in this case; studies have shown a decrease in breast-cancer related death and the need for less aggressive therapy when treatment is needed. (1) While this is good news, women should also know that mammography may not detect all breast cancers. There is also the possibility of false positives and biopsies may be needed to investigate from time to time to see if lumps are cancerous. (1) For most women, these inconveniences are outweighed by the benefits of early detection. Although the guidelines are clear on when to start breast cancer screenings, they do not give a clear cut off for stopping them. For example, they recommend that a woman continue regular mammograms as long as she is in good health and is a candidate for cancer treatment. (1) The choice to discontinue regular mammogram screenings will be a personal decision and should take into consideration possible benefits of continued screenings and the estimated longevity of the patient.
The Bottom Line Early detection is the key to success when treating breast cancer. By using the information above as a guide, we can stop many new cases of breast cancer in its tracks. As awareness spreads, experts anticipate seeing a decrease in the number of lives claimed by breast cancer over the next several years.
Dr. Larson is a Clinical Infusion Pharmacist, author of Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers and creator of www.empoweredmedicine.com. You can read more about her by visiting www.EmpoweredMedicine.com and clicking on the 'About Us' tab. EmpoweredMedicine.com is committed to providing evidence-based medical information.
1. Smith, R.A., Cokkinides, V, Eyre, H.J., Cancer Screening in the United States, 2007; A review of current guidelines, practices and prospects. CA Cancer J Clin 2007; 57: 90-104.
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