Breast Cancer - Ways For Detecting It

Of the various different types of cancer that peopleCancer Society) recommend that women have their
are now getting, breast cancer is one of the morefirst mammogram when they reach the age of 40.
treatable of them. But it is important that if a womanThis will then be used as a base reading and after
wants hers to be treated effectively it needs to bethis they will need to have a further mammogram
detected in the very early stages of growth. In facttest each year. However the ACS do suggest that
because of the way it can be detected today breastwith those women who are at a much higher risk of
cancer is considered to be one of the moredeveloping this form of cancer or suffer from any
favorable forms of cancer that can now be treated.other type of breast problems. Then they should
When it comes to detecting cancer of the breast inhave their first mammogram at the age of 35.
its early stages is by doing a breast examination orA mammogram uses an x ray machine which is then
using a mammography as these are the moreable to detect cancer in a woman's or even
favored methods. In fact in studies carried out thesometimes in men's breasts. These machines are able
smaller the breast cancer once it has been detectedto detect the cancer at its earliest stage when it is
then there is a much higher chance the person with itvery small and would not be detected using the
will survive.more traditional breast examination.
Certainly women are now being told it is extremelyToday around 85 to 90% of all the breast cancer
important that they carry out regular breastnow be detected and treated have been found using
examinations on themselves as they will be morethe mammogram test. This in turn has helped to
aware of any changes to their breasts. But also ifreduce the number of women dying from this form
there is a history of breast cancer in the family thenof cancer by up to 30% of those women over the
having regular mammograms will help to ensure thatage of 50 who are found to have it.
detection of the disease can often be found duringAlthough mammography does help to detect breast
its much earlier stages of formation. In fact bothcancer in most women, there is a small percentage
examinations and mammograms are now used as the(10-15%) whose form of breast can not be detected
basis for detecting breast cancer in women today.using this method. Yet upon carrying out a physical
But a lot of women will be wondering just how oftenexamination it can so it is vital that all women learn
they should under go a breast examination orthe correct way of examining their own breasts for
mammogram in order to help to see if they have thissigns of breast cancer. Certainly it is best that a
form of cancer or not. Certainly with breastwoman does carry out an examination of her own
examinations a woman could carry out this forbreasts on a monthly basis and if she feels that
herself each week and the best place to do this isthere may be a problem can as her doctor to then
when you are having a shower.carry out a physical examination as well.
As for mammograms in the USA the ACS (American