Preventive Breast Cancer Procedures
Keeping Your Breasts Safe
A woman living in the U.S. has a 12.4%, or a one-in-eight, lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Twenty-two out of 10,000 women ages 50 to 54 will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the next year. You may not be able to completely prevent breast cancer, but here are some ways to ensure your breasts are healthy.
Preventative Procedures
A Preventative procedure that can tell you for sure if you have cancer is a breast biopsy procedure. According to The National Breast Cancer Foundation, a breast biopsy is a test that removes tissue or fluid from the breasts. Cells are examined under a microscope and further tested to check for the presence of breast cancer.
A mammogram is an X-ray examination of the breasts that are used to detect and diagnose breast disease such as cancer. For women at average risk of breast cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends that those 40 to 44 years of age have the option to begin annual mammography. According to the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, 50% of women 40 years of age and older reported having had a mammogram within the past year and 64% reported having a mammogram in the past two years. Studies show that mammography reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer by between 20% and 40%. Of all of the age groups, women aged 60 to 69 years are most likely to avoid breast cancer death through mammography screening.
If you’ve seen the photos and videos of unborn babies, then you’re probably familiar with ultrasound. A breast ultrasound is the same process. Breast ultrasound uses sound waves to make a computer picture of the inside of the breast, according to the American Cancer Society. Ultrasound is useful for looking at breast changes, especially those that can be felt but not seen on a mammogram and is also used to guide biopsy needles.
Breast cancer is a growing issue for many women in America. Doctors recommend you take preventative measures to avoid decrease your chances of cancer. Since one in eight women will suffer from breast cancer, it is important to understand the ins and outs of breasts and preventive cancer procedures.