Q: At what age should women begin screening for breast cancer and with what methods?

A: When cancer is found early, there are more treatment options. That is why it is so important to maintain regular breast cancer screening appointments.

Beginning in their 20s, women should be told about the benefits and limitations of breast self-exams and how to perform them. Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to their doctor right away.

Clinical breast exams should also be a part of the regular physical check up (about every three years for women 20-39, and yearly for women 40 and older).

Digital mammography is still the gold standard for breast cancer screening. Screening mammograms should be performed every year, starting at age 40. The goal is to find cancer when it is still too small to be felt by a woman or her doctor. Finding small breast cancers early by a mammogram greatly improves a woman’s chance for successful treatment. 

There are a number of technologies, such as ultrasound and MRI that, when used with mammography can enhance the effectiveness of screening and diagnosis. If a patient experiences an abnormal mammogram, magnification views and a breast ultrasound are commonly performed. All suspicious masses are biopsied for diagnosis. Biopsy removes tissue for study and helps detect cancer early, when it is most curable.

Dr. Emran Imami, MD FACS, Board Certified General and Breast Surgeon of TEPAS Breast Center 1140 Broadband Dr. in Melbourne. For more information call 321-733-1901 or visit www.tepasbreastcenter.com.

National Health Review, December Newsletter 2010