| Breast cancer forms inside the tissues of the breast. | | | | to check whether a lump is cancerous include; a |
| It is more common in women that it is in men. A | | | | needle biopsy, a surgical biopsy or a breast |
| self-examination and a mammogram are used to | | | | ultra-sound. |
| detect the presence of lumps. The lumps are then | | | | Not all lumps or abnormal mammograms are |
| tested to check if they are cancerous and need to | | | | indications of breast cancer. A lump could be benign |
| be removed. Treatment involves surgery, drugs and | | | | and non-cancerous. It could be a breast cyst or a |
| radiation. In addition, there are many different types | | | | denser than normal breast tissue. Another factor that |
| of breast cancer and the extent of their spread is | | | | could lead to an abnormal looking mammogram is a |
| different. Early detection is very important because, it | | | | previous breast surgery. Further tests after screening |
| means that you start receiving treatment early. This | | | | mammogram needs to be done as soon as possible. |
| helps increase your chances of survival. | | | | This is done so as to allay the patients fears or so |
| Breast cancer is more likely to happen in women who | | | | that, treatment can begin. |
| come from families with a history of the disease. It is | | | | Abnormal mammogram results can have adverse |
| likely to occur in women over the age of forty and | | | | effects on the lives of the patients, family members |
| those that have the cancer causing gene. Every | | | | and friends. This is because of the uncertainty |
| woman over the age of forty is required to get a | | | | involved as they wait for the diagnostic, biopsy or |
| mammogram yearly. Those at a higher risk should | | | | ultra sound results. Repeated use of mammograms |
| consider getting checked before the age of forty. A | | | | could result in problems due to radiation exposure. |
| screen mammogram is able to detect an abnormality | | | | There are also limitations involved with the use of |
| before it is big enough to be felt during | | | | these tests. For example, they do not usually save |
| self-examinations. If a lump is found, then a diagnostic | | | | lives as diagnosis could be made after the cancer has |
| mammogram is done to check whether it is | | | | spread to other body parts. In situations where it has |
| cancerous. Other follow-up tests that could be done | | | | not spread, it could still not result in helping save lives. |