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Breast Cancer: A Scary Diagnosis

October 13, 2015

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign marked in countries across the world to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the necessary steps to detect the disease in its early stages. Currently there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer; therefore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. A significant amount of progress has been made, but we still have a long way to go.

Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women, after skin cancers, both in developed and developing countries. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it is found and treated early. A mammogram, which is the screening test for breast cancer, can help find breast cancer early when it is easier to treat. The majority of deaths due to breast cancer occur in low and middle-income countries, where most women with breast cancer are diagnosed in late stages due mainly to lack of awareness on early detection and barriers to health services. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

There are different symptoms of breast cancer, and unfortunately, some people have no symptoms at all. These can include any change in the size or the shape of the breast, pain in any area of the breast, nipple discharge other than breast milk (including blood), and a new lump in the breast or underarm. If you have any signs that worry you, you should see your doctor right away. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread. The main factors that influence your risk for breast cancer include being a woman, being older (most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older), and having changes in your breast cancer genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Most women who get breast cancer have no known risk factors and no history of the disease in their families.

Mammography is the current standard test for breast cancer screening. MRI is also recommended along with mammograms for some women at high risk for breast cancer. Other tests may be useful for some women, but they are not used often and have not yet been found to be helpful in diagnosing breast cancer in most women. These include scintimammography, thermography, ductogram, nipple discharge exam, nipple aspiration, and ductal lavage. Although breast cancer screening cannot prevent breast cancer, it can help find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat. Talk to your doctor about which breast cancer screening tests are right for you, and when you should have them.