Signs and Symptoms

A lump that appears in the breast that feels at variance with the surrounding breast tissue is typically the first symptom or indication of the presence of breast cancer.

The prestigious Merck Manual has indicated that, in the vast majority of breast cancer cases, it is the woman herself who first discovers the presence of a lump. The first medical indication of breast cancer, as stated in the reviews of the American Cancer Society, is usually discovered when the patient is subjected to a mammogram upon the advice of her doctor. Another indicator of breast cancer is the presence of hardened tissue found in the lymph nodes located under the armpits or in the region of the collarbone.

Alterations in the size or shape of the breast, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or discharge from a nipple may be regarded as alternative indications of the presence of breast cancer. The incidence of pain is not a reliable determinant for the presence of the cancer. Such an observation may in fact be more indicative of other breast related issues such as mastodynia. (more…)

I’ve worked in the healthcare field for many years. During this time I’ve had many opportunities to talk with the doctors, nurses and technicians who work in the X-ray department that specializes in mammograms. Here is a list of the ten most important things that women should know about getting a mammogram.

1. This is the most important thing: have a yearly mammogram if you are over 40 years old or have a family history of breast cancer.
2. Go to an X-ray facility that regularly performs mammograms (at least 3-5 per day). This ensures that they have adequate experience in regularly dealing with mammograms. Ask to see their FDA certificate – this shows if they have met high quality professional standards.
3. Go to the same facility each year, if you are happy with the quality they provide. This way it is much more likely that the same people will look at your mammograms each year, and this makes comparing x-rays from prior years much more easy. If you go to a new facility, take copies of your old mammograms to the new place so they can easily compare the x-rays.
4. Medicare, Medicaid and most health insurance plans usually cover the costs of a mammogram up to a certain percentage. Low-cost mammograms are made available in some areas by the American Cancer Society.
5. Every mammogram facility must send your results to you within 30 days. If they find a problem they are to notify you within 5 days. Call your physician or the x-ray facility if you don’t get your results within these time frames. (more…)

For many reasons a lot of women have yet to get on a regular annual mammogram schedule. No more excuses ladies! We don’t need to lose another mother, sister or daughter to breast cancer any more!

Early detection of this cancer is the best weapon against it. Mammograms are the single most important test you can do to find breast tumors before they have the chance to become a dangerous cancer.

Having worked in hospital for many years, I realize the importance of regular annual cancer tests and screenings. I never want to hear another 5 year old ask her daddy, “Why isn’t mommy coming home from the hospital?” again. I never want to listen to a grieving grandmother as she has to say goodbye to her middle-aged daughter. (more…)

The initial fact to be started with is that breast cancer is the disease where in the cancer cells became irregular. In this way, cancer cells grow right away and divide quickly than the strong cells. The added significant fact to be mentioned here is that there are also tumors that are some cancer cells that form growths. As a matter of fact some tumors instantly grow, and sizes of tumors are l ever-increasing. In the case you are paying attention to this theme and you most likely are since you are reading this post) it will be helpful for you to know that a cancer cell has the ability to be spread to other body parts throughout the blood and the lymph systems and this procedure is called the metastasis.

A cancer is called a breast cancer in the case the cancer starts at the breast. It should be pointed out that it can also be establish in a mammogram, this is in the case a woman feels a lump on her breast or by the doctor’s assessment. It is essential for every woman to understand that it is truly important to do monthly self breast exams. As concerning women who are over 40 years old, they need to keep in mind that it is necessary to have a yearly check up to your doctor or a mammogram each year because breast cancer is prone to women with such age, not unlike with younger women, checkups are done less. You may wonder what is the reason for this. Actually, the reason for this is that after menopause, breast may either be lumpy or firm if you feel it, a woman who is already menopause has lesser estrogen. In other words it simply means that breast will feel much softer and will be less lumpy. (more…)

Though many woman dread that yearly mammogram, we’ve all heard often enough that early detection of breast cancer saves lives… finding lumps when they’re too small to feel and before they get a chance to grow and spread gives you the best chance for a cure.

Or does it?

A recent study of mammography screening for breast cancer found that some invasive cancers might spontaneously regress over time, leaving no sign that they were ever present in a woman’s body.

This leaves us to question if breast cancer is over diagnosed, and therefore over treated.

The research, conducted by Norwegian scientists, used 119,472 female subjects aged 50 to 64 years, who underwent three rounds of mammography (one mammogram every two years) from 1996 to 2001 as part of the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. (more…)