Breast cancer: Early detection is key

SPONSORED CONTENT from Melissa Memorial Hospital

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and with the installation of our new 3D mammography machine, I wanted to take the opportunity to discuss breast cancer, statistics, symptoms and how it is diagnosed.

In 2020, an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. as well as 48,530 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. Sixty-four percent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, for which the five-year survival is 99%. Breast cancer in men is rare, accounting for less than 1% of the breast cancer cases in the U.S.

Breast cancer is a group of diseases in which cells in breast tissue change and divide uncontrolled, typically resulting in a lump or mass. Most breast cancers begin in the lobules (milk glands), or in the ducts that connect the lobules to the nipple of the breast.

Typically breast cancer has no symptoms when the tumor is very small and most easily treated, which is why screening is vitally important for early detection. The most common sign of breast cancer is a painless lump. Occasionally breast cancer spreads to the underarm lymph nodes causing a lump or swelling, this can occur even before the original breast tumor is large enough to be felt.

Less common signs and symptoms include breast pain or heaviness and persistent changes such as thickening or redness of the skin. Nipple changes can sometimes indicate cancer as well and include spontaneous discharge (especially if bloody), scaliness or retraction. Any persistent change in the breast should be evaluated by your primary care provider.

The American Cancer Society recommends that women should have the opportunity to begin annual screening between the ages of 40-44. If there is a first-degree relative that has had a breast cancer diagnosis, an individual would then need to begin screening 10 years prior to the age that their relative was diagnosed.

Breast cancer is normally detected during a screening before symptoms have developed or after a lump is noticed. Mammography is a low-dose X-ray image of the breast tissue. Although early mammographic images were on X-ray film, digital technology in which a 3D image of the breast tissue is captured electronically and viewed on a monitor has replaced screen film mammography.

Digital mammography has improved sensitivity for women under the age of 50 and those with dense breast tissue.

Most masses seen on a mammogram and most breast lumps turn out to be benign or noncancerous. When cancer is suspected, tissue for microscopic analysis is usually obtained from a needle biopsy and less often obtained through a surgical biopsy. Selection of the type of biopsy is based on multiple factors, including size and location of the mass, as well as patient factors, preferences and resources.

Early detection is key. Contact your primary care provider today at the Family Practice of Holyoke or Megan Garrett in the radiology department to schedule your 3D mammogram. If you are not having any issues, you do not need a doctor’s order to have your screening mammogram.

The Melissa Memorial Hospital family delivers compassionate care, nurturing trust with those we serve.

1001 E. Johnson St., Holyoke, 970-854-2241, www.melissamemorial.org