October is breast cancer awareness month. During this time it is especially important for women to recognize the threat of breast cancer and the importance of early detection. Women over the age of 40 should receive an annual screening mammogram. Women age 20 and greater should get an annual clinical breast exam at their doctor’s office and periodically check themselves for lumps and breast abnormalities.
The reality is, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. However, if diagnosed in the early stages, breast cancer is highly treatable. Regular screening and early detection of breast cancer saves lives.
As treatments for breast cancer and awareness of screening rise, the breast cancer death rate decreases. The breast cancer death rate was rising steadily through the early 1990s and in the late 90s it reached a plateau. Now, the death rate from breast cancer is slowly decreasing even though the incidence of breast cancer, the number of cases being found every year, is increasing.
This shows that screening works. There is nothing that has ever been shown to be better or more useful than mammography for breast cancer screening.
Mammograms are a very quick, effective screening technique, but many women fail to make screening mammograms part of their annual health care regimen. It’s hard to imagine that somebody wouldn’t be tuned in to the concept of health screenings of all types, but there are people who just blow it off. Perhaps they don’t think they need it or they don’t understand the reasoning behind it. They may believe that if they are not in pain or having some kind of problem, they don’t need a breast check up.
At The Breast Center in Carbondale, we offer state-of-the-art breast cancer detection through the R2 ImageChecker Computer-Aided Detection (CAD). The R2 acts like a “spell-checker” by assisting radiologists in minimizing false negative readings during mammograms. The radiologist typically reviews the entire mammogram first and then activates the ImageChecker to see if any areas have been highlighted for additional review. If the system flags an area, the radiologist goes back to the original mammogram to review the area in more detail. This technology is also available at The Women’s Diagnostic Center in Herrin and Miners Memorial Health Center in West Frankfort.
Advances in technology, such as the R2, are occurring every day in the field of breast cancer. Preventive medication is now available for breast cancer if a woman’s risk is high enough to warrant it. Tamoxifen, a drug long used in breast cancer treatment, has been shown to prevent breast cancer in women who have never had it. Large clinical trials have established that tamoxifen taken for five years reduced breast cancer risk by at least half for high risk women, and by over 80% for some.
Tamoxifen is the first thing we’ve ever had that can prevent breast cancer. Up to that point, the only way to reduce the death rate from breast cancer was to catch it early. That is why we push for screening and early detection.
Routine breast cancer risk assessment can also be helpful in the quest to reduce the death rate from breast cancer. Factors such as breast cancer in the family and a woman’s reproductive history can influence her likelihood of developing breast cancer.
Women with an elevated risk of breast cancer often have a family history of multiple relatives diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause. Additional risk factors include a benign breast biopsy showing atypia or LCIS. These findings are not harmful in themselves, they do not transform into breast cancer but having one of them means that a woman has higher risk of developing breast cancer someday.
Weak risk factors for breast cancer relate to hormone exposure. The more normal menstrual cycles early in life, before age 30, the higher the chance of her developing breast cancer later in life. Any events that interrupt normal cycles, such as pregnancy or breastfeeding, are found to be statistically mildly protective against breast cancer. Hormone replacement therapy after menopause also slightly increases the risk of breast cancer.
Know your risk factors and discuss them with your doctor. If you are due for a screening mammogram or annual breast exam, make an appointment today. Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month by practicing good breast health.
Dr. Rosenow is a breast surgeon at The Breast Center. To find out more information or to schedule a mammogram, contact The Breast Center, Carbondale, 618-457-2281or another Southern Illinois Healthcare Mammography site; The Women’s Diagnostic Center, Herrin Hospital, 618-942-2171; St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, 618-684-5953; Miner Memorial Health Center, West Frankfort, 618-932-2155.
Physicians providing services at our hospitals are independent contractors with privileges to admit and care for patients at our hospitals.