Breast cancer
involves the uncontrolled growth of cancer cells in the tissue, ducts or lobules of the breast. The National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 200,000 women are newly diagnosed annually with breast cancer. This insidious disease can affect men as well, although this is rare. Moving from the symptom stage to diagnosis involves careful screening to determination the extent of the potential cancer and to evaluate whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Let's look at breast cancer symptoms and diagnosis tools for a better understanding of this disease.
Detection
Most breast cancers are discovered through routine mammograms. Changes to the tissue of the breast can occur without a woman realizing that cancer cells are beginning to be active within the body. Microscopic deposits called calcifications can be found only with mammograms. These tiny calcium deposits sometimes indicate the potential for cancer or become the fertile ground for cancerous cells to flourish. For this reason, the baseline mammogram and further pictures at regular intervals help doctors monitor any changes within the breast. Many women perform breast self-exams each month to check for changes within the breast. This self-exam can often find small lumps or tumors that require evaluation through mammograms and possible biopsy for removal. According to BreastCancer.org, about 20 percent of breast cancers are found through routine self-exams.
Visible Symptoms
Some women exhibit visible symptoms that indicate cancer is present inside the breast. These symptoms can include dimpling of the skin, rash, bloody discharge from the nipple, inverted nipples and peeling nipple skin, according to the Mayo Clinic. Breast cancer symptoms might involve the discovery of a noticeable lump or a change in the overall firmness of the breast called thickening. A doctor should check any changes in breast size or shape. All of these symptoms could be an indication of breast cancer but also other non-threatening medical conditions.
Diagnostic Tools: Mammogram and MRI
With any discovery of something different with the breast, the first diagnostic tool at the physician's disposal is the mammogram. This test provides a clear look of the breast tissue in most cases. Mammograms are X-ray pictures of the breast that are evaluated by skilled radiologists who interpret findings to help doctors make decisions about suspicious areas. When doctors find areas of suspicion, they may use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a tool to help evaluate the entire breast from a two- or three-dimensional viewpoint. For example, if a woman has cancer in one breast but a mammogram shows nothing in the other, doctors may request an MRI of the second breast as a precautionary measure.
Diagnostic Tools: Ultrasound
Ultrasound is sometimes used in conjunction with mammograms to evaluate masses within the breast. Technicians use a wand that transmits sound waves into the tissue. These waves bounce back off the tissue to the ultrasound probe. The technician uses this information to create a computer-generated image of the breast and tissue. Ultrasound is often used to determine the status of a lump since this type of test can determine if a cyst is fluid filled.
Diagnostic Tools: Biopsy
Doctors perform biopsies on areas of suspicion in the breasts. Using mammograms and ultrasound to help locate these areas, surgeons will perform a procedure to determine whether an area of concern is cancerous. Radiologists assist doctors by inserting a thin wire into the breast to mark areas of concern such as calcifications. Surgeons can then insert a hollow needle into the breast to extract small areas of cells. Larger masses are excised to remove the entire lump including some area around the outside of the area of concern to obtain clean margins. A lab evaluates the tissue from the biopsy and reports the results to your doctor. Your doctor will make his recommendation on your course of treatment based on findings from the biopsy.
Tags: Diagnostic Tools, within breast, area concern, areas suspicion, breast cancer
