Breast Health - Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

Related Articles:

Breast Health - Dallas/Ft. Worth

Dallas Breast Health

Breast Health Statistics

Every eleven minutes in the U.S., a woman dies of breast cancer. Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with it. By the age of 85, one in nine women will have developed breast cancer. This year alone, we will lose over 46,000 women to this disease. Although 80.9% of the women that develop breast cancer have no risk factors other than being a woman. The following factors put a woman at a higher risk: Age: 70% of the women who develop breast cancer are over the age of 50. Heredity: history of a mother, a sister or a daughter that developed breast cancer, and No parity: never haveing had a child or late chold bearing -- having your first child after the age of 30. Early detection by mammography alone will save the lives of one in three of the women who die of breast cancer. Early detection in most cases allows for breast conservation -- saving not only the life, but the breast of a woman. Every woman should follow the guidelines of the American Cancer Society by having regular mammograms, preforming monthly self-breast exams and having a physical exam performed yearly by a health care practitioner.

Breast Self-Exam

90% of breast lumps are found by women themselves. Self-breast exams take only fifteen minutes per mont and is a tool that may save not only your life, but your breast. This easy and effective method for detection of changes will allow you to feel in charge of your breast health. Self-exams should be performed seven to ten days before your period starts -- when your breast size is least stimulated by hormones. After menopause, or if you’ve had an hysterectomy, do you exam on the first day of the month. After a few months, you will become familiar with the normal feeling of the structures within your breast and you will be able to detect slight changes should they occur. The types of changes that you should be aware of are lumps that you can see or feel, dimpling orpuckering of the breast skin, changes in the contour or wsize of oe breast in comparison to another, any unuusal discharge from the nipple, a nipple that retracts -- pulls into the breast and a thickening of any area of the breast tissue. If you notice any of these changes, make an appointment to see your doctor to help you determine if there is a need for further care. Self breast exam may indeed be your early detection tool. You are worth the time it takes to perform this monthly exam.

When to Get a Mammogram

The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute have guidelines for women to follow concerning mammography. Mammography offers the earliest form of detection and can find the cancer years before you can feel it. Early detection allows for a woman to not only save her life, but her breasts. The guidelines are as follows: * Before age of 40, have a mammogram if recommended by your physician. * By the age of 40, have your first mammogram. * Ages 41-49, have a mammogram every one to two years according to the recommendation of your physician and the radiologists. * Age 50 and over, have a mammogram yearly for the rest of your life. 70% of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. Quality mammography is the utmost importance. Be sure that the facility you choose is accredited by either the Department of Health Services, Radiology Division, or the American College of Radiology. This accreditation will assure you that the facility has quality equipment and processing, as well as trained technologists and a radiologist that specializes in reading mammograms. If you had a previous mammogram, bring those films with you to your appointment for comparison with your latest exam. This may help find a cancer at an earlier stage. Normally, the results of your mammogram are forwarded to your physician to be included with your medical records. If you do not hear from your physician, do not hesitate to call for your results. Remember, the key is early detection.

The Mammogram

Mammography is a low dose x-ray that creates an image of your breast. The tests show the inside of your breasts, and can show irregularities before they can be found by your or your doctor. Mammography is a test that takes about 20 minutes to perform. Be sure to schedule your mammogram at least seven days after your last period started and two week before your next period is scheduled to begin. This is a time when your breasts will be least tender. The test is not painful, however, some women experience minor discomfort for a few moments during the test. On the day of the mammogram, don’t use deodorant, perfume or powder. After your mammogram, the test results will be sent to your physician. Always contact your physician to find out the results of your test. Never rely totally on the doctor to call you an any results. Early detection is your best protection against breast cancer. Combine a regularly scheduled mammogram with your self-breast exam and fight back against breast cancer. Having a mammogram is a healthy thing to do.

If You Find a Lump

The key word is change. 90% of breast lumps are found by women themselves. Along with mammography, performing a monthly self-breast exam offers women the best chance to find a change early enough, to not only save her life, but to save her breasts. Any change should be reported to your physician, but don’t panic because 9 out of 10 lumps are not cancerous. Other than a lump in the breast that you can see or feel, what else should you be aware of? A dimpling or puckering of the skin of the breast, a change in the contour of the breast, an enlargement of only one breast, an unusual discharge from the nipple, a nipple that retracts into the breast, a thickening of any area of the breast tissue. Remember, your doctor is your helpmate to determine whether there is a reason for concern. Call for an appointment if you notice any of the described symptoms. Although 1 out of 9 women will develop breast cancer, 9 out of 10 can fight back. Early detection is the best defense.

This educational content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, home improvement or health advice. Content on this page is provided by Ask The Experts and not the featured advertiser.


Back to the top

Copyright 2008 - Ask The Experts | Advertise | Contact