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It is that time of year when we start to see a lot of pink – a reminder for women to get to know their bodies, practice awareness, and schedule a mammogram screening for breast cancer check.
Breast cancer is still the most common cancer diagnosed in women. About 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. In the midst of a difficult diagnosis, there is great reason to hope for the majority of these diseases. The main reason for this high survival rate is early detection through mammograms.
"Mammograms save lives," said Dr. Phoebe Freer, a breast imaging specialist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and associate professor of radiology at the University of Utah. "Yearly screening mammograms for women ages 40 and over can detect small breast cancers and increase a woman's overall chance of survival."
There are two types of mammograms: an annual screening for mammograms for women with mammograms for women with symptoms that may warrant a closer look.
OB / GYN, a mammogram does not require it. Most insurance plans cover the procedure as a preventive screening for women ages 40 and older. Mammograms typically take a few minutes to a radiology technologist to take X-ray pictures of each breast. It is quick, and most women feel a little discomfort as their breast tissue is pressed for the image.
University of Utah Health Rentals, Huntsman Cancer Institute, South Jordan Health Center and Farmington Health Center. "The radiologist looks at the screening mammogram and gives you results on the spot. If you need additional imaging, we can do it at that same time, "said Freer.
Most health systems do not offer immediate results. At many clinics, a woman leaves without knowing. She must wait to get results in the mail if everything looked normal, or get called back if the radiologist sees something suspicious.
Women who have a finding on their screening mammogram or those who will have a diagnosis of breast cancer. The most common symptoms are a lump or thickening in the breast, nipple discharge or puckering in the skin.
The type of diagnosis tests is done on a patient's life. It could mean more mammography, additional 3-D mammography images, a breast ultrasound, an MRI or even a biopsy.
Keep in mind that a woman has a suspicious mammogram on the subject of a mammogram, it is not necessarily bad news.
"If there is something on the initial mammogram screening that requires additional diagnostic pictures, 90 percent of those women are cleared and can go back to next year's screening screening," Freer said. "A lot of times if they feel a lump, even if it's a new lump increasing in size, we're able to tell them it's just regular breast tissue. Other times we may find a breast cyst, which is just a pocket of fluid in the breast and does not require any other evaluation except to document it. "
There are also benign lumps, and in those cases, the doctor may recommend follow up every six months for two years. If no additional findings or changes are identified, routine screening resumes.
Mammography does expose women to a small dose of radiation. This causes some patients to experience the risk of developing breast cancer, but with the latest technology, the risk is very small.
"For any screening, the test itself has to be demonstrated that it is possible to detect and treatable; mammograms qualify for those criteria. The benefits far outweigh the risk, "Freer said.
For most women, the biggest hurdle to get regular screening mammograms is simply not making time to get it done.
"A lot of our clinics take walk-ins, but it is better to have your mammogram," said Freer. If you've had prior mammograms at another location, scheduling in advance "We can detect subtle changes and make a better assessment of breast cancer," she added.
Freer also cautions against waiting or ignoring the importance of screening mammograms.
"Huntsman Cancer Institute and University of Utah Health Physicians recommend starting screening at age 40 for average-risk women," Freer said. "The majority of women who get breast cancer, but those who should start screening and receive genetic testing."
If you 're a woman over 40 and you have not been in for a mammogram screening, October – Breast Cancer Awareness Month – is the perfect time to schedule an appointment and take action.
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