Breast Cancer: Signs, Symptoms, and Screening Recommendations
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second common cause of cancer-related deaths among women. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. On average, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. African American women get diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age and have a higher rate of death than White women. Therefore, it is especially important for Habesha women to learn about breast cancer and adhere to screening recommendations to ensure early detection.
What is breast cancer?
Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control and invade healthy cells. Breast cancer starts in the cells of the breast as a group of cancer cells that can then invade surrounding tissues or spread to other areas of the body.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer and some may not even have any symptoms. Some common symptoms of breast cancer include:
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
- New lump in the breast or armpit
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
- Change in size of the breast
- Nipple discharge that is clear or bloody
- Pulling in of the nipple/inversion
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
Note, these symptoms can also happen with other conditions that are not cancer. Just because you have one of these symptoms does not mean you have breast cancer. Your doctor will order exams such as a mammogram and ultrasound and sometimes a biopsy to determine whether the finding is cancerous or not.
What are the risk factors for breast cancer?
A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of getting a disease. Women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. Some women will get breast cancer even without any known risk factors. Having a risk factor does not mean that a woman will get breast cancer. Many women who have risk factors never develop breast cancer.
Some risk factors can be avoided or modified. These include drinking alcohol, being overweight or obese, not being physically active, not having children, not breastfeeding, taking birth control, and hormone therapy after menopause.
Risk factors you cannot control include: being female, getting older, inheriting certain gene changes, having a family or personal history of breast cancer, having dense breast tissue, starting menstrual periods early, going through menopause after age 55 and having radiation treatment to the chest.
What can reduce the risk of breast cancer?
Breast Self Examinations
There is no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer. But there are things you can do to lower your risk. You can lower the risk of breast cancer by keeping a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and avoiding or limiting alcoholic drinks. Women who choose to breastfeed for several months may also get an added benefit of reducing their breast cancer risk. If you are a woman at increased risk for breast cancer (for instance because you have a strong family history of known gene changes) you should talk to your doctor about genetic counseling and testing for breast cancer risk, close observation to look for early signs of breast cancer, or medicines to lower breast cancer risk.
Do men get breast cancer?
Although rare, men can get breast cancer too! Less than one percent of all breast cancer cases develop in men and only one in thousand men will ever be diagnosed with breast cancer. Breast cancer in men is usually detected as a hard lump underneath the nipple and areola. Anyone who notices anything unusual about their breasts, whether male or female, should contact their physician.
Why is screening for breast cancer important?
Core Needle Biopsy
Breast cancer is sometimes found after symptoms appear, but many women with breast cancer have no symptoms. The goal of screening is to find breast cancer before it causes symptoms. Breast cancer that is found early when it’s still small and has not spread to other parts of the body is easier to treat successfully. This is why regular breast cancer screening is so important. The American College of Radiology recommends all women should get mammograms every year starting at age 40. Women at high risk for breast cancer should get breast MRI in addition to mammogram every year, typically starting at age 30. Mammograms are low-dose x-rays that can help find breast cancer. In recent years, a newer type of mammogram commonly called 3D mammography (tomosynthesis) has become available which appears to lower the chance of being called back for follow up testing and find more breast cancer. Breast ultrasounds use sound waves to obtain pictures of the breast. Breast MRI uses magnets and radio waves to make detailed pictures of the inside of the breast.
During breast cancer awareness month, I encourage all of you who are in the screening age to make the appointment for a mammogram. It can be frightening, but early diagnosis can improve the treatment options that are available. If you are not in the screening age, I encourage you to educate your loved ones, moms, sisters and aunts to go get their annual mammograms.
Summary:
1) If you are over the age 40, schedule your mammogram as soon as possible.
2) If you are 30 years or older ask your doctor for an assessment of your level of risk for breast cancer.
3) Share this information with three of your loved ones.
-Tatiana Kelil, MD. Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of California, San Francisco. (Tatiana.kelil@ucsf.edu)
Resources:
National Cancer Institute (1-800-4-CANCER)
American Cancer Society (1-800-ACS-2345)
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program(1-888-842-6355)
