What Are the Benefits of Breast Cancer Screening?

For a few weeks every October, the color pink seems to show up everywhere: pink ribbons, charity walks, social media posts, fundraising events, and reminders to schedule a mammogram. There is a really important reason for that.

Breast cancer is common, and finding it early can make a real difference in treatment. Awareness gives people a chance to learn about the disease before they or someone close to them has to deal with a diagnosis, providing key benefits such as:

• Early detection: it can help to find tiny tumors long before you can feel a lump.
• Lower death rates: regular mammography screening can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer.
• Simpler treatments: finding breast cancer early can provide more treatment options and may allow less extensive surgery in some cases.
• Peace of mind: a normal result can provide reassurance, although no screening test can rule out breast cancer completely.

The American Cancer Society considers breast cancer the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancers. A woman's average lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is about 1 in 8.

Those numbers do not mean that every woman is destined to develop breast cancer. They do show why knowing a little about the disease is worthwhile.

There have also been important improvements in breast cancer care. Doctors have better imaging tools, more treatment options, and a better understanding of the different types of breast cancer than they did in the past.

Finding Breast Cancer Before There Are Symptoms

One of the tricky things about breast cancer is that you cannot always feel it. A person can feel perfectly healthy and have no obvious changes in their breasts while a tumor is developing. This is one reason screening exists in the first place.

A mammogram can sometimes find an abnormality before it becomes large enough to feel. That doesn’t mean mammograms find every cancer, and screening has its downsides as well. Sometimes a scan raises a concern that turns out to be harmless, leading to more tests and understandably more worry.

Even so, mammography remains an important tool for detecting breast cancer.

There is another side to early detection that is much more straightforward. If you notice something unusual, have it checked. You don’t need to figure out whether a lump is serious yourself. That is what healthcare professionals are there for.

A new lump may turn out to be a cyst or another benign condition. Pain can have many causes. Changes in the skin may have nothing to do with cancer. But guessing is not particularly useful when you do not know what is causing the change.

If you want to learn more about cancer screenings, our webinar by the our webinar by the IMANA Education Committee explains the importance of screening, preventive care, early detection of symptoms, more treatment options, and better outcomes. 

What Does Breast Cancer Look or Feel Like?

There is no single way breast cancer presents itself. A lump is probably the symptom most people think about first. It is also the most common symptom, according to the American Cancer Society.

But there are other changes worth knowing about. You might notice:

• A new lump in the breast or underarm.
• Swelling in part or all of the breast.
• Skin that becomes dimpled or irritated.
• Red, flaky, dry, or thickened skin.
• Ongoing pain in the breast or nipple.
• A nipple that suddenly turns inward.
• Discharge from the nipple that is not breast milk.
• A change in the breast's size or shape.
• Swollen lymph nodes near the underarm or collarbone.

Again, none of these automatically means cancer. Breasts change for plenty of reasons. Hormonal changes alone can make them feel different at different points in life.

The takeaway is much simpler than a long list of symptoms might suggest: if something is new, unusual, or persistent, talk to a healthcare professional about it. That advice applies even if you do not think you are at high risk.

Who Is Actually at Risk?

This is where breast cancer gets complicated. Some risk factors are obvious, such as getting older. Others are much less straightforward.

A family history of breast cancer can increase risk. Certain inherited genetic changes, including changes in BRCA1 and BRCA2, can raise the risk considerably.

Breast density is another factor. Dense breast tissue is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer and can also make some cancers more difficult to see on a mammogram.

A person's reproductive history can play a role as well. So can previous radiation treatment to the chest, certain hormone treatments, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and excess body weight after menopause.

The WHO estimates that about 80% of breast cancers occur in women who have no specific risk factors other than sex and age. So while knowing your risk is useful, it should not become a reason to assume you are either completely safe or certain to develop the disease.

Can You Do Anything to Reduce Your Risk?

Some things are simply beyond your control. You cannot change your age, your genes or rewrite your family history; but there are other areas where your choices may make a difference.

Physical activity is one of them. Maintaining a healthy weight can also help, particularly after menopause. Alcohol is worth mentioning because even relatively small amounts are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

The WHO includes physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol among measures that can help reduce breast cancer risk. That doesn’t mean you can exercise your way out of breast cancer.

Cancer is not a simple equation where healthy behavior guarantees a particular outcome. Plenty of people who eat well and exercise regularly still develop cancer. It is more useful to think about these habits as ways of lowering certain risks while supporting your health overall.

When Should You Get a Mammogram?

For women at average risk, the American Cancer Society says those between 40 and 44 should have the option of starting annual mammograms. From 45 through 54, annual mammography is recommended. At 55 and older, women can continue every year or switch every two years.

The organization recommends continuing screening while a person is in good health and expected to live at least another 10 years. Those guidelines are for women at average risk.

If you have a significantly higher risk, your doctor may recommend starting earlier or adding another type of screening. Women with certain inherited gene mutations, for example, may be advised to have a yearly breast MRI in addition to a mammogram.

Previous radiation treatment to the chest at a young age can also affect screening recommendations. This is one of those situations where asking your doctor a specific question is much more useful than looking for one universal answer online.

Mammograms Are Not the Only Breast Imaging Test

Most people know what a mammogram is, at least in broad terms. It uses X-rays to produce images of the breast and can reveal abnormalities that are too small to feel.

Breast Ultrasound

Ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image of the breast.

A doctor might order an ultrasound after seeing something unusual on a mammogram. It can also be useful for evaluating a particular lump or area of concern, although its role in screening women with dense breasts varies.

It is not, however, a simple substitute for mammography in everyone.

Breast MRI

MRI is a different type of imaging altogether. It uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce detailed images.

Breast MRI is commonly associated with women who have a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. In those situations, it may be used together with mammography.

MRI can also help doctors investigate an area that needs a closer look after another imaging test.

Which tests make sense depends on the person. There is no benefit to assuming that more imaging is automatically better for everyone.

Breast Cancer Awareness is Key

Breast cancer screening offers many benefits, and spreading awareness is equally important: It could mean finally scheduling a mammogram, asking a parent about family medical history, or learning what breast density means.

There is no single action that works for everyone. What matters is having reliable information and using it to make sensible decisions about your own health.

If you wish to learn more about cancer screenings and medical recommendations, don’t forget to check our articles at IMANA.