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Breast Cancer Screening
Posted: July 1, 2005
Three tests are commonly used to screen for breast cancer:
Breast self-exam (BSE)
Breast self-exam is an exam to check your own breasts for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.
Clinical breast exam (CBE)
A clinical breast exam is an exam of the breast by a doctor or other health professional. The doctor will carefully feel the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.
Mammogram
A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast. This test may find tumors that are too small to feel. The ability of this test to find breast cancer may depend on the size of the tumor, the density of the breast tissue and the skill of the radiologist. Women in their 40s and older should get a mammogram every 1 to 2 years.
What happens during a mammogram?
When you go for a mammogram, the technician taking the picture will place your breast between two X-ray panels. The panels will push your breast between them to get a clear picture. You may feel a little bit of discomfort but each X-ray takes less than one minute.
Use of ultrasound
If a lump or other abnormality is found using one of the three tests listed above, ultrasound may be used to learn more. Ultrasound is a procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) — in research phase
Breast cancer screening with MRI is being studied in clinical trials.
MRI is a procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. MRI does not use any X-rays.
MRI tests are used to make decisions about breast masses that have been found by a clinical breast exam or a breast self-exam. MRIs also help show the difference between cancer and scar tissue.
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