Breast Cancer Screening | Why Breast Exams Are Important

In Australia, around 57 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each day.

Approximately one Australian woman under the age of 40 dies each week.

Breast cancer incidence is increasing; in recent decades, however, breast cancer mortality has decreased overall.

Fewer breast cancer deaths are largely a result of early breast cancer detection and new breast cancer treatment.

Early detection of symptoms is a key factor in the successful treatment of breast cancer. This is why breast exams and breast cancer screening tests are so important.

Different Types of Breast Cancer Screening Tests

Breast self-examination

Many women prefer to conduct a breast examination while showering; others might do it standing in front of a mirror.

There’s no correct way to examine your breasts but it is important that you know what looks and feels normal, in case there are any changes that appear.

Use different levels of pressure when examining your breasts with your hand; this can help you feel whether there are any lumps closer to the surface of the skin or deeper within the breast.

Follow a circular pattern; this will make sure all areas are covered each time you conduct a self examination. It’s important to examine the whole area that extends out to your armpit and right up to your collarbone.

For a visual guide including diagrams, you can refer to the Breast Cancer Foundation‘s 3 Step Breast Check Guide.

If you notice any changes in your breasts during a self examination, you should promptly report your findings to your healthcare provider.

Your healthcare provider will then perform a clinical breast examination and give you advice about the next steps to take.

Clinical breast exams

Clinical breast exams are performed by doctors or nurses who are trained to assess breast cancer risk. They check for lumps or other changes in your breast tissue and underarm area. These manual exams complement mammograms and help identify breast cancers between screenings.

For most women, a clinical breast exam should be part of their annual health exam. For women in their 30s, it should be done at least once every 3 years; women over 40 should have one every year.

Mammography screening

Mammography screening is the most effective way to detect breast cancer before any breast changes have been noticed.

Screening mammography involves the use of low dose x-ray, to evaluate or detect breast changes. During a breast screening or mammography (often just called a ‘mammogram’), the breast is flattened between two plates and several images are taken from different angles.

It usually only takes a few minutes to complete the screening.

Other breast cancer imaging tests

Breast ultrasound

A breast ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves in detecting breast cancer or lumps. It is similar to an ultrasound done for pregnant women; the technician uses a probe over the area of interest and an image is shown on a screen.

Ultrasound is sometimes used to detect lumps that might be breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue, such as women who are breastfeeding; these lumps might be harder to detect using regular screening mammography.

Ultrasound offers the best chance of finding breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI screening)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses radio waves and small magnets to form an image of the inside of the breast.

Breast MRI is not used as a screening test for women with an average risk of breast cancer. Because an MRI is able to detect smaller changes than screening mammograms or ultrasound can, it could return false positive test results, resulting in further unnecessary tests being carried out.

For this reason, MRI screening is most often used in conjunction with other screening tests on women with a higher risk of breast cancer.

Breast cancer screening – risks

The chance of a woman developing breast cancer in her lifetime is 1 in 7.

The risk for breast cancer is higher in women over the age of 50; however, of all breast cancers diagnosed, breast cancer occurs in around 5% of women under 40.

Some risk factors that can increase a woman’s breast cancer risk cannot be modified. These include things such as genetics, early onset of menstruation, family history and increasing age.

There are also modifiable factors that influence and reduce breast cancer risk.

Some things you can do to reduce risk:

• Not smoking
• Limiting alcohol intake to 1 standard drink per day
• Being physically active
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Breastfeeding.

For more information about reducing your risk of breast cancer, or for a breast cancer risk assessment, you can refer to the Australian Government Cancer Australia website.

For further reading on the importance of breastfeeding in reducing breast cancer death, you can read BellyBelly’s article How We Could Prevent 20,000 Breast Cancer Deaths Annually: The Lancet.

Symptoms of breast cancer

According to the Cancer Council, common symptoms of breast cancer include:

• A breast lump
• Changes in the size or shape of the breast
• Pain in the breast that is unrelated to your menstrual cycle
• Changes in the shape of the nipple, or pain in the nipple
• Discharge from the nipple
• Dimpling of the skin on the breast
• Pain, discomfort or swelling in the armpit.

Some people have no symptoms, and breast cancer is detected during a breast exam.

Breast cancer screening recommendations

Regular screening for breast cancer is your best chance of catching the disease early. Early detection of breast cancer can mean the difference between life and death.

Mammograms are X-rays that allow specialists to observe the changes in your breast tissue. This increases your odds of being treated successfully.

What are the Australian Breast Cancer Screening guidelines?

Research has not found that screening for breast cancer in women under the age of 40 reduces breast cancer deaths in younger women.

This is why breast self examination is so important. Breast self awareness and knowing what looks and feels normal for you is the key to early breast cancer detection and treatment success.

Recommendations:

• Women aged 40 to 49 can choose to have a free mammogram every 2 years
• Women aged 40 to 50 who have a family history of breast cancer diagnosis, or who are in a high risk category, should have an annual breast cancer screening test or undertake genetic testing for breast cancer
• Women 50 and older are recommended to have a mammograms every 2 years.

There are also free screening mammograms available for women aged 40-49 through Breast Screen Australia; however, women in this age bracket are not sent regular breast cancer screening invitations or reminders.

What are the American Breast Cancer Screening guidelines:

The American Cancer Society recommends the following:

• Women ages 40 to 45 have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening
• Women age 45 to 54 should have annual screening
• Women 55 and older can continue with their annual screening or have mammograms every 2 years.

Breast cancer determination and treatment

Having a breast screening is an important procedure you should follow to look after your health. Early detection of breast cancer is critical, as it provides you with the best chance of catching any changes early.

Breast exams should form part of your normal health routine and annual screening.

You can begin by screening yourself at home once a month after you shower, and organizing to have clinical breast examinations with your medical practitioner once a year.

During your breast screening, your doctor should check for any lumps in the breasts or armpits, any changes in the size or shape of the breast, and for skin changes on the breast.

During your self examinations, if you have felt any abnormalities, differences or changes, mention it to your doctor, who is trained to examine your breasts properly.

Early diagnosis reduces the risk of breast cancer spreading and can make a life-saving difference.

If anything abnormal is detected during an exam, or if you fall into a high risk category (due to a family history or past detection), your doctor might need to order further testing. This could include an ultrasound, a breast MRI or a biopsy.

These tests can determine whether the change is due to cancer or is benign. If it is cancer, treatment options, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy, can be very effective, especially when the cancer is detected early.

Place your breast health first and make breast exams part of your self-care routine from a young age. Early detection and treatment are critical to beating this disease.