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Breast Cancer Screening
November 6th, 2014 | 6:47 pm
Breast cancer is the most common cancerous condition causing death among women
Breast cancer is really common among women and proves
to have a considerably high fatality rate. However, with the
help of screening methods, breast cancer can be detected
and treated with positive outcomes.
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According to relevant statistics, in
2012, there were roughly over 1
million breast cancer cases
throughout the world. In America,
the rate of breast cancer in 1998
was twice higher than that in 1940.
As the main causes of breast cancer have remained unknown to this day and most women are
exposed to a lot of threats in their life, early screening methods have proved to be ineffective. In this
day and age, a proper screening session needs not only the modern techniques and equipment but
also the mutual cooperation between the patient and the physician. More importantly, the
physician needs to be skillful in his/her job to be able to detect any abnormalities.
Risk factors
There are many risk factors leading to breast cancer:
Age and gender
These factors are really critical. Women have 100% higher risk of developing breast cancer than
men. The risk is high when women are at the age of 4 – 50 due to hormonal changes, and
significantly decreases when they are 75 – 80 years old.
Race
Breast cancer rate is quite high in Europe and North America. However, the reasons for this are
seemingly the differences in lifestyle, economy wealth and society.
Benign breast diseases
Some benign breast diseases can lead to higher risk of developing breast cancer. The risk increases
if accompanied by family medical history.
Personal history of breast cancer
Women who have had breast cancer face an increased risk (5%) of getting breast cancer in the other
breast within 10 years. In the case of invasive breast cancer, the risk grows by 0.5 – 1% every year.
Lifestyle and dietary factors
Financial situation, habits and nutrition are also amongst the factors leading to breast cancer. A diet
in high animal fat, alcohol and cholesterol can also increase breast cancer risk.
Estrogen
Age of menarche, menopause and the first pregnancy as well as breastfeeding etc. can also affect
the risk of developing breast cancer. Women who have experienced menopause are advised to take
hormone replacement therapy which can raise their estrogen level leading to a higher risk of getting
breast cancer.

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Family history and generic alterations
A family history of breast cancer is another critical factor. A woman’s risk of getting breast cancer
increase by 1.5 times if her mother or sister(s) had breast cancer. Also, changes in certain genes
(BRCA1, BRCA2) increases the risk of breast cancer by 5- 10%
Radiation therapy
Women whose breast were exposed to radiation are at an increased risk for developing breast
cancer. Prolonged exposure to X-ray, nuclear bombs etc. will lead to a higher breast cancer risk.
Breast Cancer Screening methods
Mammography
The effectiveness of mammography in breast cancer screening has been proven in lots of studies
and researches. It was firstly used in 1913 on a removed breast, then used on a patient in 1930.
Between 150 and 1960, it was reported that mammography could detect cancerous breast lumps
which couldn’t be clinically diagnosed. After that, a series of researches confirmed the effectiveness
of mammography in breast cancer screening. Ever since the year of 1965, constant innovations
have been made to ensure the accuracy of mammography and minimize the radiation exposure.
Mammography is helpful in detecting breast calcification.
Breast Ultrasound
Initially, breast ultrasound was used to analyze breast anomalies detected by mammography or
clinical examinations. Breast ultrasound not only detects cysts or tumors but also provide
information about the nature of the tumors and other breast anomalies. Also, breast ultrasound is
utterly helpful during breast biopsy. The effectiveness of breast ultrasound depends on the
physician’s experience & the ultrasound equipment. One drawback of breast ultrasound is that it
makes it hard for physicians to compare the current result to the preceding ones.
MRI
MRI assists mammography in breast cancer screening among women exposed to a higher risk for
developing breast cancer. MRI has proved to be a highly effective tool supporting mammography in
the cases of generic alteration (BRCA). However, it can be costly.
Clinical examination
Clinical examinations are carried out by physicians. The patients shall be examined when sitting and
lying on their back. The physician will examine and compare between the breasts. Clinical
examination can detect tumors of the size of over 1 cm. It is effective during the early stages of
breast cancer and is usually carried out in developing countries where breast cancer is on the rise
and mammography is not common.
Self-examination
This is the least expensive method and can be done by the patients themselves. It raises awareness
about personal health condition and help women detect any breast anomalies before consulting
specialists.
In short, breast cancer is a fatal disease and is on a rise. However, with proper screening methods, it
can be detected before it’s too late
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The benefits of breast cancer screening has long been proven by astounding works. The successful
rate depends on the patients’ risks, the medical capacity of the nation and the decisions of
physicians. Always keep in mind the effectiveness of each screening method for better results.
Despite some challenges along the way, the overall picture of breast cancer in Vietnam has
significantly improved thanks to some medical advancements in the field of surgery, radiotherapy,
chemotherapy and targeted therapy.
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