Understanding
facts about breast cancer could save lives
by Lisa F. Baron, M.D.
Co-Director of Mammography
Hollings Mammography Center
Many common misunderstandings about breast cancer can prove deadly
for women who delay treatment by not participating in routine breast cancer
screening or by not notifying their health care provider when there is
a problem.
When women understand the facts about breast cancer, they can take a
more aggressive role in their health care and notify their health care
provider when they find an abnormality. This article will review the most
common myths about breast cancer detection and explain the actual facts.
MYTH #1
No one in my family has breast cancer. I cannot get breast cancer.
FACT
Only a small percentage of the patients we diagnose actually have
a family history of breast cancer. In fact, three-fourths of all patients
diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
MYTH #2
I do a monthly self breast examination and it is normal. I do not need
to have a mammogram.
FACT
The monthly self breast examination is an extremely important component
of the overall breast cancer screening which should start around age 20.
This examination is most accurately performed one week after the last menstrual
cycle and must be combined with yearly clinical examination by a health
care provider and yearly mammograms starting at age 40.
Even though the physical examination is normal, the mammogram might
be able to find a small growth before it can be felt on the physical examination.
It is important to remember that the breast examination can never replace
the mammogram and the mammogram can never replace the physical examination.
Both are important.
MYTH #3
I don't have a mammogram because the radiation can cause breast cancer.
FACT
There is little evidence that the small amount of radiation given
in the mammogram to women older than 35 poses any increase risk of developing
breast cancer.
Dr. Daniel Kopans, a highly regarded mammographer from Massachusetts
General Hospital in Boston, describes the overall theoretical risk of inducing
a carcinoma with mammography to be less than one in a million. To put this
into perspective, each day we partake in risks that increase our chance
of dying by one in a million. Examples include breathing air in Boston
or New York City for two days (dying from lung cancer), flying 1,000 miles
by jet (dying in an accident), or riding a bicycle 10 miles (dying from
an accident). The bottom line is that the benefit of finding a breast cancer
greatly outweighs the theoretical risk of developing a cancer from the
mammogram.
MYTH #4
I feel a lump in my breast but I just had a mammogram that was “normal.”
Therefore, I don't need to worry about it.
FACT
You must always inform your health care provider if you feel a lump
in your breast even if your last mammogram was “normal.” This is because
the mammogram cannot always see abnormalities that you can feel. In fact,
10 to 15 percent of all masses felt in the breast can not be seen on the
mammogram. This is why a physical examination must be included as part
of breast cancer screening along with the mammogram. Any lump felt by you
or your health care provider need to be investigated.
MYTH #5
I never heard about my mammogram results. It must be normal.
FACT
You should receive a letter in the mail 10 to 14 days after your
mammogram explaining the results of your study. Sometimes the letters
are delayed since the doctor may be waiting for the prior mammograms to
compare to the current study. It is important to contact your health
care provider or the center where you receive the mammogram if you do not
receive a notification within three weeks of your exam. Sometimes the letters
get lost in the mail or are delivered to the wrong address. The letter
will inform you if you need further testing or if everything was normal.
Never assume that just because you have not received a letter that the
test was normal. You need to be in charge of your own health care and follow
up on the results of the study.
MYTH #6
I don't need to worry about breast cancer. I am too young.
FACT
Breast cancer does not know any age barrier, although the disease
is relatively uncommon in the 20s and is more common in the 50s and 60s.
However, a significant number of breast cancer patients are in their 30s
and 40s. Breast cancer is the number one cancer in women and one in eight
women will develop breast cancer by age 85. The good news is that
when breast cancer is found early, treatment is often extremely effective.
MYTH #7
I was diagnosed with breast cancer at another hospital. I cannot go
for a second opinion
FACT
You would not buy a car or a TV set without shopping around for
the best. This holds true for breast cancer treatment. You need to
know the options and the best facility to obtain your care. Complete
breast cancer treatment requires a team approach and may involve many different
specialists including a surgeon, radiation therapist and medical oncologist.
Do not feel that you need to rush into a decision immediately as to who
and where the treatment will be provided. Learn about the treatment options
(lumpectomy vs. Mastectomy), type of chemotherapy (if needed), how radiation
will be performed (if needed) and support groups. By learning about the
options you can make an informed decision about your care. The Hollings
Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina specializes in
breast cancer detection and treatment.
If you would like more information regarding breast cancer treatment
options or wish to schedule an appointment you may call the Hollings Cancer
Center at 792-9300.
Being informed and taking charge is the first step in breast cancer
screening. Screening involves three components: (1) monthly self breast
examinations, (2) yearly clinical breast examinations by a health care
provider and (3) yearly mammograms starting at age 40.
For further information about breast cancer screening or to schedule
a mammogram, call the Hollings Mammography Center at 876-0204.
Please join us in the Race for the Cure on Saturday, Oct. 16,
to support breast cancer research and awareness.
Contact Sharon Roland at 876-0215 for further information.
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