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Investigating Breast Changes | |||||
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If a woman has a breast change, her doctor must determine whether it is due to breast cancer or some other cause. The woman has a physical exam. The doctor asks about her personal and family medical history. She may have a mammogram or other imaging procedure that makes pictures of tissues inside the breast. After the tests, the doctor may decide that no further tests are needed and no treatment is necessary. Or the woman may need a biopsy to examine the suspicious area for cancer cells.
Clinical Breast Exam The health care provider feels each breast for lumps and looks for other problems. If a woman has a breast lump, the health care provider can tell a lot about it by feeling it and the tissue around it. Benign lumps often feel different from cancerous ones. The health care provider can check the size, shape, and texture of the lump and feel whether it moves easily. Lumps that are soft, smooth, round, and movable are likely to be benign. A hard, oddly shaped lump that feels firmly attached within the breast is more likely to be cancer.  |
Diagnostic Mammography Diagnostic mammograms involve x-ray pictures of the breast to get clearer, more detailed pictures of any area that looks abnormal on a screening mammogram. They also are used to help the doctor learn more about unusual breast changes, such as a lump, pain, thickening, nipple discharge, or change in breast size or Shape. Diagnostic mammograms may focus on a specific area of the breast. They may involve special techniques and more views than screening mammograms. Ultrasonography Using high-frequency sound waves, ultrasonography (ultrasound) can often show whether a lump is a fluid-filled cyst (not cancer) or a solid mass (which may or may not be cancer). The doctor can view these pictures on a monitor. After the test, the pictures can be stored on video and printed out. This exam may be used along with a mammogram. Magnetic Resonance Imaging For magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a powerful magnet linked to a computer is sometimes used to make detailed pictures of tissue inside the breast. The doctor can view these pictures on a monitor and can print them on film. MRI may be used along with a mammogram. |
Digital tomosynthesis is a new kind of test that's trying to overcome three issues: discomfort with compression, cancer hiding within overlapping tissue, and a limited number of views. Digital tomosynthesis takes multiple X-ray pictures of each breast from many angles. The breast is positioned the same way it is in a conventional mammogram, but only a little pressure is applied-just enough to keep the breast in a stable position during the procedure. The X-ray tube moves in an arc around the breast while 11 images are taken during a seven-second examination. Then the information is sent to a computer, where it is assembled to produce clear, highly focused 3-dimensional images throughout the breast. Early results with digital tomosynthesis are promising. Researchers believe that this new breast imaging technique will make breast cancers easier to see in dense breast tissue, and will make breast screening more comfortable. Breast Self-Exam Some women perform monthly breast self-exams to check for any changes in their breasts. When a woman does this exam, it is important for her to remember that each woman's breasts are different, and that changes can occur because of aging, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy,
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Copyright 2005, Mecosta County Medical Center