How to Detect Breast Cancer

Breast cancer detection, and in particular early detection is critical to improving your chances of survival. You may wonder how to detect breast cancer and why it's so important. This fact is so important to understand because breast cancer detection… EARLY detection could mean the difference between a 98% chance of survival or a 64% or even worse chance of survival. Continue reading below about the techniques used for early detection and breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society recommends the following early breast cancer detection methods and when you should follow them:

• Women between the ages of 20 and 39 should perform a self breast exam each month about a week after their period.

• Women between the ages of 20 and 39 should also receive a clinical breast exam approximately every 3 years.

• Women who are 40 years old and older should in addition to the monthly self breast exam and clinical breast exam receive a yearly mammogram.

Also, for some women who are considered high risk (they may have a mom and sister who may have had breast cancer), some doctors will recommend the use of an MRI. This is not a routine practice, and everyone doesn’t get an annual MRI. But if a doctor feels that this is useful, they may order it.

It is important to note that using ALL of the techniques for early detection is so important. No one technique is fool proof. You may do a self breast exam every month and not be able to feel something that a mammogram could detect. Likewise, it is possible that a mammogram could miss a breast lump that you might be able to detect. Let me say that again:

IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CLEAR MAMMOGRAM AND STILL HAVE BREAST CANCER!

Notice below the difference in the sizes of breast tumors found with different techniques:

• 1.1cm Average size that a routine mammogram finds

• 1.5 cm Average size that a first mammogram finds

• 2.1 cm Average size that doing regular self breast exams finds

• 3.6 cm Average size finding a tumor by accident

** Imaginis.com “Guidelines Women Should Follow for Early Detection of Breast Cancer.” Accessed May 16, 2008.

Below are the screening techniques for how to detect breast cancer. Click each one to read more about the technique and additional helpful resources:

Self Breast Exam

Clinical Breast Exam

Mammogram





EARLY DETECTION OF BREAST CANCER IS THE #1 WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF SURVIVAL!



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