Would you know if you had breast cancer by feeling your own breasts? Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. One in nine women is expected to develop the disease in her lifetime.
While it is important for you to know what is normal for your breasts, getting regular mammograms is the most reliable way to detect breast cancer early.
That’s because the average lump found through regular mammograms is as small as the size of an apple seed. In comparison, a lump found by feeling your own breasts could be about the size of a cherry tomato.
Modern mammogram equipment designed for breast x-rays uses very low levels of radiation, usually about a 0.1 to 0.2 rad dose per x-ray (a rad is a measure of radiation dose).
Strict guidelines ensure that mammogram equipment is safe and uses the lowest dose of radiation possible. Many people are concerned about the exposure to x-rays, but the level of radiation used in modern mammograms does not significantly increase the risk for breast cancer.
To put dose into perspective, a woman who receives radiation as a treatment for breast cancer will receive about 5,000 rads. If she had yearly mammograms beginning at age 40 and continuing until she was 90, she will have received 20 to 40 rads.
For a mammogram, the breast is compressed between 2 plates to flatten and spread the tissue. This may be uncomfortable for a moment, but it is necessary to produce a good, readable mammogram. The compression only lasts a few seconds. The entire procedure for a screening mammogram takes about 20 minutes.
Here are a few reasons why you should get a mammogram:
• Detect breast cancer before any symptoms develop. A mammogram takes an X-ray picture of your breast. On average, regular mammograms find lumps when they’re smaller and easier to treat – about the size of an apple seed.
• It can save your life. When breast cancer is found early, the easier it is to treat and the better the outcome. Today, 88% of women survive breast cancer thanks to improvements in early detection and better treatment.
• It’s easy to book. Making an appointment for a mammogram is as simple as getting a referral from your healthcare provider or by visiting the Canadian/American Cancer Society website to find out the closest location to you to help you to schedule an appointment.
• Set an example for others. Once you’ve started having mammograms, you’ll be a model to other women in your life.
