Cancer still stands as one of the most dangerous and notable health issues that a person may face today, and while there is not a means to prevent cancer, many treatment methods exist. But it should be noted that cancer diagnosis and treatment are two separate things, and different clinics will be visited for 3d mammography ultrasounds or a breast biopsy than for actual breast cancer treatment. Affecting primarily women, breast cancer is indeed a dangerous condition, but modern 3d mammography ultrasounds and mammography scans may help a patient get diagnosed early. An early breast cancer diagnosis by means of 3d mammography ultrasounds and breast biopsies allow doctors to recommend treatment method at a different clinic, and this can save a life. Women in general are urged to get mammograms or 3d mammography ultrasounds done, especially as they age or if they have particular risk factors involved. What are some of these risk factors, and when is it time for 3d mammography ultrasounds?
Why Breast Cancer Might Happen
Cancer does not appear completely at random; a woman may be more likely to develop it, or less, based on some conditions. For example, a woman’s weight or activity level may affect her chances of developing breast cancer, and studies have been done to confirm this. It has been found that women who are physically active, such as with cardio or sports or weight training, have a 10-20% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who are inactive or sedentary. What is more, among postmenopausal women, being overweight increased her breast cancer risks 1.5 times, and being obese doubles her chances compared to a lean woman. Why is that? In a postmenopausal woman’s body, her fat tissue is her primary source of estrogen, and higher estrogen levels in general increase breast cancer risks. On top of this, a woman who had a first-degree relative who developed cancer faces doubled chances of developing breast cancer herself. This may be the case if a woman has a mother, daughter, or sister who developed breast cancer. Overall, a modern American woman is urged to get 3d mammography ultrasounds and other screening done regularly to stay on top of any potential cancer case, and this may save her life. What is there to know?
Breast Cancer Screening
In general, women over the age of 40 are encouraged to start getting regular 3d mammography ultrasounds or mammograms done to check for any developing condition in their tissues. This becomes even more urgent as a woman ages, and the numbers show that of all age groups, women aged 69-69 are most likely to avoid fatal breast cancer if they get mammography screening done. Other studies show that getting a mammography done lowers the risk of dying to breast cancer between 20-40%. Finally, a 2015 National Health Interview Survey showed that 50% of women aged 40 and up reported having a mammogram within the last year, and 64% reported having a mammogram done within the past two years.
Mammograms and 3d mammography ultrasounds are non-intrusive methods that allow doctors to examine a woman’s breast tissues, and this will provide images on a screen that they may carefully examine. In this way, doctors may look for unusual shapes or formations in the breast tissue, and a woman may choose to visit for these screenings regularly. A clean scan one year may change to something suspicious the next, so women are urged to make this a routine. And if an X-ray or an ultrasound does show something unexpected, then more steps may be taken.
If need be, a patient at a breast screening clinic may have a breast biopsy done. This means that the patient lays on a table, and her affected breast will be numbed and an incision will be made. A tissue sample will be extracted from her breast, and the incision will be sewn closed and bandaged. The patient will probably be able to leave on the same day as her biopsy, though her affected breast may be sensitive for a time. Doctors and lab technicians will perform testing, and a positive result may yield a cancer diagnosis. Should this happen, the patient will be notified, and she may get referrals to cancer treatment clinics and doctors.