Breast Density Awareness Varies Among American Women

Awareness of breast tissue density issues varies among American women.

It is essential that women and their physicians understand how breast density affects breast cancer risk and screening.

Cryoablation is a novel treatment currently used to treat benign breast tumors (called fibroadenomas). Cryoablation is now being studied in patients with certain types of small breast cancer.

Despite large-scale campaigns to publicize the importance of breast cancer screening, a lot of faulty information regarding the mammogram exam is still being delivered to patients and sometimes interpreted as fact.

Early research has shown that 3D mammography can improve breast cancer detection rates and reduce false-positive rates. In women with dense breast tissue, which can mask cancers on conventional mammography, 3D mammography is emerging as a valuable supplemental screening tool.

Inherited genetic mutations can increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. For instance, a mutation in two of the better-understood genes linked to a substantial increased risk of breast cancer, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, account for up to:

Many women are aware that annual mammogram screening should begin at age 40 according to American Cancer Society guidelines. This offers the best possible chance for early detection of breast cancer, which improves treatment prospects.

Different breast cancers behave in different ways, which necessitates separate treatment guidelines to address the individual characteristics of specific types of cancer. As knowledge evolves, treatment guidelines are updated to reflect up-to-date information about breast cancer.

Our understanding of breast cancer is rapidly advancing. Breast cancer is not a single disease entity, but a heterogeneous disease spectrum with numerous genetic alterations involved in its pathogenesis.

It’s virtually impossible to avoid the blush shade of pink in the month of October when we celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The availability of molecular information on breast cancer genomics is rapidly expanding. Patients who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer can easily be overwhelmed by volumes of information in a very short period of time.

Is there a magic age after which a woman can terminate her screening mammogram?

Genetics and family health history play an intricate, if not yet fully understood, role in breast cancer risk.

In early 2013, the state of California required medical imaging centers to inform women if they have dense breast tissue, as revealed in a screening mammogram. Since then, many of our patients have asked me what is dense breast tissue?

Cryoablation for Benign Breast Tumor Treatment

Fibroadenomas are benign breast tumors. They most frequently occur in women during their reproductive years. Although breast fibroadenomas are noncancerous, they can cause pain and affect the look, shape and feel of breasts.