GET TO KNOW YOUR BREASTS

WE ALL KNOW WE SHOULD CHECK OUR BREASTS REGULARLY, BUT DO WE KNOW OUR INDIVIDUAL BREAST CANCER RISK AND WHAT SCREENING OPTIONS ARE BEST TO MANAGE IT?

Breast cancer poses a risk to all women, with 1 in 8 likely to develop the disease in their lifetime. It remains the most common cancer found in women worldwide. Women 40 years and over are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer as they age, which is why it is important for regular breast screening to be part of every woman’s health check routine.

Unfortunately breast screening is not necessarily a ‘one size fits all’ scenario. There are a number of risk factors that should be considered when screening women for breast cancer including their specific physiology, genetics and any medications they may be taking, along with the types of screening tests best suited to their specific situation.

Mammograms have, for many years, been the mainstay of screening women for breast cancer, being excellent at detecting low grade or intermediate growing cancers. These types of cancers may leave calcifications or ‘dead tissue’ behind, or incite in the breast ‘scar’ like lesions. Both these ‘calcifications and scars’ can be detected by a mammogram.

However, mammograms are less effective at identifying those faster growing or more aggressive cancers that tend not to show calcification, and which can also be hidden by dense breast tissue.

An MRI is two to three times better at detecting fast growing breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue when compared to mammography. However, MRI is less effective at detecting slow growing cancers.

Given nearly 50 percent of women in the “breast cancer relevant age range” have dense breast tissue potentially masking any cancer that may be present, it is important patients know their breast density type, and their individual risk factors, in order to make the best decisions for themselves when it comes to breast screening.

At Gold Coast Radiology (GCR) all female patients are offered the option of undertaking a Lifetime Breast Malignancy Risk Assessment. This assessment highlights an individual’s risk of breast malignancy, and to what degree, by looking at breast density and other risk factors that may be at play.

If a woman’s risk is within a certain category level a screening breast MRI will be offered to the patient so that the most comprehensive screening can take place.

Providing women with thorough information gives them the best chance of making the breast screening choices of most benefit to them, and that is what the GCR lifetime breast risk malignancy assessment does.

Breast MRI’s are available at GCR and all our patients are encouraged to understand their individual breast cancer risk factors. However, no matter the screening options chosen, all women should regularly ‘selfcheck’ their breasts under the guidance of their GP and all women 40 years and over should have regular mammograms and include MRI screening if their individual circumstances necessitate it.