Early Detection for Breast Cancer: Why Does It Matter?
Idaho has the lowest rate of screening mammography in the US. So, the question has to be asked, if there is all this coverage of breast cancer awareness and the need for screening, do women believe that regular screening really makes a difference?
Here are some numbers to consider: 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Additional factors such as family history or a previous atypical biopsy can increase a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. In the United States, the average age of a woman diagnosed with breast cancer is 61 years. There are approximately 250,00 cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year, and approximately 40,000 women die from breast cancer each year, which makes breast cancer the 2nd leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer. This is where early detection comes into play. The extent or how involved a breast cancer is- or in other words the stage- at diagnosis correlates with survival rate. If the breast cancer is contained just to the breast at the time of diagnosis, then the average 5 year survival is 98%. If it confined to the breast and the lymph nodes, then the average 5 year survival decreases to 84%. Once the breast cancer has spread throughout the body, or metastasized, the average 5 year survival is 25%. What this means is that the earlier a cancer can be detected and treated, the better the chance of curing the cancer.
Screening mammograms have been in widespread use across the United States for approximately 30 years. Over that period of time, data has shown that the routine use of screening mammograms is associated with a 20% reduction in death from breast cancer, and in some European countries it has been shown to reduce death from breast cancer by up to 30%. The reason that mammograms reduce the risk of death from breast cancer is that routine mammograms help to find breast cancers when they are small, and so it decreases the number of women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. Therefore, the benefit and reason for screening mammography is to detect cancers early, before they have had a chance to progress to large or lymph node positive breast cancer.
Research has shown that women who undergo routine screening mammograms are more likely to be able to undergo a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy, they are less likely to need additional treatments after surgery, such as chemotherapy, and women who undergo routine mammograms are less likely to have their tumors recur. So early detection with regular screening mammograms not only leads to less treatment but also improves the chances of survival from breast cancer.
Technology for breast cancer screening continues to improve in order to help better detect breast cancer, especially in women who have dense breast tissue. Digital mammography as well as the introduction of 3-D mammograms, or what’s known as Breast Tomosynthesis, and the use of whole breast Ultrasound are newer tools that help to provide greater detail of the breast tissue in women who have dense breast tissue. In addition, clinical trials and research are trying to better understand early breast cancer, or what is known as Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), in order to better tailor the cancer treatment that is needed for different stages of breast cancer, so that screening does not lead to overtreatment.
The American Cancer Society recommends that a woman obtain her first baseline mammogram at the age of 40. After that, she should receive a yearly mammogram. Women who are at high risk for developing breast cancer may need to obtain mammograms earlier than these recommendations and at more frequent intervals.
Given the fact that mammograms are a quick (less than 10 minute) process that is now more comfortable than ever and readily available throughout the region, there is no reason to put off this all important and potentially life-saving screening exam.
Written by: Elizabeth Prier, MD, FACS
Dr. Elizabeth Prier is a Breast Surgeon doctor with the Saint Alphonsus Medical Group, a primary care and specialty physician network of more than 260 medical providers across 40 locations in Idaho and Oregon.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Prier or to find a medical provider near you, call 877-401-DOCS (3627) or visit www.saintalphonsus.org/docs today.