Facts About Mammograms, Breast Cancer
What Is A Mammogram?
Treatment Options:
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It's a low-dose X-ray of the breast, consisting of two pictures
per breast.
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How Do You Check?-
A lump is detected, usually single, firm and most often
painless.A portion of the skin on the breast or underarm swells and
has an unusual appearance.Veins on the skin surface become more prominent on one
breast.The breast nipple becomes inverted, develops a rash, changes
in skin texture, or has a discharge other than breast milk.A depression is found in an area of the breast surface.
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Every two minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.This year, more than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer
are expected in the United States.One woman in eight who lives to age 85 will develop breast
cancer during her lifetime.Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between
the ages of 40 and 55.About 1,600 men are expected to be diagnosed with breast
cancer this year and 400 are predicted to die.Seventy percent of all breast cancers are found through
breast self-exams.Not all lumps are detectable by touch. The National Breast
Cancer Foundation recommends regular mammograms and monthly breast
self-exams.Eight out of 10 breast lumps are not cancerous.More than 2 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America
today.
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Breast cancer treatments will depend on the tumor stage,
menopausal status, hormone receptor status and general health.Treatment plans often include a combination of methods. Most
women will begin their treatment with surgery followed by another
form of therapy. In some cases treatments will be given before
surgery to shrink tumors.Surgery: breast-conserving lumpectomy, modified mastectomy,
radical mastectomy to remove the tumor and/or neighboring tissue.Radiation therapy: high-energy X-ray beams that keep cells
from growing and dividing in the breast or lymph nodes.Chemotherapy: drugs given through the blood stream to kill or
stop the growth of cancer cells.Hormonal therapy: used to treat hormone-receptor positive
breast cancers by limiting the amount of estrogen circulating in
the body.Biologic: used to treat breast cancers that overexpress
genes.
