As many as 70% of breast cancer cases are detected in an advanced stage, causing death rates to reach more than 22,000 cases. In fact, about 43% of cancer deaths can be avoided if patients do early detection routinely and prevent risk factors that cause cancer. Early detection is a breast examination activity to look for cancer cells before signs or symptoms of the disease appear. Although the examination cannot stop the development of cancer cells, if cancer cells are found, follow-up can be done quickly before the condition worsens.
Mammography
Mammography, also known as a mammogram, is an x-ray scan of a person's breasts. Mammograms are used by doctors to look for early signs of the formation of prospective breast cancer cells. For now, a mammogram is the best early detection of the emergence of prospective cancer cells. Sometimes even up to 3 months before cancer can be felt directly. The number of deaths from breast cancer has decreased by about 30% since mammograms were introduced in the 1970s, because if cancer is found earlier then there is a bigger chance to fight it.
How To Take Mammography Test
You can look for the nearest health facility that provides mammography facilities to check your breast condition. Mammograms are performed using a special x-ray machine for the breast. The patient will be asked to stand in front of the machine and the radiologist will place the breast (without the cloth covering) on a plastic sheet. Then there will be another plastic plate that will press from the top of the breast. The two plates will clamp the breast while the machine is taking x-rays. The process will result in up to 4 pictures of the right and left breasts with a top-down view and a side view.
Standard mammography produces two-dimensional images. However, for 40-50% of women with dense breasts, two-dimensional images often make the tumor and breast tissue look similar, that is, like a white mass. Three-dimensional mammography provides more detailed images and is therefore recommended for women with fibrous and dense breasts.
Mammography Results
The results of mammography are in the form of a white mass in the breast, that will be examined by a radiologist or doctor to distinguish a white mass that refers to breast tissue or a white mass that refers to cancer cells. Although mammography is the best scanning tool, for now, it is not 100% accurate. Mammography can produce images that look normal even though cancer is present (false negative) and can show images that are abnormal when there is no cancer at all (false positive). So don't be surprised if there is a follow-up test, if the picture is not clear, the breast condition is dense, and the doctor wants to make sure again.
If the mammography results are normal, as in no cancer cells are found, then you can do a mammography test again following the recommended timeframe. That is every year for women aged 45-54 years and once every 1-2 years for women aged 55 years and over. Or according to personal needs if you are 40-44 years old. This follows the recommendations of the American Cancer Society. It is recommended to always carry out an examination at the same health facility so that the process of comparing the results of each test is recommended.
If abnormal mammography is found, it does not necessarily mean that the person has breast cancer. Further mammography, tests, and re-examination by a doctor are needed to determine the cause of the abnormality. Abnormal mammography results can also be used as a referral for a surgeon or breast specialist to make sure.
Maintaining an ideal body weight, adopting an active lifestyle, consuming healthy foods, and avoiding alcoholic beverages are some lifestyle changes that you can get used to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in the future. Basically, prevention is always better than cure.
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Sources :
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. (2022). Breast Cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [online]. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/
P2PTM Kemenkes. (2018). Alat Baru untuk Deteksi Kanker Payudara. Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia. [online]. http://p2ptm.kemkes.go.id/artikel-sehat/alat-baru-untuk-deteksi-kanker-payudara
Redaksi Sehat Negeriku. (2022). Kanker Payudara Paling Banyak di Indonesia, Kemenkes Targetkan Pemerataan Layanan Kesehatan. Sehat Negeriku [online]. https://sehatnegeriku.kemkes.go.id/baca/umum/20220202/1639254/kanker-payudaya-paling-banyak-di-indonesia-kemenkes-targetkan-pemerataan-layanan-kesehatan/
Stanborough, R. J. (2021). What are the Recommendations for Breast Cancer Screening?. Healthline. [online]. https://www.healthline.com/health/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-screening