Can a mammogram save your life? Hard to believe this remains a topic of debate. Mammograms are x-ray images of a woman’s breasts used to detect cancer (“Mammograms”). While recognizing the potential effects of radiation and the issues around false positive/negative results, the benefits of mammograms far outweigh these concerns. These tests identify cancer early, increase chance of survival, and are a reliable method of preventative cancer screening. As technology continues to improve these tests have become more reliable and accurate. Mammograms are an important and necessary part of a woman’s health regiment.
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells that forms a lump, or tumor, in the breast and can later spread to other parts …show more content…
Before the introduction of mammograms to the public in 1973, there was no way to diagnose someone with early stage breast cancer. Visual symptoms, which typically are not seen until later stages of the disease, were the means of detection. Most commonly, people would feel lumps begin to form and would immediately contact a doctor who would confirm the disease and after this, “death seemed inevitable” (Reynolds 12). There was a desire for a better method of early detection. The average age for a women to be diagnosed with cancer in the United States is 62 (“About Breast Cancer”). Studies show, as you age, it is more likely for you to get breast cancer, with only about 5% of women being diagnosed under the age of 40 (“About Breast Cancer”). Detecting breast cancer in its early stages is vital because the breast cancer is small and this allows for different types of treatment and ultimately better outcomes (“Why You Should Start 3D Mammograms at Age 40”). When mammograms detect breast cancer before the lump is visible, mortality rates are reduced by 20-30% (“Mammograms- The Hidden Downside”). Breast cancer has a number of stages, beginning at Stage 0. Breast cancer cells are found in one layer in the breasts’ milk ducts and at Stage 0 are easy to treat. If untreated it can continue to progress and become worse (“Stages 0 & 1”). The reduced size of Stage 0 breast cancer allows many different …show more content…
Initially, breast cancer was detected by physical symptoms, notably a lump in a woman’s breast. Unfortunately by this time, it was often too late. The introduction of mammograms provided vast improvements for detecting breast cancer early and also assisting with treatments for someone already ill with breast cancer. The earliest technology was film mammography, which uses a simple method of taking an x-ray image and storing it on film. Digital mammography represents an improvement to film mammography, and can be stored on a computer file for viewing with enlargement and enhancement features. Digital is a very accurate method because it allows for doctors to take a closer look at the cancerous cells. A 3D mammography represents the most recent mammogram technology, allowing x-ray images of “slices” of the breast to be navigated and analyzed from different perspectives (“Types of Mammograms and How They Differ”). Over time, mammogram technology has shown significant improvement, becoming more reliable and accurate.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. Without
Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells that forms a lump, or tumor, in the breast and can later spread to other parts …show more content…
Before the introduction of mammograms to the public in 1973, there was no way to diagnose someone with early stage breast cancer. Visual symptoms, which typically are not seen until later stages of the disease, were the means of detection. Most commonly, people would feel lumps begin to form and would immediately contact a doctor who would confirm the disease and after this, “death seemed inevitable” (Reynolds 12). There was a desire for a better method of early detection. The average age for a women to be diagnosed with cancer in the United States is 62 (“About Breast Cancer”). Studies show, as you age, it is more likely for you to get breast cancer, with only about 5% of women being diagnosed under the age of 40 (“About Breast Cancer”). Detecting breast cancer in its early stages is vital because the breast cancer is small and this allows for different types of treatment and ultimately better outcomes (“Why You Should Start 3D Mammograms at Age 40”). When mammograms detect breast cancer before the lump is visible, mortality rates are reduced by 20-30% (“Mammograms- The Hidden Downside”). Breast cancer has a number of stages, beginning at Stage 0. Breast cancer cells are found in one layer in the breasts’ milk ducts and at Stage 0 are easy to treat. If untreated it can continue to progress and become worse (“Stages 0 & 1”). The reduced size of Stage 0 breast cancer allows many different …show more content…
Initially, breast cancer was detected by physical symptoms, notably a lump in a woman’s breast. Unfortunately by this time, it was often too late. The introduction of mammograms provided vast improvements for detecting breast cancer early and also assisting with treatments for someone already ill with breast cancer. The earliest technology was film mammography, which uses a simple method of taking an x-ray image and storing it on film. Digital mammography represents an improvement to film mammography, and can be stored on a computer file for viewing with enlargement and enhancement features. Digital is a very accurate method because it allows for doctors to take a closer look at the cancerous cells. A 3D mammography represents the most recent mammogram technology, allowing x-ray images of “slices” of the breast to be navigated and analyzed from different perspectives (“Types of Mammograms and How They Differ”). Over time, mammogram technology has shown significant improvement, becoming more reliable and accurate.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. Without