Breast Cancer Questions To Ask Your Doctor

The key to finding breast cancer is early detection, and the key to early detection is screening. This means looking for cancer in women who have no symptoms of disease. The best available tool is a regular screening mammogram -- x-ray of the breast -- coupled with a clinical breast exam by a doctor or nurse.

When you go, bring the list of questions at the bottom of this article with you. Add your own questions to the list. That way, you'll be sure to have all of your questions on breast cancer and mammograms answered.

Know that mammography is not foolproof. Some breast changes, including lumps that can be felt, do not show up on a mammogram. Changes can be especially difficult to spot in the dense, glandular breasts of younger women. This is why women of all ages should have their breasts examined every year by a physician or trained health professional.

Who Is at Higher Than Average Risk for Breast Cancer?

One or more of the following conditions place a woman at higher than average risk for breast cancer:

• Personal history of a prior breast cancer.



• Evidence of a specific genetic change that increases susceptibility to breast cancer.



• A mother, sister, daughter, or two or more close relatives, such as cousins, with a history of breast cancer (especially if diagnosed at a young age).



• A diagnosis of a breast condition that may predispose a woman to breast cancer (i.e., atypical hyperplasia), or a history of two or more breast biopsies for benign breast disease.
  
  

Also playing a role in a heightened risk for breast cancer is breast density. Women ages 45 or older who have at least 75 percent dense tissue on a mammogram are at elevated risk. And a slight increase in the risk of breast cancer is associated with having a first birth at age 30 or older.

In addition, women who receive chest irradiation for conditions such as Hodgkin's disease at age 30 or younger remain at higher risk for breast cancer throughout their lives. These women require meticulous surveillance for breast cancer.

These factors that increase cancer risk -- risk factors -- do not by themselves cause cancer. Having one or more does not mean that you are certain or even likely to develop breast cancer. Even among women with no other risk factors except a strong family history -- for example, both a mother and a sister or two sisters with early onset breast cancer -- three-fourths will not develop the disease.

No information on the world wide web can take the place of talking with your doctor. Take any questions you have to your doctor. If you don't understand the answer, ask her or him to explain further.

Many women find it helpful to write down their questions ahead of time. Here is a list of some of the most common questions that women have. You may have others. Jot them down as you think of them, and take the list with you when you see your doctor.

These are just some of the most common questions women have. By bringing your list of breast care questions, you won't have to rely on your memory during the precious time you spend with your doctor. This ensures you will be better prepared to get answers to all of your breast cancer questions.