Why You Should Make Time for an Annual Mammogram

Cancer, Cancer Misdiagnosis

Diagnosing breast cancer early is critical. Breast cancer screening checks a woman’s breasts for cancer before there are signs and symptoms of the disease. Breast cancer screening can help find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat.

The most important screening test for breast cancer is the mammogram. Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. A radiologist looks for any abnormal signs or patterns on the mammogram before a lump can be felt on the breast. An abnormal mammogram may detect a mass, a cluster of calcifications, or an enlarged lymph node, or all of the above.Why You Should Make Time for an Annual Mammogram

Overall, the sensitivity of mammography is about 87%. This means that mammography detects 87% of women who have breast cancer.

Annual screening mammography from age 40 to 84 years yields a mortality reduction of 40% compared to no screening. The incidence of breast cancer is higher in older women. Breast cancer incidence peaks in the 70s and breast cancer is also the most common cause of non-traumatic death in women aged 40 to 49.

The number of women who have died of breast cancer has decreased by 42% from 1989 to 2019 due to early detection and treatment. As a result, more than 431,800 breast cancer deaths were prevented during that time. The stage of the breast cancer also influences treatment options with more extensive cancer requiring more aggressive surgery and radiation therapy.

Talk with a breast cancer misdiagnosis attorney for more information.

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