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When a mammogram detects an abnormality, it will not be clear with out a biopsy whether or not that discovering is benign or malignant. Mammography additionally works much less properly in youthful girls as a result of their breasts are typically extra dense, Dr. Tice stated. There’s additionally the likelihood that screenings can detect very early cancers that won’t progress to life-altering, or life-threatening, illness, stated Dr. Laura Shepardson, head of the part of breast imaging at Cleveland Clinic; because of this, sufferers could bear therapies that they doubtlessly don’t want.
The extra typically that girls are screened, the extra abnormalities which might be discovered, Dr. Tice stated. Some biopsies don’t point out most cancers, but nonetheless create anxiousness for sufferers — however many biopsies do discover most cancers, he stated, which saves lives.
Dr. Shepardson stated that the duty drive is advising mammograms each different yr as a result of it’s “saying that there’s an actual threat of tension that’s undue, or of pointless biopsies.” However “the American School of Radiology doesn’t really feel like that’s a threat or a hurt. That’s being proactive,” she stated.
The best way to cut back your total threat
“You are able to do every thing proper and nonetheless, for causes solely out of 1’s management, find yourself with most cancers,” Dr. Comen stated. Most of the components that contribute to breast most cancers threat, like genetics and a household historical past of most cancers, aren’t modifiable; others are inside a affected person’s management, however not essentially sensible. For instance, having a toddler earlier than age 35 lowers the chance of breast most cancers, as does breastfeeding, however a health care provider would by no means advocate a lady have a toddler by a sure age to cut back most cancers threat, stated Avonne Connor, a most cancers epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg College of Public Well being.
However a couple of behaviors have been linked to a decrease threat of breast most cancers, docs stated.
Restrict your alcohol consumption.
A mounting physique of proof has tied consuming to a increased threat of most cancers on the whole — and doubtlessly to breast most cancers specifically, partly as a result of alcohol can increase ranges of estrogen within the physique. That doesn’t imply you may by no means drink, however docs urged warning: Dr. Comen beneficial that girls who wish to cut back their breast most cancers threat related to alcohol have not more than three alcoholic drinks per week on common, and to be open and trustworthy about their consuming habits with their docs.
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