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Early Detection Of Breast Cancer Adds 20 Years to A Woman's Life
Early Detection Of Breast Cancer Adds 20 Years to A Woman's Life
By Michael Faer, MD
Early detection of breast cancer, when it is less than a half-inch in size, is the single most important factor to long-term survival. Early detection enables women to obtain early treatment, the other key factor. A woman can survive up to 20 years or more when the cancer is treated on time. Using screening mammography, a diagnostic radiologist can find breast cancer when it is too small to be felt by a physical breast examination.
Before the use of mammography, one could only identify breast cancer when it was large enough to be felt during the physical or self-examination. Many times the cancer was found too late because by the time it was detectable, the cancer had already spread throughout the body. Once it is spread, about 75% of women die from their breast cancer within 5 years.
Breast cancer survival rates of Swedish women provide evidence that early detection is the key factor in long-term survival. In some counties in Sweden, government-sponsored health insurance provides yearly mammograms for women age 40 to 70. An outstanding 95% of these Swedish women who were diagnosed 20 years ago with cancers measuring less than half inch are alive and breast cancer disease free today! By comparison, only 50% of the Swedish women who did not have mammography survived longer than 17 years with breast cancer. Women of America could have the same positive, long-term survival rate if they obtained a routine screening mammography.
St. Rose Hospital has recently made an investment in enhancing diagnostic imaging services for breast cancer screening. The Women's Imaging Center, located on the St. Rose Campus, provides a variety of state-of-the-art screening and diagnostic procedures including digital mammography, sonography, and needle breast biopsy services. The team of highly skilled diagnostic radiologists and health care professionals are committed to offering women and their physicians the newest technology, highly skilled imaging procedures, and caring service in a comfortable, private and pleasant setting.
All physicians know (and you should know) that no test is perfect including mammograms, since they cannot detect all cancers. That is why physicians should perform biopsies to all clinically suspicious breast findings
Early detection of breast cancer and early treatment of breast cancer has the following benefits:
- The cancer has less time to spread throughout the body.
- The cancer has less time to progress to a more aggressive tumor that does not respond well to treatment.
- The cancer can be treated with surgery that saves the breast.
- The patient can achieve up to 20 years or more survival.
We encourage you, your family and your friends to have yearly mammograms as is recommended by the American Cancer Society.
Dr. Michael Faer is the Medical Director of St. Rose Hospital's Women's Center and Diagnostic Imaging Department and is board certified in Diagnostic Radiology with a subspecialty interest in mammography and more than 30 years of experience in interpreting mammograms.
We welcome your questions!
Physicians on staff at St. Rose Hospital are interested in responding to your questions about health care and related topics such as health education and prevention.
Please send any questions to: TheDoctor@strosehospital.org