Women screened for breast cancer were 48% less likely to die of the disease than women who were not examined.
What does breast screening means?

Breast screening saves a large number of women’s lives every year. It is a way to identify at a breast cancer at a very early stage. The screening involves taking an x-ray of each breast - a mammogram - which is taken while carefully compressing the breast. all women now have two views of the breast taken at every screen Research has shown that this increases detection of small cancer by up to 43 per cent.

The mammogram can detect very small changes in breast tissue which may show cancers which are too small that can not be felt by the women herself or her doctor. can also show small deposits of calcium in the breast, which may be a sign of early cancer. As well as picking up breast cancer, mammography can show breast problems that are not cancer.
What age should the Screening starts and what are the benefits?

A breast screening should be done every three years for all women aged 50 and over. All women at this age are encouraged to have the breast screening.
The Breast Screening is an effective way to reduce the death number from breast cancer. The latest research shows that the UK Breast Screening Programme is now saving 1,400 lives every year in England.
Why are pre-menopausal women not invited?

This is because
1. In pre-menopausal women, Mammograms are not very effective, as the density of the breast tissue makes it more difficult to detect problems
2. After a menopause, the breast tissue is increasingly made up of only fat. This is makes interpretation of the x-ray more reliable.
3. Also, the incidence of breast cancer is lower in this age group. And Breast cancer is more common in post-menopausal women after 45-50.
Does breast screening save lives?

The programme in the UK has screened more than 19 million women and has detected around 117,000 cancers. Women can ask their doctor to refer them to a breast clinic if they are concerned about a specific breast problem or otherwise worried about the risk of breast cancer.
Common breast changes

It's important to remember that each woman's breasts are different and that changes in how they look and feel are not always a cause for concern. They may be affected by the menstrual cycle, your age, pregnancy, the menopause and taking the contraceptive pill.
For example, if you have not been through the menopause it's normal to have lumpy, tender breasts just before your period, especially near your armpits. This happens when the milk-producing tissue in your breasts becomes active. Your breasts may feel soft after your period.
After the menopause, your breasts should feel softer and less lumpy as activity in the milk-producing tissue of your breasts stops.
If you have had a hysterectomy, your breasts may still feel tender or lumpy each month, even though your periods have stopped. This is because your ovaries are still working and producing hormones. You may notice monthly changes in your breasts until the time when your periods would have stopped naturally.
What are the Breast changes that you need to seek advice about:

Will post more information on this subject within the next two weeks

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Professor Stephen Duffy, Professor of cancer screening with Cancer Research UK led the study. It's on the Breast screening Department, Nightengale centre, Wythenshawe Hospital web site.
Best wishes

(Breast cancer overview section on Wythehshawe Hospital internal web, Manchester, UK)


The five-point about Breast Awareness you need to know:

1. Know what's normal for you.
2. Check both the look and feel of your breasts.
3. Know what changes to look and feel for.
4. Tell your doctor about any changes you notice straight away.
5. Attend routine breast screening if you are 50 or over

Breast changes to seek advice about

1. a change in size or shape of your breasts (after puberty is complete), for example one breast becoming larger or lower
2. skin changes such as puckering or dimpling (skin looks like the texture of orange peel)
3. a rash or crusting on the nipple or surrounding area
4. nipple changes, such as a change in the position of your nipple, or a newly inverted (turned-in) nipple.
5. discharge from one or both nipples (unless you are breastfeeding and it's milky discharge)
6. change in feeling, especially if it's only in one breast
7. constant pain in part of the breast or armpit
8. swelling, thickening or a lump in your breast or armpit.

Breast screening

Women between the ages of 50 and 70 years must have mammography once every three years.
Women with a family history of breast cancer should also be having regular mammograms from an earlier age. The usual recommendation is to start screening 10 years earlier than the age at which the youngest close relative with breast cancer was diagnosed. So if a patient has a sister or a mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 45, for example. The patients then must have regular mammograms from the age of 35.
Younger women must not routinely have screening and breast cancer is quite rare in women under 50.

Best wishes
Basma