Mastalgia is the medical term for breast pain. Most women have to deal with episodes of occasional breast pain at some point in their lives. It can range from mildly annoying to, quite frankly, disabling. It is often a challenge for physicians to manage and treat. Cyclic breast pain begins about ten days before menses […]
One out of every eight women (1/8) will develop breast cancer during their life and approximately 40,000 women die of breast cancer annually. Diagnosing breast cancer early can lead to more cures and save lives. Mammography is an excellent screening method to help diagnose early breast cancer. But because it is a screening method it […]
BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 are tumor suppressor genes that help protect against cancer. It is known that when a patient has an altered form of the gene (a mutation) she has a higher likelihood of developing cancer. Mutations in the BRCA 1&2 genes are associated with an increased risk of breast, ovarian, and other […]
In November of 2009, the USPSTF (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force) assembled by the Agency of Healthcare Research announced their recommendations stating: 1. The USPSTF recommends biennial screening mammography for women aged 50 to 74 years. a. Grade: B recommendation. 2. The decision to start regular, biennial screening mammography before the age of 50 years […]
