Breast Cancer : Early Detection PART 2

Mammography is a very accurate screening tool for women at both average and increased risk; however, like any medical test, it is not perfect. Mammography will detect most, but not all, breast cancers in women without symptoms, and the sensitivity of the test is lower for women with dense breasts. However, newer technologies have shown promising developments for women with dense breast tissue. Digital mammography has improved sensitivity for women with dense breasts. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of several ultrasound technologies that could be used in addition to standard mammography for women with dense breast tissue. Although the majority of women with an abnormal mammogram do not have cancer, all suspicious lesions that cannot be resolved with additional imaging should be biopsied for a definitivediagnosis. Annual screening using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in addition to mammography is recommended for women at high lifetime risk of breast cancer starting at age 30.