When a woman has a test result that may imply breast
CANCER, doctor/s in charge of the case should create a plan to battle this
disease. Diagnosis involves different steps. First, practitioners prepare a
complete medical history by asking patients several questions about them and
their families. Then, they perform a physical exam. With this information,
doctors decide which test each patient requires. According to the results of the
first assessment, healthcare providers will ask patients for more tests or
not.
BREAST CANCER is commonly diagnosed by the examination of surgically
removed BREAST TISSUE. This procedure is the best method to confirm the disease
and to know the stage of it. There are different techniques to obtain tissue or
cells prior to definitive treatment for histological or cytological examination.
These procedures to evaluate BREAST LUMPS include fine-needle aspiration, nipple
aspirates, ductal lavage, core needle biopsy, and local surgical excision. Every
case will need one specific procedure. It will depend on the consistency of the
lump.
If the lump is solid, doctors must take tissue to send it for
laboratory tests. In this case they apply some of the methods mentioned above
and also stereotactic BIOSPY. To perform this procedure it is necessary to use
MAMMOGRPHY to monitor the abnormal area and to pinpoint it.
This diagnostic stage usually is coupled with other imaging
evaluations. Additionally, pre-surgical procedures may need to be complete with
other studies. Many imaging tests are also used to detect metastasis. They are
chest X-ray, bone scan, Cat scan, MRI, and PET scanning. On the other hand, only
breast biopsy can confirm cancer diagnosis. We can also mention Ca 15.3
(carbohydrate antigen 15.3, epithelial mucin) that is a tumor marker determined
in blood which can be used to monitor DISEASE activity or development over time
after definitive treatment. Blood TUMOR MARKER testing is carried out especially
for some specific cases. After the completion of the test plan, if the lump is
benign, doctors usually prepare a monitoring process, which can last some
months. Patients should consult doctors for re-evaluation of breast
abnormalities if they feel any change.
In the last decade, physicians have focused their attention on early
diagnosis and new therapies for the disease to reduce breast
cancer deaths. Fortunately, today procedures have changed radically.
Much better TREATMENT possibilities have been discovered and many women
have saved their life due to these modern treatments. A good diagnosis is the
starting point for every effective treatment. Therefore, trust your doctor and
follow his or her recommendations. A healthy life is waiting for
you.
