by Tina Haapala

Created on: June 06, 2009   Last Updated: June 16, 2009

All over the world, people are displaying their pink ribbons, reminders that breast cancer has no absolute cure. While that search continues, it is important for women to realize they have the means to uncover the disease early. By doing so, they can take advantage of available treatments that can save their lives.

Screening for Breast Cancer

Clinical breast exams, self-exams, and mammograms are vital to detecting breast cancer. All women should know how to examine their own breasts. As a woman becomes more familiar with how her breast tissue feels when healthy, she has a better chance of noticing potential problems. Self-exams alone are not enough, however. Women must supplement them with doctor visits.

During these visits, noticeable changes in the breasts can be pointed out and discussed while the doctor is performing the clinical exam. If there are any lumps detected, the mammogram can be focused in on those areas.

Mammograms are x-rays of the breast tissue. Even if no lumps were found in the other exams, the mammogram can usually detect small tumors. Women should submit to this slightly uncomfortable but brief test once a year, especially after they turn 40. Some women mistakenly believe that if they do not have a history of breast cancer or other risk factors, and they perform self-exams, that it's fine to avoid the mammogram. Unfortunately, this can lead to later detection since a tumor has to be somewhat advanced before it can be felt. All of the methods should be combined to discover the cancer as early as possible.

Importance of Early Detection

The earlier the breast cancer is found and treatment is begun, the higher the survival rate. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, when breast cancer is found in the localized stage, the 5-year survival rate is 98%. The later the disease goes undiagnosed, the more difficult it is to treat, and the chance of survival decreases. A tumor that was once very small and could have been detected by a mammogram can continue to grow. This larger tumor is more difficult to treat, and the cancer may spread to other parts of the body.

Treatment Options

Localized Treatments

Surgery and radiation are focused therapies limited to the tumor and the area around the tumor. Surgeries to treat breast cancer are the lumpectomy, where the tumor and some surrounding tissue in the breast are removed, and the mastectomy, where the whole breast and sometimes other surrounding tissue are

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