If your gynaecologist or general healthcare provider suspects a tumor in your breast, your doctor may order several tests. Typically, a breast examination is done by a doctor in which the doctor looks for changes in the breasts. These include hard mass, skin changes, unusual nipple discharge, etc.
If you have any of these symptoms, seek professional help for early diagnosis and medical care. Get malignant tumor treatment from one of the best medical oncologists. This blog shares five diagnostic steps that help with breast cancer detection.
1. Breast Exams
A medical doctor examines your breasts during a clinical breast exam. This is to check for anything unusual in both breasts. Your doctor will check if there are changes in the nipple or breast skin.
During the breast examination, the doctor tries to identify lumps or hard masses (marble-like). Also, the doctor will feel the area under the arms and along the collarbones for lumps.
You can try a self-breast examination to watch for swelling, lumps, pain, swelling, skin dimpling, discharge, etc. It is a simple and effective way to look for abnormalities in the breast area at home.
2. Mammogram (Breast X-rays)
If your doctor finds or suspects a tumor, your doctor will recommend a breast X-ray, called a mammogram, for further information. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast tissue that screens for breast cancer (malignancy).
In case, a screening breast X-ray finds something unusual, your doctor may suggest getting another mammogram for a precise diagnosis. This gives your doctor detailed information through an X-ray picture of your breast.
Doctors may use a breast ultrasound during a biopsy examined by a pathologist. Furthermore, it helps address early signs of breast cancer before symptoms appear. Visit a trusted oncologist for malignant tumor treatment in Siliguri.
3. Breast Ultrasound
Ultrasound is an imaging test that uses sound waves to make pictures of inside your body, such as blood flow to the breast area, and type of tumor. A breast ultrasound is a medical imaging test advised if a mammogram or breast exam finds a problem.
This diagnostic test may provide your doctor with more information about a breast mass, lump, solid tumor, or fluid-filled cyst. For women younger than 45 years, a breast ultrasound may be recommended before mammography. The process mostly takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
4. Breast MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
MRI is another effective diagnostic process to detect a breast tumor. This uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the inside of the breast tissue.
A breast MRI is to screen people who are at high risk of breast cancer due to dense breast tissue, family history of breast cancer, etc. This imaging technique can tell the extent of breast cancer.
Medical experts suggest a breast MRI if a mammogram and breast ultrasound sounds aren’t enough for the diagnosis. MRIs of the breasts can show if cancer has spread to the nipple, underlying the chest wall muscle, etc.
5. Biopsy
A biopsy is a popular diagnostic procedure for cancer when it can detect other abnormalities. During a breast biopsy, a surgeon will remove a small sample of your breast tissue, which a pathologist examines. A lab test can tell if this tissue is benign or cancerous.
Your surgeon may use a biopsy need to take out a sample of your breast tissue to know if the suspicious part is malignant/cancerous. Different types of biopsies exist, such as fine-needle aspiration, vacuum-assisted core biopsy, core needle biopsy, incisional breast biopsy.
Make sure you don’t overlook signs that aren’t normal. See a healthcare provider if you have ongoing breast discomfort, lumps, inverted nipple discharge, skin changes, or pain/ a lump near your underarms. Early diagnosis can prevent complications of breast cancer. Get breast cancer treatment from a reputed oncologist.
