ASK THE DOCTOR               

Jaime Cardenas, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist St. Joseph's Regional Health Cent

I keep hearing conflicting information about breast cancer. Can you give me some easy guidelines for detection?

There are a lot of myths about breast cancer. One of the scariest things about it is the uncertainty of what it is and how it occurs. Many people want to protect themselves, but they aren't sure where the enemy lies. While the cause and perfect cure for breast cancer haven't been pinpointed, researches have made great strides in learning more about the disease. Here are some of the myths and facts about detection:

Myth: A lump in your breast means you have breast cancer.
Fact: More than 80 percent of lumps are benign (not cancerous). Breast lumps are very common in pre-menopausal women and can come and go with the menstrual cycle.

Myth: Breast self-examination (BSE) is enough to detect breast cancer.
Fact: BSE is just one part of the detection program. It should be followed with regular breast exams performed by a doctor or nurse and regular mammograms.

Myth: Mammograms have no benefit and are even harmful to women under 50.
Fact: More than 20 percent of breast cancers are diagnosed in women under 50 years old.

Myth: Mammography can spread breast cancer.
Fact: A mammogram is an X-ray which can find breast cancer. It is not used for treatment.

Myth: Mammography is ineffective in dense breast tissue.
Fact: Dense breast tissue, which is more common in younger women, can make a mammogram more difficult to interpret, but interpretation by experts has confirmed that mammography can find breast cancer in any women.

Myth: One mammogram is enough to ensure you do not have breast cancer.
Fact: Abnormalities not visible on one year's mammogram might be visible on the next. You have a much better chance for survival if you detect breast cancer early - before you have symptoms. Annual screening mammography should begin by age 40 and continue at least into a woman's 70s.