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Women's health: Checking for breast cancer

Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. Screening can help find cancer at an early stage, when it is easier to treat. The most common way to screen for breast cancer is to get a mammogram. A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the inside of the breast. Mammograms can find about 80% (8 out of 10) of all breast cancers.

Breast cancer occurs when there are tumors, or groups of cells clumped together, in breast tissue. Early breast cancer can be hard to notice or feel. A mammogram can find signs of cancer before you may be able to feel something like a hard lump in your breast.

When breast cancer is found early, it has a higher chance of being treated successfully. Mammograms are important because they can find changes before you can.

All women between the ages of 50 and 74 need a mammogram every other year. Some women at higher risk for breast cancer may need to start getting mammograms at an earlier age (40 or even earlier). Some women at higher risk also need mammograms or other tests more often.

Who is at risk for breast cancer?
Breast cancer mainly affects women who are 55 years old or older. People with a family history of certain kinds of breast cancer or cancer of the ovaries may also be more likely to get breast cancer. Women with higher risks of breast cancer should get mammograms at an earlier age.

• Breast cancer is the second most common cancer for women. Breast cancer is more common for white women than women of other races or backgrounds.
• Some women are more likely to die because of breast cancer than other women. Breast cancer is the most common cause of death due to cancer for Hispanic women. African American women with breast cancer are more likely to die because of breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group. Some research has found that African American women get breast cancer at an earlier age than most women.

Talk with your doctor to learn more about your risks for breast cancer.

This measure shows the percent of women 40 to 59 years old in each practice who received a mammogram. A higher number is better.

If your doctor's office is not listed it means there was not enough information available to report this measure.

Why it is important:
Checking women for breast cancer saves lives. When breast cancer is found early, there is a much better chance that it can be successfully treated. Mammograms are not appropriate for all women, such as women who have already had both breasts removed.

What you and your doctor should do:
Good health requires a partnership. Your doctor cannot do it alone. You and your doctor should plan for the mammogram when appropriate. Your doctor should tell you how often you should have a mammogram based on your risk factors for breast cancer. It is your responsibility to have the mammogram after it is ordered.

How does breast cancer affect our community?

• The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2010, over 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed. In Kansas, this disease accounts for 30% of all cancers found in women.
• The combined cost for breast cancer to the Kansas economy is estimated at $38 million per year, including direct medical costs and lost productivity.
• In the U.S., about 64% of women get mammograms at the recommended time. In Kansas City, 73% of women do.

Get tips on talking to your doctor and asking the right questions