Approximately one in 10 women will hear these words in their lifetime. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It affects women of all ages though the incidence increases with age and is relatively uncommon in women under the age of 40 years.
Breast cancer is unique in many ways.
It is one of the cancers in which we have a readily available screening test that has been proven to be effective in saving lives when used appropriately. Mammograms are relatively cheap, widely available and accurate in establishing a diagnosis 95 to 98 percent of the time. Any woman with a palpable breast lump should have close follow-up by a physician, even if the mammogram is negative. There are now additional tests that can assist in the identification of breast abnormalities. The Miraluma scan is a special form of X-ray which can assist in the early diagnosis of disease.