October is breast cancer awareness month. In cooperation with Montgomery General Hospital and the Gazette Newspaper I will be here for the next hour to answer your questions on the diagnosis of breast cancer. In the up coming weeks there will be additional discussions on surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and post mastectomy reconstruction by my colleagues. You may click here to see a slide presentation on the diagnosis of breast cancer. Breast cancer is a common and frightening disease however it is treatable and survival rates today are higher than ever before.
Treatment begins with diagnosis.
Although much research is currently being done to try to shed light on the causes of breast cancer, there is currently no way to prevent the disease. Risk reduction may be possible with hormone therapy, but early detection remains the cornerstone of efforts to reduce breast cancer mortality. The initial evaluation of my patients begins with a history of symptoms, search for risk factors and a physical exam, a mammogram and sometimes an ultrasound. If anything suspicious for cancer, such as a lump or an abnormal finding on mammogram, is identified I sample the tissue to determine if cancer is present. Many times it is possible to diagnose breast cancer with minimally invasive procedures as opposed to open surgical biopsies.