Breast Cancer: Screening Can Save Lives
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Why is screening for breast cancer important?
Breast cancer is the most common female cancer and the 2nd leading cause of female cancer
Screening means checking for health problems before they cause symptoms. Breast cancer screening is used to detect cancer, breast changes, or other abnormal conditions. If screening detects an abnormality, diagnosis and treatment can occur promptly.
Some racial/ethnic groups experience higher rates of breast cancer than other groups so it is important for everyone to be screened. For example, White women have the highest incidence rate of breast cancer and African American women have the highest mortality rate of breast cancer among other racial/ethnic group.
What types of screening tests check the breasts for cancer?
Your healthcare provider may suggest the following screening tests for breast cancer.
- Screening mammogram: X-rays of each breast are taken to look for lumps or abnormal changes. Mammograms can detect breast cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage, as early as 3 years before lumps are detected during breast self-exams or clinical breast examinations.
- Clinical breast exam: Your healthcare provider feels each breast and looks for lumps or other changes.
You may perform monthly breast self-exams to check for any lumps or changes in the breasts. Breast self-exams cannot replace regular clinical breast exams and screening mammograms. You should ask your healthcare provider about how to do a self-exam properly and how often to check your breasts.
When should I get screened for breast cancer?
If you are over age 40 you should talk with your healthcare provider about checking for breast
To find breast cancer early, the National Cancer Institute recommends that women in their 40s and older should have a mammogram every 1 to 2 years. You should talk to your healthcare provider if you notice any unusual changes in your breasts or if you are concerned about your risk for breast cancer.
Where can I get screened for breast cancer?
Ask your healthcare provider or local health
clinic for the screening site nearest you.
Stanford Hospital patients can contact the Stanford Referral
Center, by calling 1-800-756-9000, Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or sending an email to Referrals [referral].
Call the Cancer
Detection Programs: Every Woman Counts at 1-800-511-2300.
Every Woman Counts provides low-income women access to
screening, diagnostic and follow-up services for breast
and cervical cancer. Services are available in English,
Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Korean,
Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where can I find more information about breast cancer?
Stanford Resources
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Resources
- National Cancer Institute at www.cancer.gov
- NCI Breast Cancer Page
- NCI Cancer Information Service (CIS): Trained information specialists can answer your questions about cancer and provide print and electronic NCI publications. Service is available in English and Spanish on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
Call toll free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or 1-800-332-8615 (TTY for the hearing and speech impaired). Callers also have the option of listening to recorded information about cancer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To get live, online assistance from an NCI Information
Specialist, visit LiveHelp.
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