Americans young and old should always stay on top of their health, and various medical fields exist for the heart, the teeth, and even the mind. For adult American women today, their breasts are another area of concern, and women are urged to visit a clinic to get consultations about the health of their breasts to prevent serious problems such as breast cancer or other issues from getting out of hand. These clinics do not actually treat breast cancer, but they can provide a breast biopsy procedure or a 3D ultrasound and 3D mammography for examining the state of a patient’s breasts. Consultations at such an office allow today’s woman to keep track of her health, and older women in particular are urged to get consultations and imaging to be aware of developing health issues. Consultations at such a clinic can even save a life.
On Breast Cancer
While a clinic for imaging and consultations does not actually provide medical services for treating breast cancer, these clinics can go a long way toward diagnosing a case early, and this can save lives. What are some common statistics that women today should know about breast cancer? In general, today’s American woman faces a 12.4% chance, or roughly one in eight, of being diagnosed with breast cancer, but some other factors may raise or lower this risk, depending on a woman’s lifestyle and the genetics of her family. Risk of breast cancer is about twice as high for women who have a first-degree relative who also suffered breast cancer, such as a sister, mother, or aunt compared to women who have no such family medical history. What is more, weight and exercise may influence breast cancer rates. Postmenopausal breast cancer risks are 1.5 times higher in overweight women as compared to lean ones, and the risk is twice as high in obese women. One reason for this is because after menopause, a woman’s fat tissue is the largest sources of estrogen, and higher estrogen can boost breast cancer risks. Conversely, women who get regular physical activity like cardio or playing sports have a 10% to 20% lower chance of getting breast cancer as opposed to those who are sedentary. Any woman will want to visit a clinic for consultations and imaging to check for developing breast cancer, and it is clear that for higher-risk women, this service is even more urgent.
Imaging and Breast Biopsies at the Clinic
Whether a woman today faces higher or lower chances of breast cancer or another problem, she is urged to visit clinics for imaging or even breast biopsies if need be, and older women in particular are encouraged to do this regularly. In fact, out of all age groups, women aged 60-69 are the most likely to avoid death from breast cancer by going in for mammography, and similarly, the National Health Interview Survey found in 2015 that 50% of women aged 40 and up reported having a mammogram within the past year. Among those surveyed, 64% reported having a mammogram within the past two years, a broader time frame. And in general, studies have shown that mammography can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer by as much as 20-40%.
A woman who feels the need for a mammogram due to her age, family history, or other factors may visit such a clinic, and medical staff will guide her to using a mammography machine to take ultrasound or X-ray images of the tissue of her breasts to check for any developing issues, such as cancerous growth. And if the doctors there see the need, a woman may go in for a breast biopsy, where the breast’s tissue is numbed and a needle is inserted to gather a tissue sample to be analyzed. Since this is invasive, the opening is stitched closed or a bandage is put over it, and the patient may expect mild discomfort or even minor bleeding for the next few days, and if the symptoms become serious, she may visit again for further treatment. Otherwise, a breast biopsy can go a long way to accurately diagnosing developing health issues in the breasts early, and the results may lead to further consultations about what to do next.
