Breast Cancer Screening Service - Program 1

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in women and the leading cause of cancer death. 

Women should have a clinical examination with their doctors. Specifically, women between the ages of 25 and 39 should have a check-up every 1-3 years, and women 40 years and older should have a check-up every year. 

Women over 40 are recommended yearly mammograms and should continue even when in good health. Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. It can detect breast cancer 3 years earlier compared to manual method.

Note:

• You do not need to fast or follow any particular diet before the exam day. The best time to have a mammogram if you are not yet menopausal is after your period ends and within two weeks of the first day of your last period.
• Inform your doctor that you have breast augmentation surgery or breast implants. Do not use perfume, cream, or powder on the chest, armpit because it may give inaccurate results.
• Mammography should be done 1 week after menstruation when estrogen decrease and breast tenderness is reduced.

WHO SHOULD PERFORM BREAST SCREENING?

• Women beginning at age 40: As recommended, screening mammograms should be performed every 1-2 years from the age of 40 and annually for women from 50 years older. Which can reduce mortality by 15 to 29%.
• People at high risk: Who have BRCA1, BRCA2 mutations; family medical history of Breast Cancer, Ovarian cancer; obesity; diabetes; not having children, not breastfeeding, having cancer, etc. Women who have been treated before or benign breast disease, use hormone replacement therapy for more than 5 years. These should perform mammograms earlier than 35 years old.
• People who have reproductive problems such as infertility, inability breastfeeding, early menarche, and late menopause (over 55 years old)
• People thick, fatty breast tissue that is hard to detect small lesions.
• People have abnormal symptoms for example nipple discharge, abnormal color, areola, breast different sizes, abnormal tumor in breast or armpit, etc.