All women are at risk for breast and cervical cancer, but regular screenings can prevent or detect these diseases early.
Breast cancer screening involves one or a combination of these methods:
1. Self breast exam
2. Clinical breast exam
Self breast exams are something you can do right in the comfort of your own home. It involves looking at and feeling your own breasts regularly, perhaps monthly, to detect any new lumps, swelling, or distortions of the breast.
Clinical breast exams are done by your provider during an office visit. Your provider is trained to look and feel for abnormalities in size, shape, skin, and nipples of your breast.
A mammogram is an xray of the breast that captures an image of breast tissue. It shows normal and abnormal structures in the breasts. It can detect breast cancer in it earliest stages. An xray machine made especially for breast tissue will compress the breast and take pictures from different angles.
A breast ultrasound is a screening tool that can target a particular area of the breast to distinguish normal findings from suspicious ones. A small instrument is placed on the skin and converts sound waves from breast tissue into an image. Ultrasounds are often used as a screening tool in conjunction with a mammogram or on young women who do not need routine mammograms yet.
Pap Test – This test looks for cell changes within the cervix that can lead to cervical cancer. You should begin getting these tests at age 21.
HPV Test – This test looks for the presence of an HPV virus that can lead to future cell changes.
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