4 Common misunderstandings about breast cancer

 

1. Self-check of the breast is useless

 It's recommended that women should check themselves regularly, especially one week after each menstrual cycle. Regular check-ups should be for breast lumps or any solid mass in the breast tissue.

2. Breast mammogram results are correct 100%

The latest medical statistics about this issue showed that up to 15% of the result of mammograms could be false negative, which means breast cancer may be present even if the mammogram is normal. Regular self-check of the breast could be helpful in this situation.

3. MRI is better than a mammogram for diagnosis of breast cancer

Breast MRI examination could be much more sensitive than a mammogram; but on the other side, the mammogram is the only diagnostic imaging technique that can pick up any micro-calcification in the breast tissue which is the earliest sign of breast cancer.

4. Mastectomy is the only prophylactic measure for the prevention of breast cancer

Avoiding the predisposing factors of breast cancer (such as smoking & post-menopausal obesity) is the main method for prophylaxis of breast cancer. Also, early detection of the tumor (by regular self-check & periodic mammograms) plays an important role in the prognosis.