Mammography: A new step in breast cancer screening

The article is professionally consulted by Dr., Doctor Tran Nhu Tu, Master, Doctor Le Thi Hong Vu - Department of Diagnostic Imaging - Vinmec Danang International Hospital.

Mammography is a method of using low-energy, low-harmful X-rays to illuminate the mammary gland tissue to detect abnormalities in the mammary gland. Currently, mammography is preferred for breast cancer screening and early detection of breast cancer.

Early-stage breast cancer is cancer that has grown in the breast gland and has not spread or spread to other parts of the body. If detected early in this stage, the complete cure is very high, the patient is treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiation therapy. However, most cases of early breast cancer do not show any clinical signs, so it is difficult to detect. There are few of them with abnormal manifestations in the mammary gland such as breast tumor, abnormal nipple discharge, change in skin color in the breast...
Because the symptoms are not clear, it is better to detect the condition early. This condition requires the use of laboratory methods such as ultrasound of the breast, breast MRI, mammogram (mammogram), biopsy of the lesion. In which breast ultrasound and mammography are the simplest methods, but mammogram is the preferred method to choose because of its high sensitivity, it can detect small tumors that cannot be detected by ultrasonography. The sound is invisible, non-invasive, simple, inexpensive and gives quick results.

Mammography is a method used in cancer screening and cancer diagnosis to help detect breast cancer at an early stage when there are no clinical signs. Mammography is the preferred choice as one of the breast cancer screening methods because of the following advantages:
Helps to screen for breast cancer in high-risk subjects, giving accurate results high. Mammography combined with ultrasound of the breast allows the detection of small tumors, from which the chance of being cured is very high. Detection of microcalcifications; of which some are malignant in nature that cannot be detected on mammography. Digital mammography (DR) systems allow the best image capture, magnification. at suspicious sites, allowing very small lesions to be detected. Help diagnose breast pathology in the following cases: Abnormal signs appear in the breast, or breast cancer has no clinical manifestations, confirm a diagnosis when other methods are suspected. Orientation and guide the position, entry for the aspiration cytology for more precise biopsies and tissue resection. Monitor existing lesions and new lesions appear after surgical treatment. It is a fast, convenient, non-invasive and low-cost diagnostic method. The X-rays used in mammograms are low-energy, so the potential for harm to the body is almost nonexistent. However, in the case of pregnant women in the first 3 months of pregnancy with contraindications to imaging to prevent risks to the fetus, the following months need to be weighed between the diagnostic benefit and the risk to the fetus. Mammography should also be indicated in women 40 years of age and older because the density of the mammary glands is not thick, reducing the extent of the lesion.

Women aged 40 and over, because it is recommended that the breast changes at age 40 and older, so the risk of developing breast cancer is higher, should have regular mammograms about every 1-2 years, over 50 age is once per year. Research shows that women of this age who are screened for breast cancer with mammograms for early detection of breast cancer can reduce breast cancer deaths by 15 to 29%. People at high risk such as: Carrying BRCA1, BRCA2 mutations, having a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, obese women, diabetics, not having children, not breastfeeding, having diseases Previously treated cancer, benign disease in the breast, using hormone replacement therapy for more than 5 years... should take mammogram earlier from 35 years old onwards. People with thick, fatty breast tissue make the clinical examination undetectable for small lesions or ultrasound does not detect obvious lesions. There are abnormal symptoms in the breast such as nipple discharge, abnormal skin color, areola, size difference between 2 breasts, palpable abnormal mass in the breast, armpit pit...

At Vinmec International General Hospital, there is a Breast Cancer Screening Package to help detect breast cancer early even when there are no symptoms.
Breast cancer screening package at Vinmec for the following subjects:
Female customers, over 40 years old. Customers wishing to be able to screen for breast cancer Customers are at high risk of cancer – especially customers with a family history of breast cancer. Women of reproductive age, perimenopause and menopause. Women who are showing symptoms of breast cancer such as: pain in the breast, lump in the breast,... Dr. Tran Nhu Tu with over 20 years of experience, of which 3 years as Deputy Head of the Paraclinical Department - Hoa Vang Hospital, 16 years as Deputy Head of Diagnostic Imaging Department at Da Nang Hospital, 4 years as Head of Imaging Department at Da Nang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital; Dr. Tu makes accurate diagnoses, minimizes errors based on acquired images, and is ready to serve patients 24/24 in emergencies and emergencies.
Dr. Tu has participated in domestic and foreign training courses such as: Master of Radiology, Research Fellow in Diagnostic Imaging at Hanoi Medical University, Diagnostic Imaging at CHU Reims - France, Electricity interventional radiology at Winterthur hospital - Switzerland, interventional radiology at Singapore General Hospital... before being the head of the Department of Diagnostic Imaging at Vinmec Danang Hospital as it is now.
Master doctor Le Thi Hong Vu has good English, participated in many short-term and continuous training courses on annual diagnostic imaging. The doctor has more than 7 years of experience as a doctor in the field of diagnostic imaging, especially ultrasound.

To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide, or register online HERE.