| > | | | | or other abnormalities. |
| Some women are at a higher risk of developing | | | | Breast cancer and ovarian cancer also seem to |
| breast cancer than others because of family | | | | be linked. Women who have either breast cancer |
| history of the disease. Women with a family | | | | or ovarian cancer, or both, in their families need |
| history of breast cancer are advised to take | | | | to be especially wary. Women in such high risk |
| extra precautions and preventive measures. | | | | categories must get regular mammograms, and |
| While physicians suggest that all women start | | | | even if they do, there is always the possibility |
| screening for breast cancer via mammograms | | | | that something may be missed. But by combining |
| every year from the age of 40 onwards, women | | | | breast MRI and mammography, researchers say, |
| who are more at risk due to genetic | | | | the presence of abnormal cancer cells can be |
| predisposition are advised to start screening from | | | | detected with great accuracy. |
| 35 years of age onwards or even increase the | | | | What is most commonly seen is that women |
| frequency of screening from once a year to once | | | | who are at a higher risk for developing breast |
| every six months. | | | | cancer may not always be getting their screening |
| Researchers have found that if a breast MRI is | | | | tests done as frequently as desired. This could |
| used along with the mammography, the | | | | either be because of lack of awareness or |
| effectiveness of detecting tumors at an early | | | | because the doctors are not referring them for |
| stage is increased manifold. This means that any | | | | appropriate tests. Breast cancer is a terrible |
| abnormalities in breast tissue can be picked up by | | | | disease to develop, it is in the best interests of |
| these tests with much more reliability than just | | | | each and every woman to proactively discuss |
| any one of them. It gives a fresh lease of hope | | | | with her physician on the degree of risk that she |
| for women who are even considering getting | | | | carries in developing the disease, by doing basic |
| preventative mastectomy so that they | | | | research on the family tree to identify any breast |
| don’t develop breast cancer. | | | | cancer occurrences in the family and sharing this |
| Using MRI is in fact almost twice as accurate as | | | | information with the physician. |
| mammograms when it comes to detecting breast | | | | If the tests can be done on time and with the |
| cancer. But when the two tests are combined, i.e. | | | | right frequency, the disease can be detected in |
| mammography as well as the MRI, the accuracy | | | | very early stages and can be completely cured |
| of the test results is greatly increased. The | | | | without having to undergo the trauma of |
| effectiveness is almost 94% when the two tests | | | | extensive mastectomy. |
| are combined, in terms of detecting the tumors | | | | |