“Screening” means looking for an illness before an individual has any symptoms. The mainly well-known use of medical image screening is for breast cancer. Here are guidelines from NIH’s National Cancer Institute for ruling breast cancer early:

• Women who are younger than 40 and have risk factors for breast cancer (for example, a family record of breast cancer or certain breast changes on biopsy) should discuss how frequent to have mammograms with their health care provider.

These are facts about breast cancer and risk factors for breast cancer. At the last section is the things that you can do and discuss with your doctor.

Natural Conditions

When examining yourself, you may find things that cause you concern. When doing SBE, it’s important to remember that each woman’s breast are different, and that changes can occur because aging, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, or taking birth control pills or other hormones.

It is normal for breasts to feel a little lumpy or uneven. Also, it is common for a woman’s breast to be swollen and tender right before or during her menstrual period. It is therefore vital that you get to know your breast before you can detect changes.

These are common myth and presumption about mammography. Some are so widely spread and treated like a common sense.

Mammography is painful.

Expect some discomfort as the breast is compressed for even distribution tissues. However, the compression is only momentary and the discomfort for most patients is tolerable.

I don’t need a mammogram unless I feel a lump or have symptoms.