Women Physicians
GYN Medical Group
Care of Women by Women

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer.

Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

 

Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Page 1

Text Box:               BREAST CANCER

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Page 1

Text Box:               BREAST CANCER

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

 

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

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Text Box:               BREAST CANCER

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

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Text Box:               BREAST CANCER

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

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Text Box:               BREAST CANCER

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

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Text Box:               BREAST CANCER

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we

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Text Box:               BREAST CANCER

Text Box: Did you know that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. women (skin cancer is diagnosed more often) and the second leading cause of cancer death (lung cancer is first)?  Assuming an 80-year lifespan, a woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 or 12.5%.  In 2003, it was estimated that there were 211,300 new cases of invasive breast cancer, 55,700 new cases of in-situ breast cancer and 39,800 deaths from breast cancer. Text Box: Breast Cancer Text Box: Risk Factors Text Box: exams even if your mammogram is negative. It is best to schedule your mammogram after a period (if you are premenopausal) and it is important not to wear any deodorants or powders on the day of your exam. Ultrasounds are useful in evaluating inconclusive mammographic findings, in evaluating young patients and other women with dense breast tissue, and in differentiating a cyst from a solid mass.  It is not very useful as a primary screening tool Text Box: The American College of Ob/Gyn and the American Cancer Society recommend that women over the age of 40 have an annual mammogram.  Mammograms may be able to detect breast cancer several years before the cancer can be felt on exam.  When a breast cancer is detected at an early stage on a routine mammogram, the chance of survival is greater than 90%.  Unfortunately, mammograms can miss 10% to 15% of breast cancers, so be vigilant with regular Text Box: (mammograms are still better as a screening tool). MRI can be a very sensitive method to detect breast cancer, but the cost, duration of the exam, lack of specificity, and need for injection of contrast material prohibit its use as a routine, population-based screening technique.  Color doppler ultrasonography, computer-aided detection, positron emission tomography (PET), scintithermography have shown promise but remain under clinical investigation and have not been proposed as effective screening tools. Text Box: Mammograms  and Other Imaging Techniques Text Box: Clinical  Screening Methods

Text Box: recommend you learn to do self breast exam.  Because most breast cancers do not cause pain, a painless lump may not be noticed unless you are specifically checking for it.  When you examine your breasts, it is best to do the exam after a period (if premenopausal) or at the same time each month (if postmenopausal).  Look at your breasts in the mirror with your hands above your head, then on your hips, curling your shoulders forward then Text Box: backward.  Watch for puckers or dimples, retraction of the nipple or peau d’orange (orange peel) appearance.  Use the pads of your fingers and be sure you systematically examine the entire breast by using vertical lines, spokes of a wheel or circular pattern.  Some women prefer to do their exam in the shower.  Be sure to check for lumps in your axilla (armpit) as well. Text Box: The American Cancer Society recommends clinical breast examination (examination by a physician) every 3 years for women aged 20-39 years and annually beginning at age 40 years.  We suggest all women should have a thorough physician breast exam as part of their annual check-up each year. Breast self-examination has the potential to detect palpable breast cancer and we