This is an automatically translated article.
The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Hong Hai - Doctor of Radiology - Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine - Vinmec Times City International Hospital
Mammography - mammogram is an imaging technique commonly used in breast cancer screening. According to statistics, up to 70% of Asian women have dense breast tissue, those with dense breast tissue have a high risk of breast cancer. So when you have dense breasts, should you have a mammogram?
1. What is solid mammary gland?
The mammary gland is composed of fibrous connective tissue, glandular parenchyma and fat organization. A dense mammary gland is when the mammary gland has a lot of fibrous and glandular tissue but little fat. The density of mammary gland parenchyma may decrease with age, but it is usually small and varies from person to person.
2. Do you need a mammogram if you have dense breasts?
To know if the density of breast tissue is dense or not, the doctor will determine through imaging methods (breast X-ray). According to the scale to determine the type of mammary gland density.
X-ray is a non-invasive, simple, effective and fast imaging technique in breast cancer screening. Although dense mammary glands can still be detected on an X-ray if breast cancer is present. Therefore, mammogram is still necessary if there are dense mammary glands.
In the case of solid mammary glands, 2D x-ray will be difficult to detect breast cancer, especially non-massive lesions on ultrasound. Therefore, to detect abnormalities in people with dense mammary glands, the doctor will prescribe 3D mammogram technique. 3D mammogram with 3D space will provide slice-by-slice images of mammary gland parenchyma on X-ray film in many different directions, thereby making it easier to evaluate abnormalities.
3D mammogram is an imaging technique that helps doctors detect abnormalities such as breast cancer without the need for additional indications or other methods, thereby saving time in diagnosis, as well as helping costly. In addition to mammograms, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging will also detect lesions that are not due to breast cancer or a diagnosis of cancer that cannot be shown on mammograms.
Chụp X-quang là kỹ thuật chẩn đoán hình ảnh không xâm lấn
3. Are mammograms harmful to health?
The health risk of X-rays is there, but only if it has to be taken for a long time. Usually, mammography uses only a small amount of X-rays, which under standard conditions will not cause harm to health.
4. Notes on having dense mammary glands
If there are dense mammary glands, the patient should see a doctor for examination and advice on screening methods. At the age of 40, it is recommended to go for a mammogram to screen and check every 2 years even if there is no family history of dense breast tissue.
Women between 20-25 years old should not subjectively undergo periodic breast ultrasound. People with non-dense breast tissue can still be at risk for breast cancer, so it's still a good idea to have regular check-ups for screening.
In addition, should build a reasonable diet, should not use stimulants, alcohol, tobacco, ... Besides, should maintain a healthy lifestyle to improve health.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has a Breast Cancer Screening Package to help detect breast cancer and breast diseases early even when there are no symptoms. The examination is always performed by a team of qualified doctors, well-trained in domestic and foreign environments. In addition, the hospital also applies specialized equipments of Mammography, CT scan, PET-CT scan, MRI, histopathological diagnosis, gene-cell testing, etc. to help in the diagnosis and treatment. treatment becomes most accurate.
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