What is Cancer screening?

• Screening examinations are tests performed to find disease before symptoms begin. The goal of screening is to detect disease at its earliest and most treatable stage. In order to be widely accepted and recommended by medical practitioners, a screening program must meet a number of criteria, including reducing the number of deaths from the given disease.
• Screening tests may include laboratory tests to check blood and other fluids, and imaging tests that produce pictures of the inside of the body.
In breast cancer screening, a woman who has no signs or symptoms of breast cancer undergoes a breast examination such as:
Mammography:
Mammography is a type of x-ray examination used to examine the breasts.
Breast Ultrasound
Breast ultrasound is a type of imaging that uses sound waves to create pictures of the inside of the breast.
Breast MRI
During breast MRI, a powerful magnetic field, radio frequency pulses and a computer are used to produce detailed pictures of the inside of the breasts.
BreastTomosynthesis:
Also called three-dimensional (3-D) mammography, It aids in the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer before women experience symptoms

Who should consider breast cancer screening , and why?

About Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually in the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.
Breast cancer is a leading cause of death from cancer in women. A womans risk of developing breast cancer increases with:
• age
• a family history of the disease
• a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
• beginning menstruation at an early age
• older age at birth of first child or never having given birth
• breast tissue that is dense
• use of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone
• obesity
• consumption of alcoholic beverages
Women at high risk for breast cancer include those who have:
• a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
• a first-degree relative (mother, father, brother, sister or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, though she herself has not had genetic testing
• a lifetime risk of breast cancer of about 20 to 25 percent or greater, according to risk assessment tools that are based mainly on a family history that includes both their mothers and fathers side
• had radiation therapy to the chest when they were between the ages of 10 and 30 years
• a genetic disease such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, or have a first-degree relative with one of these diseases
• a personal history of breast cancer