What You Should Know About Breast Cancer Diagnosis

What You Should Know About Breast Cancer Diagnosis

There are various types of diseases that people suffer from these days. Breast cancer is a terrible one, which usually comes unexpectedly, and it is quite difficult to predict whether someone is at risk or not.

The main problem is that it is hard to detect any type of cancer at an early stage. Although a breast cancer diagnosis is at a high-level nowadays, doctors are able to support people in various situations that are happening in their life. 

If you have a suspected cancer at any stage, we suggest you consult with specialists. Remember: regular health checks will both save and prevent you from having many diseases. If you or your relatives are diagnosed with breast cancer, and need help whether at home or in a hospital, All American Home Care offers 24/7 home service. We provide palliative home care as well as hospice.

What Is The Best Way to Detect Breast Cancer?

It is vitally important to detect breast cancer at an early stage to get successful treatment. There are a few ways that can help one detect the disease as soon as possible.

First of all, breast cancer self-diagnosis may help you to identify breast cancer at an early stage. There is nothing wrong with doing self-checks regularly, as it can show some variations in your breasts. You can check your breasts and armpit lymph nodes while taking a shower or before going to bed.

If you notice any changes in the appearance or texture of your breasts, such as discoloration, visible or palpable lump or nipple discharge, or some changes in your armpit lymph, you should immediately visit a specialist to be thoroughly checked. It is crucial to make an appointment with the doctor straight away, as literally every second matters in such cases.

As soon as you visit a doctor, both of your breasts, as well as the lymph nodes in your armpits will be checked, and if the doctor finds any abnormalities, you will get a prescription for various tests such as:

What Are The Differences Between Diagnostic Tests For Breast Cancer?

There are different types of diagnostic tests for breast cancer, and each of them has its own role in diagnostics. The first thing that should be mentioned is screening tests that are meant to find breast cancer at an early stage.

Mammograms are usually given to those who don’t have any problems with their health and aren’t considered to be at risk of getting cancer. It should also be stated that specialists advise you to check your breasts regularly, in order to be sure about the health of your breasts.

If a doctor suspects you of having breast cancer or you have any abnormalities in armpit lymph nodes, there are some diagnostic tests such as a biopsy, which can determine if you have cancer or not. They help to provide more information about each individual case. The material from the lumps is taken and checked by a specialist, and the doctor usually decides on the next steps, according to the results of this examination.

You may also be asked to do a breast MRI. It helps to put some images of the breast together and create a detailed examination. This test is usually done when cancer is detected. However, a doctor may insist on having it done, in case you have some predispositions such as your family history (one of your relatives have had cancer), your breasts are dense, or you have some breast changes or abnormalities.

The other step is also usually taken for those who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer. If they have this horrifying disease, they are supposed to do some monitoring tests, which usually vary, and the tests are used to check the usefulness of therapies and the signs of recurrence.

Undoubtedly, there are many tests that will be used by the doctor before and during treatment for breast cancer. For instance, the patient may be asked to do blood check counts, as the level of vital blood cells may be reduced by cancer or treatment.

Also, in order to check the condition of your organs and bones, you may be advised to do blood chemistry tests, which are meant to measure the levels of certain substances in the blood and can reveal the condition of organs during the treatment.

If I am Diagnosed With a Breast Cancer What Do I Need To Know?

It is quite important to say that science has made a breakthrough in breast cancer treatment, and there are more options for treating cancer nowadays. The first thing that one with breast cancer should pay attention to is the stage of her breast cancer.

The stages are determined by the characteristics of cancer and are important for the doctors, as the division helps them to find the appropriate treatment, make prognosis and predict possible ways of disease progression, as well as suggest to the patients some possible clinical trials which can be used in each individual case.

The scale for breast cancer ranges from 0 to 4, where 0 shows non-invasive cancers which have a special location and usually remain within it, while 4 determines invasive cancers which have spread outside the breasts and may be found in other parts of the body.

Stages 3 and 4 are the most dangerous ones, as they have a huge effect on the whole body of the patients. In the third stage, the cancer cells do not usually spread outside of the breast to other parts of the body; however, they can extend to the chest wall or the skin of the breast.

Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis means that you have advanced cancer, and the tumor is more than 2 inches in diameter. This stage is also divided into three subsections, such as 3A, 3B, and 3 C. The survival rate, as well as the prognosis and treatment, are all individual. A doctor will develop a treatment plan according to the individual indicators of health and the results of different tests examinations.

The stage number 4 is the worst one in any type of cancer. Stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis means that you have the most advanced form, and it has spread to other parts of the body. It is also known as metastatic breast cancer, which cannot be cured.

Having a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis means that you can expect that the treatment can only stop the spread of the malignancy and provide you with a comparatively normal life. Breast cancer in the 4th stage can metastasize to various organs such as the liver, lungs, brain, abdomen, etc. If one is diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, the main goal for the doctors is to help the patient to stop the spread of cancer to other parts of the body.