breast exam

Importance of Early Detection for Breast Cancer

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concept of importance of early detection for breast cancer

Breast cancer is a fast-acting disease that has the best chance of being treated when the symptoms are caught early. However, many folks with breast cancer display no symptoms at all before the cancer starts to grow. This is why your local breast cancer surgeon in Austin cannot emphasize enough the importance of early detection for breast cancer prevention and easy treatment. Read the following information below to learn more about breast cancer screening options and schedule your personal consultation with our breast specialists today. Importance of Early Detection for Breast Cancer Early detection will always be the number one answer that doctors give in response to questions about how to best treat this monstrous disease. While there is still no surefire cure, there are a few different tests and screening options that allow patients and doctors to look for cancer much earlier in the development process. Thankfully, early …

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Is It Normal to Be Afraid of a Mammogram?

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Young woman with anxiety for mammogram

Cancer screenings are nerve-wracking for many people. You’re faced with the possibility that something could be wrong, and being tested will make it impossible to ignore. The feeling can be so intense that individuals may put off or entirely skip routine screenings to avoid dealing with the recognition of their own mortality. So, is it normal to be afraid of a mammogram? Is It Normal to Be Afraid of a Mammogram? If this sounds at all familiar, then take comfort in knowing that it is a perfectly natural response. It’s so common that the experience is sometimes referred to as “scanxiety.” Dealing with “Scanxiety” If you’re struggling to gather the resolve to schedule and attend your next mammogram, there’s no reason to feel bad. What you’re experiencing is completely valid. The trick is finding ways to overcome your anxiety. That doesn’t mean you need to make it totally disappear. …

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Risks vs Benefits of Breast Biopsy

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Doctor with folded arms and breast health ribbon on her frock.

A breast biopsy is an important part of the diagnostic process. A mammogram or ultrasound can be used to detect a mass, but a biopsy is the only way to definitively determine the nature of the mass. As a normal part of the diagnostic process, a breast biopsy is a highly regulated procedure with relatively minor risks involved. Let’s look at the risks vs benefits of a breast biopsy. Risks vs Benefits of Breast Biopsy With that being said, a biopsy may be a completely foreign concept to you. In order to demystify the process and help you feel more comfortable, we have put together a brief risk-benefit analysis along with a basic explanation of what you may expect when you get your breast biopsy in Austin. Types of Breast Biopsy Before getting into the risks and benefits of breast biopsies, we need to discuss the different types. There …

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Are Mammograms Painful?

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Woman standing waiting for a mammogram.

Once a woman turns forty, it’s common to begin annual mammograms in order to screen for breast cancer. Women with a strong family history may begin their annual examinations at an earlier date, whereas others might wait until they are 45 to 50. Regardless of when you choose to begin your annual examinations, it’s normal to have some anxiety around the procedure. One of the most common questions is whether or not mammograms are painful. Luckily, it generally isn’t. Are Mammograms Painful? A mammogram essentially works like a normal x-ray with a few tweaks. A mammogram machine uses a lower level of radiation to get its images, but that necessitates the use of a plate on either side of your breasts. The two plates gently pressing your breast spreads your breast tissue out enough to get a clear image without the use of stronger radiation. As a result, you …

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