Prevent breast ailments

First of all, we must divide breast disease into two large classifications: benign and malignant. Early diagnosis is especially important in malignant disease, since survival rates are higher the earlier detection is made and the earlier treatment begins.

• Early diagnosis in breast diseases is essential to start treatment on time and increase survival.
• Mammography is an effective diagnostic test that consists of an X-ray of the breasts from top to bottom and from outside to inside with minimal doses of radiation.
• Aware of the importance of early diagnosis, some companies have already begun to incorporate specific programs for women into their health insurance.

What evidence do we have?

• it is a non-invasive radiological technique that uses a low-dose X-ray system. Two projections are systematically made, the craniocaudal, from top to bottom, and the lateral or oblique from outside to inside. Breast compression is important to get good images, so patients with more premenstrual breast sensitivity are recommended to perform the examination in the week after the end of menstruation. Whenever there is a previous examination at your home, it must be provided in order to be compared with the current one. The current risks of mammography are very low as the radiation used is minimal and its benefits far outweigh them.
• FNAB: Fine needle aspiration is a rapid method that determines a diagnosis in 90% of cases. The lesion is punctured with an ultrasound-guided needle and cells are aspirated for analysis. It is usually requested in cases of new-onset nodules or that have changed over time to verify whether they are benign or malignant nodules and to be able to decide the treatment to follow. It is also sometimes used to empty cysts of fluid that can be bothersome.
• BAG: Core needle biopsy can be performed ultrasound-guided in cases where samples of ultrasound-visible or palpable lesions are removed. Before the puncture, local anesthesia is administered. If the lesion is only diagnosed by mammography, the biopsy will be guided by stereotaxis, that is, with radiological guidance, on a table specifically designed for this test.
• Magnetic resonance imaging: it is a diagnostic test that allows images of the body's tissues to be obtained by electromagnetic waves, it can help to complement mammography or ultrasound in suspected malignant tumors or sometimes to define if a breast prosthesis is intact or broken.
• Ultrasound: The is a complementary imaging technique to mammography that uses ultrasound and that never replaces it as a screening method. It is indicated in cases of palpable masses, either in cases where mammography indicates the presence of benign or malignant nodules, or when a nodule is to be punctured for study. It is very important to emphasize that it is not useful for the early diagnosis of breast cancer and, on the other hand, in the presence of a nodule with benign characteristics it allows to distinguish if it is a solid or liquid tumor (cyst) better than mammography.
• Harpoon: Harpoon placement is performed in cases where a suspicious area is seen on mammography or ultrasound but is not palpable. To guide the surgeon who must remove it, a small harpoon is placed.

PREVENT BREAST cancer

Did you know that MAPFRE's health insurance includes free access to the Early Diagnosis Program at the specialized medical centers included in the MAPFRE Medical Guide?