Breast Cancer: Detection and Diagnosis:

The number of women contracting breast cancer has only been on the rise in the last ten years and is only growing. Breast cancer is one of the top three types of cancers that can afflict women which is why it is important to constantly monitor the breasts for any abnormal or sudden changes and take the appropriate action, if necessary, as soon as possible. Breast cancer usually develops in a woman's breasts when she reaches her 20s and is prone to developing this cancer till she's in her 50s. 

Here, we will throw light on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and create breast cancer awareness to enable early detection and diagnosis of this frightful and fatal disease that claims thousands of women's lives every year. And a major reason for this high death statistic is because many overlook the signs and symptoms of breast cancer that develop at an early stage. Instead, they catch or spot the symptoms when it's already too late or when the cancer has reached an advanced stage.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer
Some of the common symptoms of breast cancer, which you should keep an eye out for, include:

- Sudden change in shape in one or both breasts
- Lump/s or pain in the breast
- Redness or a rash on the breast
- Swelling of the nipple or discharge from the nipple

- A newly formed but smaller nipple

- Methods/exams for diagnosing breast cancer

Detection and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

Some of the test/procedures/methods used to diagnose and detect breast cancer stages include: 

· Breast exam. This is a simple and straightforward exam wherein your doctor will check both your breasts as well as the lymph nodes in your armpit, feeling for any lumps, rashes or other abnormalities in and around your breasts.

· Mammogram. This is an X-ray of the breast. They are commonly used to screen/check for breast cancer. If there is an abnormality detected, your doctor may then recommend a diagnostic mammogram to evaluate that particular abnormality further.

· Breast ultrasound. An ultrasound uses special sound waves to produce images of structures found deep within the body. An ultrasound is used to determine whether a breast lump is a solid mass or just a fluid-filled cyst.

· Removing a sample of the breast cells for testing (or a biopsy). A biopsy is the only definitive way to diagnosis breast cancer. A specialized needle type device guided by an X-ray or any other type of imaging test is used to extract a tissue sample from the suspicious area. Many times, a small metal marker is left at the site within your breast so the area can be easily identified in future imaging tests. The samples are then sent to a laboratory for analysis where experts determine whether the cells are cancerous or not.

Staging breast cancer

Once your doctor has properly diagnosed your breast cancer, he/she will work to establish the extent,
i.e., stage of your cancer. The stage of your breast cancer will help determine your prognosis and the
best treatment options available to you. 

Tests and procedures that are used to determine the stage of your breast cancer may include:

· Blood tests, such as a CBC or complete blood count

· Mammogram of the other breast to look for signs of cancer

· Breast MRI

· Bone scan

· Computerized tomography (CT) scan

· Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

You will not need to undergo all of these tests. Based on your symptoms, your doctor will prescribe the
appropriate test/s that you need. The stages of breast cancer range from 0 to IV - 0 indicating that the
cancer is non-invasive or is still contained to the milk ducts. Stage IV breast cancer, which is also
called metastatic breast cancer, indicates that the cancer has spread to other areas of the body.