If you take a keen look at the global health statistics, you will find out that one out of eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in her life. The U.S. is among the leading nations with the highest number of these cases. Sources indicate that breast cancer is among the top causes of death for women in the country.
With that having been said, it becomes important to find a way to curb the increasing number of these cases. One of the most effective approaches is early intervention. This means ensuring that cancerous cells are detected at an early stage for effective medical intervention and treatment. For this to happen, regular screening becomes a necessity. Below, we shall take a closer look at the importance of regular breast cancer screening.
Early Detection
Cancer cells are quite deceptive. At their onset, they can develop gradually, evading the part of the body’s innate immunity that detects the abnormal growth of cells. In most cases, they do not cause noticeable symptoms or complications until the growth is too massive. At that point, successful treatment becomes almost impossible.
This is why most healthcare institutions advocate for regular cancer screening, which should be done at least once annually, especially for susceptible individuals. As explained on this site run by Bedford Breast Center, the professionals can determine what you need based on your cancer test findings as soon as the results are out. Whether you need surgery, mastectomy, AHT, or RT, you can get the care you deserve as soon as possible to keep the situation under control.
During the screening, developments or peculiar growths can be detected at an early stage. Treatment is often easier when cancerous cells are detected early before spreading to other organs or areas of the body through the blood. So, the significant benefit of regular screening is early detection, which translates to early intervention.
Self-Awareness
Every time you make a run to a breast cancer screening facility, you are exposed to a lot of health information and facts about your body that you wouldn’t have known. For example, you can get information about some developments in your body that reveal you could be at risk of being a cancer victim. The screening process involves counseling and discussion with healthcare professionals who advise you on what you need to do to remain healthy and reduce the chances of developing cancer. Many of them revolve around maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including:
- Quitting smoking
- Maintaining healthy weight
- Limiting your alcohol intake
- Breastfeed your young one when you can
- Avoid hormone therapy after menopause if possible.
This is not to mention that some women are naturally at a higher risk of having breast cancer more than others. When you are in this category, you could be advised to take a mammogram every year. This is an x-ray of the breast. Regular checkups can therefore aid in prevention in addition to early detection and intervention.
Aids in Research
Every time you go for screening, you learn a few things about your body’s developments. At the same time, the experts taking care of you have a new sample or case to gather more information regarding the condition. For example, there is ongoing research on whether using gene therapy to cure hereditary cancer could be achievable. These are developments that have been made based on samples and information gathered during these screenings. Therefore, as you do your errand to these facilities for screening, consider it a contribution to every other woman’s welfare in the globe.
Saves You on Time and Money on Treatment
As earlier mentioned, the main reason to have these regular screenings is to promote early detection. A problem that is detected early is handled early enough before there are more complications. That being said, the treatment of a fully grown tumor is often risky and time-consuming, not to mention the overwhelming costs of treatment. With regular screening, however, oncologists can detect cancerous cells as they start developing. At that point, the treatment cost is quite low as nothing much has to be done. You may need not undergo any surgical procedures during the treatment, and the disease can be cured completely. Recovery is also quite short compared to how long it would have taken if you had a full-size tumor removed from your breast or have an entire breast chopped off. This is only assuming it is successful in the first place.
Health is wealth, and you can never be sure you are healthy unless you have undergone tests to affirm the same. This is especially when a global menace like breast cancer is in question. Nonetheless, the decision to regularly go for screening is entirely left to you. All the same, you know a few convincing reasons why regular screening for breast cancer is essential.