Breast Cancer Diagnostic - Alternative Cancer Treatment
Medical professionals now have an extensive array of tools at their
disposal to make diagnosis of breast cancer more reliable, especially in
the early stages. That’s great news, since it considerably increases
the odds of keeping breast cancer down to the level of ’serious but not
permanently scarring or life-threatening’.
Diagnosis will usually start with a clinical exam. The physician will
perform a hands-on breast examination similar to the self-exam that is
recommended for all women over age 19. Cancerous lumps generally feel
harder and less mobile than benign cysts. Cancer tumors are frequently
irregular while non-cancerous lumps tend to be round. A trained
professional can often tell the difference.
A mammogram assists in confirmation of the diagnosis. Modern digital
mammograms typically rely on computer assistance. Detection of tumors is
aided by complex algorithms that do a great job telling the difference
between normal and suspect image sections. This tool greatly assists
physicians in eliminating false positives and also helps in detecting
smaller, less obvious issues in the early developmental stages.
Ultrasound is another modern tool that has been improved since its
introduction. They’re excellent at helping to distinguish between a
benign cyst and a cancer tumor. Since cysts are harmless, fluid-filled
sacs they react to sound waves differently than do the harder, denser
cancer cells.
MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging is another method used to diagnose
breast cancer. Years ago it was unheard of for an insurance company to
pay for this extremely pricey test. But recently costs have become lower
and coverage has expanded. It is now more common. This machine works by
passing a powerful magnetic field over the breasts, thus exciting the
molecules in a way that does not harm the body, but still produces very
distinctive results. This allows professionals to use images generated
with an MRI to detect extremely small abnormalities and issues.
When other tests suggest that a closer look is warranted, a biopsy is
often performed. Some may be as simple as a fine-needle aspiration. A
small amount of fluid is removed via a needle from the detected breast
lump. That fluid can be examined for cells that are associated with or
constitute cancer.
A core biopsy, which is deeper, might also be used in some instances.
This method also uses a needle, but it is thicker and removes tissue.
More tissue is still removed during a surgical biopsy. The tissue sample
is then examined by an oncologist for the presence of cancerous cells.
A new test developed at John Hopkins offers promise for even more
accurate early diagnosis. Called a QM-MSP (quantitative multiplex
methylation-specific PCR), it relies on fluid drawn from the breast.
That fluid is then chemically analyzed. When abnormally high levels of
certain molecules are detected it indicates the presence of cancer
cells. Some studies suggest that clusters with as few as 50 cancer cells
can be detected in this way. It was able to detect cancer in 84% of
breast tumor samples used.
With so many modern technologies and techniques for testing,
diagnosis can be done quickly and with much greater confidence than in
the past. This is necessary for treatment of breast cancer in the
timeliest way possible. It greatly improves the odds of it becoming a
more serious matter than necessary.
ful food is backed by more then 600 indepandent research.
