The truth about breast screens

Breast cancer. Those are two words no woman wants to hear from her doctor.

So much so that, worryingly, many women avoid the very test that could save them from the killer disease.

A breast screen is uncomfortable, there’s no way around it. Walking into a room with a stranger and having your breasts squished in a machine is certainly not on most women’s list of favourite things to do in their spare time.

But breast screens save lives – that is the undeniable truth.

Dr Deborah Pfeiffer, a senior medical officer with BreastScreen Queensland, warns that relying on self-examination alone is not enough to detect some cancers.

“Screening mammography can detect a cancer as small as 5 millimetres in diameter,” she says. “Most women will not feel anything in their breast unless it’s usually the size of a cherry.”

“Generally speaking, cancers that women detect themselves may be more advanced than the cancer that’s detected by the screening mammogram.”

Experts recommend that all women over the age of 50 have a breast screen every two years because the biggest risk factors for breast cancer are age and being female (men can also suffer from breast cancer).

And the fact that female relatives haven’t had breast cancer isn’t a sign that a screen is unnecessary. Although family history is a significant risk factor for some cancers, nine out of 10 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are the first in their family to have the disease.

Queensland Health says many women put off screens either because they don’t think they’re at risk or because they’re worried about the physical discomfort. As any breast cancer survivor will tell you, though, avoiding a moment of discomfort isn’t worth the risk.

“The majority of women feel no pain at all,” Dr Pfeiffer says.

The screen is always conducted in a one-on-one appointment by a female health professional and the breast is only briefly compressed for about five to 10 seconds on each breast.

“Two images are normally taken of each breast,” Dr Pfeiffer explains. 

“Some have a little bit of discomfort during that 10-second period and a very small number of women actually experience pain, but these are women who generally have tender breasts most of the time.

“However, the discomfort is no more than 10 seconds per breast for each picture and the whole procedure is usually over and done within five minutes.”

The five-year breast cancer survival rate jumped from 74 per cent in 1988 to 90 per cent in 2013, the latest data available shows, which has been attributed to early detection, advances in treatment and management options.

BreastScreen Queensland opened in 1991 and as of last year had done 4.7 million breast screens, picking up more than 19,000 breast cancers.

However, some women are still putting off screens or incorrectly assuming they don’t need to continue screening every two years. 

“The reality is that breast cancer becomes more common the older a woman becomes,” Pfeiffer says, adding that the idea you don’t need a breast screen once you’re over the age of 70 is false.

“The problem is that once you stop having the mammography the only way to detect breast cancer is with breast self-examination or with physical examination by your doctor, and to be clinically detectable, the cancer may be more advanced,” she warns.

The good news is that getting a breast screen is now easier than ever. Queensland Health has introduced an online booking system that women can use to schedule an appointment at a location and time that suits them.

It’s that easy!

Your results will take two to three weeks to come through, most women will be sent a letter saying their breast screen showed no signs of breast cancer.

Some women will be called back for more tests because their breast screen showed an abnormality. For most women, the breast screen is found to be normal and breast cancer is not found. BreastScreen Queensland will phone you if they require you to have more tests.

Breast screens are important for all women aged between 50-74 and it’s free, so there’s no excuse not to book an appointment and secure your health today.

Have you ever had a breast screen? How do you find the experience?