Screening plays a vital role in the detection of disease s in people who have no apparent signs and symptoms . Breast screening is one such effective and is used to detect breast cancer at its earliest stages . Subsequently, screening facilitates the successful treatment of cancer ( Smith et al., 2015). The American Cancer Society (ACS) has been at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer. The society has thus recommended several screening tests. This paper seeks to explore these ACS-recommended tests .
The ACS recommends both breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) (Smith et al., 2015). The former, though voluntary is recommended for women from their early 20s. However, they are expected to receive instruction on how to go about it. The chosen technique should also be reviewed in periodic health examinations. On the other hand, the latter is recommended for women aged between 20 and 30 years. The test should also be carried out as part of periodic health examinations for women aged 40 years or below. The ACS recommends that a CBE is carried out at least every three years (Smith et al., 2015).
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Mammography is another screening test recommended by ACS (Smith et al., 2015). Mammography is used to detect changes in the breast. Such changes are regarded as the early symptoms of breast cancer and once detected allow for successful treatment of the disease. This is because breast changes are noted before the physical symptoms of cancer become apparent. Mammograms are recommended for women from the age of 40 years (Smith et al., 2015). Another important test is the breast ultrasound. This test is used to detect lumps in the breast. In this procedure, sound waves are used to transfer the internal image of the breast to a computer. A breast ultrasound is carried out if the mammogram test fails to detect any changes in the breast . This screening test is also capable of detecting dense breast tissue. It should be carried out after the mammogram test for women aged between 40-45 years.
A breast biopsy is recommended after changes have been detected in the breast by eithe r mammography or b reast u ltrasound tests. However, this test does not necessarily imply that one has breast cancer. Instead , i t’s a precaution ary measure (Smith et al., 2015) . Breast biopsy involves the removal of cells that are likely to result in t he development of cancer cells. This test should be carried out by women aged between 40-45 year s following the detection of breast changes . Breast m agnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is yet another screening test. This test is carried out in women who have cancer in its earliest stages. The MRI scan detects the spread and size of cancer .
References
Smith, R. A., Manassaram ‐ Baptiste, D., Brooks, D., Doroshenk, M., Fedewa, S., Saslow, D., ... & Wender, R. (2015). Cancer screening in the United States, 2015: a review of current American cancer society guidelines and current issues in cancer screening. CA: a cancer journal for clinicians , 65 (1), 30-54.
