health

Regular screening for breast cancer is important. All women over twenty
should learn to perform breast self-examination and check their breasts
once a month after the menstrual period. Other screening tests include
a breast examination by the doctor as part of a routine office visit, and
a mammogram, which is an x-ray study of the breast. Imaging studies
(magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] or ultrasound) are done when a
mammogram yields abnormal findings.
The definitive test for diagnosing breast cancer is a biopsy. The
doctor may remove some tissue through a fine needle (aspiration biopsy)
or if a larger sample is needed, through a larger needle (core biopsy). The
most accurate technique is a surgical biopsy, in which the surgeon
removes all or part of a lump for examination under a microscope.