Can I Get Checked for Breast Cancer Before I Have Symptoms?
You have a better chance of surviving breast cancer if your doctor finds and treats it early. The best way to detect breast cancer early is to be screened regularly. This isn’t possible for many cancers, but it is with breast cancer. Screening, however, doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get cancer or die from it, especially if it’s found after symptoms develop.
What Does Screening for Breast Cancer Involve?
Screening for breast cancer includes a combination of breast self-exams (BSE), clinical breast exams (CBE), and mammography. These three can complement each other, improving your chances of catching cancer early. Although BSE is helpful, its role in detecting cancer early is limited. Here are descriptions of each.
