Medical advances can be confusing; know when to get screened

Date published: 12/16/2007

IT SEEMS like every time you turn around, there's a new recommendation about what to do in every facet of your health. This can be quite confusing, but on the up side, it's an indication of how rapidly medical science is coming up with better ways to diagnose and treat disease.

Case in point is the diagnosis of breast cancer. The news is rife with reports of newer and better diagnostic tools such as breast MRIs that can detect breast cancer earlier and more successfully. But every new discovery is not for everyone, no matter how good it sounds.

Women are left asking themselves if they'd benefit from the new technology, or if they should get screened at all. Many women are at average to only slightly increased risk for breast cancer, yet they expend a lot of energy worrying their risk is higher than it is. Others are at higher risk but may not know what to do about it.

Before you throw up your hands and forgo potentially life-saving screening, here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if, when and how you should be screened.

How old am I?

I start with this one because it's relatively straightforward. By 40 years of age, all women should be having mammograms yearly or every other year, and after 50, yearly mammograms are recommended for all women. If you're between the ages of 40-49, it's best to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider to see what's best for you.

Do I have relatives who have been found to be carriers of the BRCA (BReast CAncer) gene, or do I know that I'm a carrier?

If you know you have relatives who are BRCA gene-carriers, you also may be a carrier. There have been two BRCA genes identified, and families who carry these genes will often have multiple family members with breast, ovarian, colon, prostate and pancreatic cancers. And, they're more likely to have developed these cancers at an early age.

If you know that you are a carrier of the BRCA gene, or you have relatives who are, this puts you in a very high-risk category. (For recommendations for women at very high-risk and high-risk, read on, as I'll discuss that later in the column.)

Date published: 12/16/2007