Part 2.
[If your mom or grandmother had breast cancer, you’re more likely to get it as well, so your doctor will probably want to give you a more thorough screening. Also, your doctor may want to perform a mammogram earlier if you or they find a suspicious lump they want to investigate.
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about digital mammograms. This is a great technology that can help save lives, but that doesn’t really mean you need to get a digital mammogram instead of a normal one.
These two machines produce the same picture, but a digital mammogram can do it faster because it doesn’t require films to be developed. This new technology allows doctors to take a picture of an abnormality while they’re performing surgery, making their cuts more exact, but it makes little difference when getting a routine scan.
While mammograms are important, they shouldn’t be your only defense against breast cancer. It is also important to perform a monthly breast self-exam to help with early detection of problems, and to have yearly exams by your doctor to detect breast and reproductive issues.
In addition, eating right, watching your weight, and being vigilant about any unexplained changes in your breasts will also go along way toward prevention of breast cancer, or early detection, when the likelihood of fighting the cancer is greatest
