Where can you find breast diagnostics in Munich?
Breast screening – a regular preventive examination – can detect cancer early so that it can be correctly diagnosed, classified and efficiently treated at an early stage. As with most cancers, the earlier the cancer is detected and treated, the better the chance of a cure.
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At what point does breast screening make sense?
At an early stage, breast cancer is hardly noticeable, as it usually develops without symptoms. Only when the cancer has grown larger does it become noticeable. By this time, however, the cancer may have metastasized, affecting other organs and vessels.
Therefore, it makes sense and is important for women to familiarize themselves with the topic of early breast cancer detection at an early age. Specialists recommend that women over the age of 30 visit their gynecologist once a year for a checkup. Between the ages of 50 and 69, women receive an invitation for mammography screening every other year.
What is the screening process?
Palpation examination
It is recommended that women over the age of 30 have a check-up for breast cancer once a year at a gynaecological practice. This involves palpating the lymph nodes in the armpits, chest and collarbone. The size and shape of the nipples are also checked, looking for any changes or deformities.
Your gynaecologist will also tell you what methods you can use to check your breasts regularly yourself for any lumps or irregularities. Please note that although self-examination is very important, it does not replace a visit to the gynaecologist’s office.
Mamma Screening
Starting at age 50, women will receive an invitation for breast screening every other year for a period of 20 years. This screening program includes a mammogram, which is an X-ray examination of the breast. In addition to mammography, in some cases an ultrasound examination of the breast is also performed. This serves to increase diagnostic certainty.
Mammography usually takes only a few minutes. Once the results are available, the patient will be given another appointment to discuss the results. If carcinoma is suspected, further tests will be performed. This may be an ultrasound scan or an MRI. Or a tissue sample is taken for histological examination.
What should be considered during breast screening?
Special features
If there is an increased risk of breast cancer in the family (genetic predisposition due to the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene), it is recommended that women have the palpation examination performed at 6-month intervals starting at the age of 25. An additional ultrasound examination or magnetic resonance imaging (MR mammography) is also useful in certain cases. In addition, mammography screening should be started from the age of 40. This should be repeated every one to two years.
Cost absorption
Health insurance companies cover the cost of breast cancer screening. This applies to the annual palpation examination by the gynecologist as well as the biennial mammography screening between the ages of 50 and 69. Mammography screening before age 50 is covered by health insurance only if there is an abnormal finding or a diagnosis of cancer.
Physical loads
Mammography uses X-rays to examine the breast. Even if the radiation exposure is very low due to modern devices, there is still a risk here, as every irradiation carries an additional cancer risk.
However, the advantages of mammography screening for women between the ages of 50 and 69 outweigh the risks, as this method is very efficient in detecting breast cancer in its early stages. The examination should not be performed in younger women without an increased genetic risk or a concrete case of suspicion, as their breast tissue is more sensitive to radiation. It should also be noted that pregnant women should not be exposed to radiation.
0.2 to 0.3 mSv (Millisievert)
corresponds to 1/10 of the average natural radiation in Germany in a year
MR mammography scan
MRI imaging of the breast
Tomosynthesis
Interesting facts about computed tomography
Breast Diagnostics
Back to the overview of breast diagnostics
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