Breast tumors have now officially established themselves as the world’s leading cancer. In early 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that breast cancer is the most common cancer on the planet .
The recommendation of the specialists is that the prophylactic examinations should start as early as possible. In the age group, the prescriptions are divided into two groups:
- In women up to 35 years of age – ultrasound of the mammary glands is recommended due to the lack of X-rays
- In women over 35 years of age – mammography (mammography) is recommended as the only reference method for breast cancer screening
One clarification should be made – in case of family burden, regular mammograms should start around the age of 30. One thing is for sure – breast health care should become an annual routine and not be treated as an emergency.
The meaning of radiographs of the mammary glands is the timely detection of so-called microcalcifications (dot shadows). They are the earliest symptom of cancerous changes. It takes about 2 years from this stage to the formation of a lump, which can be detected by palpation (palpation).
This periodicity requires effective screening on an annual basis . The earlier tumor changes are defined, the more positive the prognosis for treatment.
Apart from the genetic predisposition, the contributing factors for the development of this disease are practically all the harmful factors of the modern way of life – smoking, being overweight, insufficient physical activity and alcohol use .
In Bulgaria, health insured women over the age of 50 are entitled to preventive mammography on a regular basis once every 2 years . Unfortunately, this intensity is often insufficient, and the 50th anniversary is not the age limit for starting regular prevention. For all those who show more focused care for their health and do not fall into the criteria of the Health Insurance Fund, the only additional option remains paid research.
The latest digital mammogram of the world technology leader Siemens has been installed in the Center for Imaging Diagnostics MLADOST. MAMMOMAT Fusion is the result of over 10 years of development of the company and comes to replace the first generation of digital devices. The device automatically and customized for each patient and each breast individually determines the minimum compression and X-ray intensity at which quality image is achieved.
In addition, the digital images in the Center are stored in a secure server system and each patient has the opportunity to download a complete database of old research, without any loss of informational value, as observed in X-ray plates. This functionality is especially important when tracking a process and the need for a chronological dossier to obtain a second opinion.
