CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The University of Virginia is continuing to spread the word about Breast Cancer Awareness Month, even as October winds down. Two weeks ago, UVA football held its Breast Cancer Awareness game, recognizing former player Zac Yarbrough, a breast cancer survivor.
Wednesday, UVA Health doctors used a conference call with local media to urge women to get checked. Breast cancer becomes an even greater health issue when it leaves the breast for other parts of the body, meaning early detection is essential.
“When it goes to the liver, to the bones, to the lungs, that’s when it causes a lot of the problems with mortality associated with breast cancer,” Dr. Jonathan Nguyen, a UVA Health radiologist who specializes in breast imaging, said on the call. “So breast cancer mortality reduction really depends on early detection and finding it when it’s still confined within the breast.
“Screening catches the majority of early-stage breast cancer before it gets a chance to leave. When we compare those cancers that we find on screening compared to the ones in the diagnostic setting, where patients can feel it or it’s causing kind of retraction of the skin or skin changes or nipple discharge, at that time it’s usually larger and later stage.”
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and also carries one of the higher mortality rates of all cancers.
Nguyen said it doesn’t have to be this way, as mammography is highly effective in detecting the disease, and women can start yearly screenings at age 40.
Nguyen said the average mammogram appoint takes about 20 minutes. While there’s uncomfortable pressure on the breast, he said it does not hurt most women.
“The actual kind of compression of each breast usually will take about one to two minutes, so we try to make it as quick and efficient, but comfortable as possible to get the best quality pictures we can,” he said. “The more we can make sure, the breast is spread out it really helps my job to spread out the glandular tissue, helps me find the breast cancer, and have the highest resolution pictures as possible. It limits blur and motion.”
In terms of risks for breast cancer, Nguyen said the greatest risk factor is family history.
“It’s mostly first- and second-degree relatives, so if you know your mother or sister or have lots of aunts and cousins who’ve developed breast cancer in their lifetime, it’s very important you share that with your provider because you may be eligible for high-risk screening, which would make you eligible for earlier screening (before age 40) or advanced screening modalities,” Nguyen said.
Another factor is breast density, specifically where there is a lot of glandular tissue in the breast instead of fatty tissue. That can lead to a higher risk of cancer.
“In terms of what people can do themselves and have control over in terms of their risks, we do know that limiting or quitting smoking can make a small impact in reducing breast cancer, and then maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, being very active, doing a lot of exercise can also make an effect,” Nguyen said.
In screenings, Nguyen said he’s looking for masses, calcifications, distortions, and asymmetries, as well as areas where there’s greater blood flow.
People with higher density or higher risks could be eligible for breast MRIs with contrast, and that imagining can more readily detect the increased blood flows that is a feature of cancerous cell areas.
Typically, patients only need a mammogram once a year, Nguyen said, as there is no evidence that a higher frequency leads to more efficiency.
There are high risk patients who get screened every six months, but Nguyen said those patients most commonly have mammography on one screening and MRI on the other.
There is no screening process for men, but Nguyen said, “While breast cancer in men is uncommon, it’s not super, super rare.”
“In my practice we typically seen one to two cases a year, and (in) overall incidents, about 1% of breast cancer is in men,” Nguyen said. “So, it is something men should be aware of and definitely alert their doctors in terms of if they notice any change in their physical exam.”
Because 1-in-100,000 men get breast cancer, Nguyen said screening is not an effective tool because there would be too many negatives to make it an efficient use of anyone’s time.
“If you notice any sort of nipple changes, any changes in your skin, if you feel any lumps or bumps or have any problem at all behind the nipple or in the breast, definitely let your doctor know so they can do an exam,” he said. “They would refer you to imaging if they’re concerned, as well.”
Yarbrough said on a Wahoo Central podcast prior to Oct. 9’s Homecomings and Breast Cancer Awareness game he’s working to bring awareness for all kinds of cancer, but especially to male breast cancer.
“Because it’s one of those things, being a big lineman, outdoors guy, big beard at the time and stuff, I was one of the last people who I ever thought could get breast cancer,” he said. “I thought it was sort of a calling for me to kind of share my story, reach out, you know men get it and it’s okay and it’s nothing to be ashamed of, it’s just part of life.
“We’re all going to be affected by cancer one way or other, whether it’s yourself, your friend, your family, and the more we can do and gain research on and changes we can make, the more lives we can save. So, I encourage staying on top of your health every year, and the sooner they can catch it, the better chances you have.”
