A woman under 40, with no known breast cancer risk or visible symptoms of the deadly disease, need not take regular mammography tests, say health experts.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast, used as a screening tool for the detection of early breast cancer in asymptomatic women.
If there is any lump in the breast, then mammography should be done.
In mammography, each breast is examined separately and compressed against the film to obtain maximum visualisation of masses or calcifications.
However, there are various concerns that mammography can be risky due to radiation. But experts noted that mammography uses low energy to take X-Ray of the breast.
At the same time, “mammography is to be avoided in pregnant women as the foetus will be at risk even with minimal doses”.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer which affects women in India and, by 2026 the country will witness rise in the breast cancer incidence to 35 per 100,000 women as compared to the present rate of 25.8 per cent, says a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) 2018 report titled “Breast Cancer Landscape in India”.
The cancer burden in India has more than doubled over the last 26 years, the highest increase among all therapy areas, with breast cancer being the most common among Indian women.
However, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) data shows only 9.8 per cent women between the age of 15 and 49 in India have ever undergone breast examination. (IANS)
