MammaCare® Clinical Breast Exam in Glen Rock, NJ
Roughly 12 percent or 1 in 8 women develop invasive breast cancer. An estimated 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in U.S. women in 2016 alone. Together with routine self-exams and imaging techniques like mammograms, a clinical breast exam is part of a three-pronged attack to prevent or catch breast cancer early.
A clinical breast exam is a manual exam conducted by a healthcare professional to assess breast health and identify any abnormal changes in the breast tissue, skin or nipple. Certain life-cycle changes are normal, but there are physical changes, detectable by a trained clinician, that can trigger alerts and help ensure early detection.
To schedule a consultation with a healthcare provider in Glen Rock that can administer a thorough breast exam, call (201) 806-6099 or contact Medwell Orthopedics & Functional Medicine for Men & Women online.
Who Should Get Tested?
Women are recommended to have clinical breast exams every three years starting at age twenty, then annually after age 40. Since breast screening by mammography is not recommended until after age 40, clinical breast exams and self-exams are the only screenings that occur between you and your healthcare provider before reaching 40. The clinical and self-exam are especially important in younger women who have dense breasts . Clinical breast exams include: (1) a visual inspection of the breasts; and (2) manual hands-on manipulation and examination of breast tissue.
Even after age 40 with regular mammograms, a significant percentage of cancers are missed by even this highly-sensitive imaging method, but can be easily detected in manual exams if properly and thoroughly conducted. Simply having an annual mammogram is not enough.
What is a MammaCare Clinical Breast Exam?
The MammaCare method of clinical breast examination is unlike traditional breast exams, and is the recognized quality-standard for clinical and personal breast exams. It is a systematic approach to evaluate the health of your breasts, and requires your healthcare provider to receive specialized training and certification in order to perform. Practitioners trained in the MammaCare method are expected to:
- Conduct uniformly thorough examinations, with high levels of sensitivity and specificity, which may take more time than normal breast exams
- Perform standardized techniques that provide patients with best-practice, cutting edge clinical breast examination methods
- Involve the patient in the process, specifically asking questions about self-exam results and experiences
Developed with the support of the National Cancer Institute, the National Science Foundation and scientists worldwide, MammaCare is designed to detect suspicious breast tumors at the earliest stage while reducing false alarms through the use of touch. Medical research now confirms that fingers discover a large proportion of breast cancers, and the MammaCare method teaches fingers what to feel for. Research is also confirming that screening tools like MammaCare clinical breast exams can be just as effective as mammograms without the damaging effects of radiation.
What to Expect from your MammaCare Clinical Breast Exam?
The MammaCare method of clinical breast examination may take longer than your normal breast exams in the past. The procedure is designed to use touch to feel for abnormalities, so your MammaCare certified examiner will use a variety of pressures to detect changes in your breast tissue that warrant further investigation. These changes may include variations in texture such as lumps or tissue thickening. The pressure from the exam may cause you to experience slight discomfort, but generally pain is minimal.
MammaCare has also developed a self-breast examination method teaching women how to perform the most effective self-exams on their own breasts in between clinical exams. Your healthcare provider can supply you with more information on how to conduct these exams during an appointment with you.
Early breast cancer detection remains one of the most effective ways to beat breast cancer. By taking a proactive approach that is precise and personalized with the MammaCare breast exam, you can detect breast abnormalities before traditional breast testing typically can. To meet with a breast exam doctor in Glen Rock that is trained in the MammaCare method, call (201) 806-6099 or contact Medwell Orthopedics & Functional Medicine for Men & Women online.
Medwell Orthopedics & Functional Medicine for Men & Women
Address
33 Central AveMidland Park, NJ 07432
(201) 806-6099
www.BergenCountyDoctors.com
Hours
Mon:
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Tue:
2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Wed:
8:00 am - 6:30 pm
Thu:
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Fri:
8:00 am - 6:30 pm
Sat:
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sun:
By Appointment Only