Maryland's Health Matters - Midtown - Fall 2016 - 18

SCREENING

SAVES

LIVES
Regular mammography
screenings help women
beat breast cancer

hanks to advances in mammography, breast cancer
is often diagnosed early, when it's most easily
treated. According to the American Cancer Society,
the death rate from breast cancer has dropped
34 percent since 1990. That means more than

200,000 women-enough to fill M&T Bank Stadium nearly

at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and radiolo-

three times-have avoided death from breast cancer.

gist at the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown

Mammography technology today has improved significantly,
especially for women with dense breasts. That's because
mammography technology can better distinguish between
normal, dense breast tissue and suspicious areas.
"Mammography allows you to capture better detail," says
Allan Skrenta, MD, assistant professor of diagnostic radiology

Campus. "You can better see signs of tumor or anything
going on in the breast."
And having dense breast tissue is common. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported
that more than 43 percent of women ages 40 to 74 have dense
breasts, and rates are highest among younger, thinner women.
It's important for women with dense breasts to be
screened regularly for breast cancer. According to the
American Cancer Society, women with dense breasts have
a 1.2 to 2 times higher risk for developing breast cancer
compared with women with average-density breasts.

EARLY DETECTION, BETTER OUTCOMES
Dr. Skrenta notes how breast cancer diagnoses have evolved
over the years, as technology has improved. "Back in the
'80s, if we saw lesions under 2 centimeters, we thought they
were small. Now a 5 millimeter lesion is not uncommon," he
says. Smaller cancers are less likely to spread to the lymph
nodes and more likely to be treated successfully.
The goal of mammography is to find signs of cancer early,

MARYLAND'S HEALTH MATTERS

TOP: THINKSTOCK

The goal of
mammography
is to find signs
of cancer early,
when it's easier
to treat.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland's Health Matters - Midtown - Fall 2016