Breast cancer is an important medical problem with women between the ages of 35 and 50, having an ever increasing risk of developing some form of the disease. Women at younger ages are told to conduct monthly self examinations of their breasts to detect potentially cancerous lumps. The disease is curable when found very early. Patients should begin this screening program at age 30.

Another screening method is the x-ray process called mammography. Mammography is an x-ray exam that uses a very small amount of radiation to detect changes in the density of breast tissue. The American Cancer Society feels that women over the age of 40 should have yearly mammograms.

Some women at high risk should have their initial test between 35 and 40 and a test every two years until they reach the age of 45. Other groups argue that yearly exams are necessary to detect this disease at an early stage.

Another alternative screening process is called thermography. This has been

characterized as a waste of time by the American College of Radiology. It is a method of picking up heat being transmitted by rapidly changing tissue. When this change of temperature is picked up, additional tests, such as biopsy, are needed. The test has not been found to be very specific.

Additional techniques include MRI, CT scan, and litmus color testing of nipple discharge. The technique that still stands as the most sensitive is the mammography.