Breast ultrasound is not routinely required for breast screening. However, breast ultrasound can be useful in detecting small lumps, some of which can be cancerous, which may not be picked up on mammograms because of dense breast. Breast ultrasound can be useful in ladies who have dense breasts on mammograms.

Breast screening is not the be all and end all in detecting breast cancer early. This is because the faster growing cancers can develop in a matter of weeks between breast screenings. Therefore, a monthly self-breast examination is equally important in the early detection of breast cancer. If you are not sure what to do, I can show you how in clinic. Here is a good link to a cartoon by Breast Cancer Foundation.

There are many different types of breast lumps. The common ones include breast fibroadenomas and breast cysts. Less common are intraduct papilloma, fat necrosis, chronic mastitis and phyllodes tumour. The most important type not to miss is breast cancer.

Breast lumps can sometimes be very easy to feel if the lump is large enough and if it is quite close to the skin. It also helps if the breast is soft and not too large in size. On the other hand, if the lump is at the back of the breast, a large breast lump can appear as a slight bump especially in a large or a lumpy or a firm breast. Breasts can vary in how they feel, for example, “soft and fatty”, “bumpy surface” and “firm”. The consistency can change during your menstrual cycle and with age. If you still have regular menses, the best time to examine is 7 days after the start of your menses.

Breast lumps are not always easy to feel especially if the lump is not too big or if it is in a deep location in a firm breast. The fact that you are not sure if you have a lump means that there is probably a lump. The best thing to do is to seek an opinion of a breast specialist, who quite often will refer you to have mammograms and ultrasound. It is better to be safe than sorry

Breast conditions are usually diagnosed using the principle of triple assessment consisting of clinical assessment (taking a history and performing a clinical assessment), radiological assessment (mammogram x-ray of the breast and a breast ultrasound) and pathological assessment (microscopic examination of tissue). Pathological examination is usual done if there is something found on clinical and/or radiological assessment that warrant a pathological assessment.

Breast surgeons are specialist trained in general surgery that undergo further specialisation into breast conditions. They are trained in the diagnosis, non-surgical and surgical management of both benign breast conditions and breast cancer. Afterall, the majority of people with breast complaints do not have breast cancer but still need hers/his complaints sorted. They serve an important link between the radiologists (x-ray doctors), pathologists (doctors who examine the tissue specimens), medical oncologists (chemotherapy doctors), radiation oncologists (radiotherapy doctors) and plastic surgeons (cosmetic and reconstruction doctors).