Description
Breast health matters for everyone. In this video, a UAMS Health expert explains what breast disease means, the difference between benign breast conditions and breast cancer, and why not every lump is cancer — but every change deserves attention. Learn about common causes of breast pain and masses, including cysts and benign tumors, and how breast cancer is diagnosed through imaging and pathology. The video also highlights the importance of knowing your family history, understanding your personal risk, and following screening guidelines. While mammography doesn’t prevent breast cancer, it plays a vital role in early detection. For those at average risk, screening should begin at age 40, and individuals with a family history should talk with their primary care provider about earlier screening. You’ll also hear how breast cancer care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing comprehensive, life-saving treatment.
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Transcript
As a woman and as a male, we all have breasts. The breast is an organ that sits on your chest wall. So breast disease is any condition that occurs in your breast.
Some people can have breast pain. It doesn’t mean breast cancer. Some people can have a breast mass. It doesn’t mean breast cancer. A breast mass can be a cyst. It could be a benign tumor like a fibroadenoma. It can be a high-risk lesion with atypical cells and not be breast cancer.
Breast cancer is actually the diagnosis that is obtained from an abnormality in the breast—either found by the individual as a lump or findings on mammography—and the pathologist takes a look at it and says you have a type of breast cancer.
Every lump isn’t breast cancer, but every lump can be something. And so I always tell individuals: understand your breast health, know your family history, understand the guidelines that are required.
Mammography doesn’t prevent breast cancer. Mammography detects breast cancer.
Treatment of breast cancer requires a plethora of individuals—not just me, but a group of people that come together that provide you with the treatment to save your life.
And so, we all have breasts. Not everyone is going to have breast cancer, but you need to know if you’re average risk—meaning you don’t have any family history, you don’t have any exposures—get your mammograms at age 40. Get screened.
If you have a family history, talk to your primary care doctor about when’s the best age for you to get screened.
