Researchers relate this correlation to the total lifetime number of menstrual cycles, which is much lower in women living in "non modern" societies.
There is no way of predicting who is going to develop breast cancer. Because of that there are some measures that people can take to protect themselves. Self-examination is a very important measure in catching breast cancer. Women over age 20 should practice the breast self-examination (BSE) monthly. Women without symptoms should have their breasts examined by a trained health professional every three years from ages 20-40 and annually thereafter. A mammogram is also an important measure. Mammograms are a special x-ray technique used to examine the breast. This technique is one of the most effective ways of detecting tumors, but even so, it does not detect 10% of the breast cancers found on physical examination. This test has been questioned whether or not it has been proven to save lives. Despite the controversy, The American Cancer Society recommends that women have mammograms every 1-2 years between the ages 40-49 and annually thereafter. Women with a family history of breast cancer may require more frequent mammography. Mammograms have become a very controversial issue. .
Another examination method to check for breast cancer is ultrasongraphy. This is an imaging technology where sound waves are reflected off tissues and the echoes are converted into pictures. Since many lesions cannot be seen on ultrasound, this is not usually a primary method. Ultrasound is considered safe for women of any age, as well as during pregnancy, mammography is not. This technique could reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies. However, ultrasound can miss solid lesions, especially in fatty breasts (Palm Beach Community College Radiography Program). .
According to the Palm Beach Community College Radiography Program.
Scintimammography is an examination method that employs a radioactive tracer, Technetium 99m MIBI (also known as Miraluma), injected into a vein to identify abnormal cells based on the difference in metabolic characteristics between cancer cells and non-cancerous cells.