This outline will walk you through the various modern breast care options available to patients today. The methods covered will be Self Breast Exam (SBE), Clinical Breast Exam (CBE), Screening and targeted ultrasound, Screening and Diagnostic X-ray Mammography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Infrared Mammography. We'll be discussing how each method works, what to expect, or in the case of SBE, how to perform each examination.

A woman can notice changes by being aware of how her breasts normally look and feel and by feeling her breasts for changes (breast awareness) or by choosing to use a step-by-step approach (see below) and using a specific schedule to examine her breasts.

If you choose to do BSE, click on the link in the sidebar for a step-by-step approach for the exam. The best time for a woman to examine her breasts is when the breasts are not tender or swollen. Women who examine their breasts should have their technique reviewed during their periodic health exams by their health care professional.

Special attention will be given to the shape and texture of the breasts, location of any lumps, and whether such lumps are attached to the skin or to deeper tissues. The area under both arms will also be examined.

During the CBE is a good time for the health care professional to teach breast self exam to the woman who does not already know how to examine her breasts. Ask your doctor or nurse to teach you and watch your technique.

Thermology is the branch of medicine that derives diagnostic indications of naturally radiating infrared energy (heat) from the human body by objective and quantitative methodologies. In this study guide you'll be learning about the history and developments of Thermology, as well as its scientific and clinical principals. You will receive a comprehensive tour of the entire imaging process using hands-on guides and helpful interactive tools.

Women who benefit from ultrasound when abnormalities are not found on physical exam or mammogram include those who (a) have dense breasts, (b) are at high risk for breast cancer based on family history, (c) are pregnant and should not be exposed to X-rays, and (d) have silicone breast implants and very little tissue can be included on the mammogram.

Among the most common uses of breast MRIs are (a) evaluation of abnormalities detected by mammography, (b) identification of early breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue, and (c) identification of early breast cancer in women at high risk for the disease, including women who carry or whose primary relative (parent, sibling, child) carries an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene; women who had chest wall radiation as a child or young adult; and women who have a personal history of breast cancer.

Although breast X-rays have been done for more than 70 years, the modern mammogram has only existed since 1969. That was the first year X-ray units specifically for breast imaging were available. Modern mammogram equipment designed for breast X-rays uses very low levels of radiation, usually a dose of about 0.1 to 0.2 rads per picture (a rad is a measure of radiation dose).

For a mammogram, the breast is pressed between 2 plates to flatten and spread the tissue. Although this may be uncomfortable for a moment, it is necessary to produce a good, "readable" mammogram. The compression only lasts a few seconds. The entire procedure for a screening mammogram takes about 20 minutes. This procedure produces a black and white image of the breast tissue either on a large sheet of film or as a digital computer image that is read, or interpreted, by a radiologist (a doctor trained to interpret images from X-rays, ultrasound, MRI, and related tests).

While PET is generally not practical for screening women for breast disease it has been shown to be useful in instances where cancer is already known to be present. PET is commonly used in both localizing breast disease and determining the extents of the disease. Many surgeons use PET scans to help determine what their best course of action should be.