When should women go to breast cancer screening and how often?
Breast cancer prevention is one of the benefits of statutory health insurance (GKV):
- For women aged 20 years and over, the GKV carries out an examination for early cancer detection by a gynecologist once a year.
- In women 30 years and older, this examination is more extensive due to the higher risk.
- Women between the ages of 50 and 69 are also entitled to mammography screening every two years – an X-ray examination for breast cancer screening.
- The GKV also carries out the annual check-up for women aged 70 and over. The gynecologist uses other factors such as general health to assess whether further measures make sense.
If the individual risk of illness is increased, the examinations should be more closely. If, for example, female relatives have or had cancer, especially breast or ovarian cancer, one assumes one twice to four times higher risk of illness out. Even if benign changes in the breast tissue have already been identified, closer observation is recommended. The gynecologist asks for such individual risk factors as part of the medical history and then decides which measures for early detection of breast cancer should be carried out and how often.
An important part of breast cancer screening: self-examination
Women should have theirs once a month Examine chest carefully and feel for knotsto identify changes early and have them clarified. However, it is not easy to distinguish healthy breast tissue from pathologically altered breast tissue: A healthy breast can also have hardening and lumps, and depending on the phase of the cycle it also changes due to hormones. Therefore, the self-examination should always take place in the same phase: The best time is immediately after the period, approximately between the 6th and 12th day of the cycle. The palpation can be shown by the gynecologist or at a special course for breast cancer screening.
Breast cancer screening: what is done?
Basically, are suitable certain methods of breast cancer screening tend to be for younger women, others for older ones. The gynecologist decides which preventive examinations for the early detection of breast cancer will be carried out depending on the age and individual risk of the woman.
Tactile examination
An anamnesis interview and a tactile examination are those basic measures of breast cancer screening. The gynecologist examines the breast for visual abnormalities, palpates it and checks the armpits for any swelling of the lymph nodes.
Ultrasonic
With the help of ultrasound waves Structure of the breast tissue made visible. Unlike with mammography, there is no radiation exposure with ultrasound – this protects the tissue. Particularly in younger women with a low risk of breast cancer, an ultrasound is the method of choice if something needs to be clarified after the tactile examination. The ultrasound image delivers results immediately. However, the pictures are not as accurate as x-rays, moreover, no overview picture can be created that can be examined by other experts. An ultrasound therefore provides important additional information, but is not the only means of early detection or diagnosis.
Mammography
Mammography is one X-ray examination of the breast. With a trained eye, even the smallest abnormalities can be seen on the X-ray images (mammograms), so that even the Pre-stage of breast cancer or a very early stage tumor can be discovered. However, there is always one with X-ray examinations Radiation exposure so that risk and benefit have to be weighed up against each other. In addition, mammograms sometimes trigger a false alarm or lead to unnecessary treatment, which unnecessarily burdens the women concerned.
As a rule, mammography only for clarification in women over the age of 40 used, from the age of 50 as part of the mammography screening also for routine breast cancer screening. In the case of younger women, an ultrasound is usually first performed: the breast tissue is still very dense, making irregularities more difficult to detect on X-rays.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
If mammography does not give clear results, but a tumor is still suspected, an MRI scan may be done before a biopsy. Magnetic resonance imaging is not used for routine breast cancer screening.
What does breast cancer screening cost?
If breast cancer screening is limited to the examinations provided by the SHI, arise no additional costs for the insured. If there is a suspicion of breast cancer after an examination for early diagnosis, so that a mammogram must be done for clarification, the health insurance company also pays for it. An MRI examination is only paid for by the SHI if a mammogram has not provided clear results. Ultrasound is not one of the services of the GKV, but some health insurance companies cover the costs as an additional service.
Many gynecological practices offer the possibility Breast cancer prevention measures as so-called individual health services (IGeL) To make use of this means that women can have an ultrasound, a mammogram or an MRI examination done, but then have to pay for the service themselves. The following costs can be expected:
- Ultrasonic: around 26 to 60 euros
- Mammography: about 110 euros
- MRI: around 450 euros
Ready for the worst-case scenario: draw up a living will
Timely and regular breast cancer screening does a lot to help identify a possible cancer early. Anyone who, despite all precautionary measures, becomes seriously ill or would like to secure themselves in the event of an accident should have a living will Wishes for medical treatment hold tight. This also makes sense with regard to other common diseases such as dementia or stroke, and an advance directive, for example in the event of an accident, can also be important at a young age. The written treatment requests are binding for medical professionals and provide relatives with help in an emergency in the event of an emergency
Would you like to read more about the topic and exchange ideas with other women? Then check out the "Breast Cancer Forum" BRIGITTE community past!