the risks.The breast tissue of women under 35 is more sensitive to radiation. Therefore, it is advisable for women under 35 to not have annual mammograms unless there are suspicious circumstances.Annual mammograms combined with physical exams reduce mortality by one third.****VERIFY****Sonography, or ultrasound, uses sound waves to examine the breast. Sonography is not a good general screening tool, but is useful in the following circumstances.when lumps are felt but elude mammograms.to determine whether lumps are cysts or tumorsto monitor multiple cyststo clarify a mammogramto search for cancer in women who have already had breast cancer.Thermography detects heat radiating off the breast on the premise that tumors emit more heat. This method has not been proven effective.Transillumination is a procedure which searches for the infrared radiation the breast. It is based on the premise that tumors emit more infrared radiation. This procedure has not been proven effective.It is unclear if cat scans are useful in detecting breast cancer. Cat scans pose greater risk than mammograms and are not widely used.MRIs may be useful in determining the extent of cancers found by a mammogram.A biopsy is a tissue sample extracted for study. Final confirmation of cancer usually depends on the results of a biopsy.The following are types of biopsies: *****SHRAGA*****Fine-needle aspiration: done by a surgeon or radiologist, involves a thin needle extracting a sample. This is uncomfortable but not painful. This procedure has these drawbacks. If biopsy is negative, further investigation is still required to rule out cancer. The needle might miss the lump altogether, it might be unable to extract sample, or only able to extract a uselessly small one.core biopsy: a large needle is used, which can cause pain despite anaesthetic. It is more effective than fine needle aspiration, but further investigation to rule out cancer might still be required.mammotome biopsy...
