4 Reasons Breast Cancer Is Difficult to Diagnose

One in eight. This is the statistic for how many women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. 

Risk varies depending on a woman’s race, ethnicity, when she had her first menstrual period, whether and when she had children, lifestyle factors, and more, but there are few people whose lives haven’t been touched by this disease in some way.

Though we have advanced screening tools to check women for breast cancer — like mammograms — there are factors that can make it a hard-to-diagnose condition.

Dr. Luis Quinones is a highly respected, board-certified general surgeon at Q&S Surgical in Decatur and Lithonia, Georgia, and he has provided expert, compassionate care for many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer, which accounts for nearly one-third of all cancer diagnoses in women. 

Dr. Quinones is a true ally to his patients and understands the need for customizing care to fit each individual’s unique needs and situation. 

Four challenges to diagnosing breast cancer

Although it may sound simple — you have breast cancer or you don’t — it’s more complicated than that, and finding it can be a challenge for several reasons.

1. Dense breast tissue

Your breasts contain three different types of tissue: glandular, fibrous connective, and fatty. For your breast tissue to be considered dense, you need to have higher levels of fibrous connective and glandular tissue and less fatty tissue. 

Having dense breast tissue makes your mammogram more difficult to interpret because the tissue appears white — just like calcifications (calcium deposits in the breast tissue) and tumors. 

2. Age younger than 50

Unfortunately, there’s been an uptick in younger women being diagnosed with breast cancer — so much so that at the end of April, the trend prompted the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to change its screening recommendations. 

Previously, the recommendation was that women at average risk should get their first mammogram at age 50, and the new USPSTF recommendation is for women to get biennial (every other year) mammograms starting at age 40. 

Other respected organizations, however, advise different screening guidelines. For example, the American Cancer Society recommends that women ages 40-44 have the option of getting annual mammograms, those who are 45-54 get a mammogram every year, and women 55 and older can choose to either have yearly or biennial mammograms. 

3. The type of breast cancer

Breast cancer can be especially challenging to see and diagnose if it’s a type known as inflammatory breast cancer, which is rare but more aggressive than other types of breast cancer. 

Its symptoms are atypical and include dimpled skin as opposed to a palpable lump, as well as symptoms that mimic mastitis, a common infection in lactating women. Symptoms include swelling, redness, pain, and a warm feeling to your skin. 

4. Poor or no access to health care

Lack of insurance or being underinsured are significant barriers to women receiving timely breast cancer diagnoses. Challenges with insurance may cause a woman to delay getting care and those without insurance are less likely to get preventive screenings like mammograms. 

Being uninsured, coupled with poverty, makes a diagnosis even harder and contributes to higher numbers of minority women not being diagnosed in a timely manner. Additionally, problems related to poverty, such as lack of transportation, also prevent women from getting screened.

Since we know that the earlier a breast cancer diagnosis is made, the better the outlook for the patient, a timely diagnosis is critical to survival. 

Familiarize yourself with breast cancer risk factors

It’s important for you to be informed about breast cancer risk factors, which include:

•  a lump under your armpit or elsewhere
• a change in the appearance of your breast, such as shape or size
• skin changes, swelling, and nipple discharge, which can sometimes be bloody

You should be aware of the causes of breast cancer as well, which range from being BRCA 1 or 2 (the breast cancer gene) positive, having a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, and having dense breast tissue. If you got your first period before age 12 or had your first child after age 30, you’re also at higher risk for being diagnosed. 

Finally, lifestyle factors contribute to the development of breast cancer as well. These include getting little physical activity, being overweight, and heavy alcohol use. 

If you receive a breast cancer diagnosis, Dr. Quinones excels in performing minimally invasive biopsies, surgery that spares your lymph nodes, lumpectomies, and partial mastectomies that preserve your breast tissue. Minimally invasive surgery is associated with faster healing and reduced pain, bleeding, and scarring.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Quinones today to learn about your surgical options. You can call our office or click online to book.