Medical professionals now have an extensive array of tools at their disposal to make diagnosis of breast cancer more reliable, especially in the early stages. That’s great news, since it considerably increases the odds of keeping breast cancer down to the level of ’serious but not permanently scarring or life-threatening’.

Diagnosis begins with a clinical exam. The physician performs an exam using his hands which is similar to the recommended self-exam for all women over 19. Cancerous lumps typically feel hard and don’t move around like benign cysts. Cancer tumors usually have an irregular shape, while non cancerous lumps are round. Professionals are trained to distinguish the difference.

A mammogram aids in confirming the diagnosis. Modern digital mammograms are typically computer aided. Detection of tumors is assisted by complex algorithms that do an excellent job of differentiating suspect image sections. This tool helps greatly to enhance the ability to eliminate false positives and to also detect smaller, less obvious issues during the earlier developmental stages.

Ultrasound technology is another modern method which has improved greatly since it was first introduced. They are perfect for helping to distinguish between cysts that are benign and cancerous tumors. Because cysts are harmless, fluid filled sacs they react differently to sound waves than the harder, denser cancerous cells.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is another diagnostic tool coming to be used more and more often. Years ago, insurance companies would never pay for this highly expensive test. But as costs have come down and coverage has expanded, it’s more common. As a powerful magnetic field is swept over the breast, it excites molecules in a way that is harmless but produces distinctive effects. That allows professionals to use images generated by MRI to detect very small anomalies.

When other tests indicate that a closer look is needed a biopsy is typically performed. A biopsy can be as simple as a fine-needle aspiration where a tiny amount of fluid is removed using a needle from the detected breast lump. That fluid is then examined for cancerous cells.

A core biopsy, which is deeper, might also be used in some instances. This method also uses a needle, but it is thicker and removes tissue. More tissue is still removed during a surgical biopsy. The tissue sample is then examined by an oncologist for the presence of cancerous cells.

A new test developed at John Hopkins offers promise for even more accurate early diagnosis. Called a QM-MSP (quantitative multiplex methylation-specific PCR), it relies on fluid drawn from the breast. That fluid is then chemically analyzed. When abnormally high levels of certain molecules are detected it indicates the presence of cancer cells. Some studies suggest that clusters with as few as 50 cancer cells can be detected in this way. It was able to detect cancer in 84% of breast tumor samples used.

Utilizing modern techniques and tests, diagnosis can be done in the early cancer stages with much better reliability than in the past. This is necessary in treating breast cancer at the earliest possible stage. Early treatment greatly improves the odds of keeping it from becoming a more serious issue than necessary.