Tag: breast cancer

  • Can you detect breast cancer in a blood test?

    Can you detect breast cancer in a blood test?

    When a tumour grows in the body some of its cells can break off and enter the bloodstream. These cells are called Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs).

    The Trucheck Breast Cancer screening blood test uses a ‘normal’ blood test taken by your doctor at the clinic. It goes to the specialist laboratory in Surrey where it is examined looking for CTCs. Even a few CTCs in the bloodstream can indicate cancer.

    A breakthrough study published last year showed the blood test actually performed better than mammogram screening to detect cancers. The blood test found 92% of breast cancer, this was more than able to be detected by normal mammogram screening. We know in real life no test is perfect and there is a small chance of a false alarm.

    The blood test has also shown promising results compared to the GRAIL’s Galleri and CancerSEEK blood tests which only had a sensitivity to detect around 30% of breast cancer cases.

    Crucially the blood test can detect early cancers in stage 1 before there has been any spread to the lymph nodes or elsewhere in the body, and before any lump appears.

    1 in 7 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Diagnosing cancer earlier when treatment is easier and more successful is crucial.

    DR LUCY HOOPER
    MB BS BSc MRCGP MA DRCOG DCH

    Lucy is a GP and co-founder of Coyne Medical. She graduated with honours from Imperial College London, trained at St Mary’s Hospital, and holds a Master’s in Medical Ethics and Law. Her clinical interests span women’s health, preventive medicine, and genomics, with a particular focus on using advanced biomarkers to build a more complete picture of long-term health.

    British Society for Genetic Medicine  ·  European Atherosclerosis Society  · 
    Independent Doctors Federation

    As seen in BBC, The Guardian, Women’s Health, The Times and Tatler

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    For educational purposes. This article is written by a practising GP and is intended to inform, not replace a consultation with your own doctor. It does not constitute medical advice. A note on clinical guidelines: Coyne Medical is an independent private clinic. Our approach is guided by the best available evidence, tailored to each individual. This may go beyond standard NHS or NICE guidance, which is designed for population-level care and weighted by resource constraints.

    Read More Cancer Health Guides
  • Do you have dense breasts?

    Do you have dense breasts?

    1 in 7 women in the Uk will have breast cancer in their lifetime.

     Those rates are every decade. Knowing your breast density gives you more power to reduce your risk and catch cancers earlier. 

    The more ‘dense’ your breasts are the more likely you are to get breast cancer. About twice as likely as the ‘average’ woman. But it doesn’t end there, increased breast density also makes it much harder to find cancer on a mammogram (x-ray pictures of the breast tissue). 

    Breasts are a mixture of fat cells, glands and fibrous tissue. Fat shows up black on a mammogram (x-ray pictures of the breast tissue). Women with ‘extremely dense’ breasts have very little fat tissue in the breasts, their mammogram pictures look very white. Breast cancer also appears white on mammograms. So looking for cancers in dense breasts has been likened to looking for a white cotton ball in a snowstorm. It is very hard, the detection rate of mammograms can drop to as low as 24%.

    We offer women over 40 years of age a breast density assessment with their annual mammogram screening. Mammograms are the only way to know your breast density. It is not the same as having large breasts or “lumpy” breasts. 

    We offer mammogram screening including breast density assessment to all women over 40. Breast density is categorised from A to D, groups C ‘heterogeneously dense’ and D ‘extremely dense’ are dense breasts. Offering women in groups C and D follow-up MRI or ultrasound scans can detect cancers missed by their mammogram. 

    We know detecting breast cancer early makes them easier to treat and improves long-term survival. 98% will survive over 5 years after a stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis versus only 1 in 4 (26%) diagnosed at stage 4. MRI scanning for women with ‘extremely dense’ breasts has been shown to reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer. 

    Breast density is so important, so if you have a friend or family member so talking about it and raising awareness is vital. In the USA two doctors, JoAnn Pushkin and Wendi Berg both had breast cancer missed on a mammogram, this has driven their campaign to increase awareness and change policy. Now over 40 US states are required by law to inform women of their breast density after their mammogram. In Europe, Cheryl Cruwys also had breast cancer that her mammogram didn’t pick up and is leading the charge to inform women. If you want to read more check their website here.

    DR LUCY HOOPER
    MB BS BSc MRCGP MA DRCOG DCH

    Lucy is a GP and co-founder of Coyne Medical. She graduated with honours from Imperial College London, trained at St Mary’s Hospital, and holds a Master’s in Medical Ethics and Law. Her clinical interests span women’s health, preventive medicine, and genomics, with a particular focus on using advanced biomarkers to build a more complete picture of long-term health.

    British Society for Genetic Medicine  ·  European Atherosclerosis Society  · 
    Independent Doctors Federation

    As seen in BBC, The Guardian, Women’s Health, The Times and Tatler

    Book a GP Consultation

    For educational purposes. This article is written by a practising GP and is intended to inform, not replace a consultation with your own doctor. It does not constitute medical advice. A note on clinical guidelines: Coyne Medical is an independent private clinic. Our approach is guided by the best available evidence, tailored to each individual. This may go beyond standard NHS or NICE guidance, which is designed for population-level care and weighted by resource constraints.

    Read More Women’s Health Guides
  • Breast Ultrasound

    Breast Ultrasound

    When we think about imaging for breasts, typically mammograms come to mind. Yet, ultrasound also has an important role to play and is commonly used. Ultrasound is usually the first-line imaging investigation for women under 40 with symptoms like new breast changes or a lump. In women aged 40 and above, ultrasound is often used in combination with mammography. Think of the two as complementary tests which have different strengths. Some things are better seen on mammography, whilst others are better seen on ultrasound. Ultrasound is particularly good at differentiating between lumps that are solid and cysts containing fluid. Ultrasound is also frequently used to accurately guide procedures in real-time. This includes removing fluid from painful cysts and taking tissue samples from breast lumps.

    Breast density, screening and imaging

    Mammography tends not to be used in younger women because they tend to have “denser” breasts. This means they have a higher proportion of normal fibroglandular tissue. This makes the mammograms look “whiter” and can hide breast pathology which also appears white. It’s a bit like trying to detect a white sticker on the background of a white wall. Your doctor may suggest additional imaging like ultrasound if mammography shows dense breasts. The use of ultrasound for dense breasts and for screening, used in some countries, is a subject of debate. It is important to be aware of the pros and cons to make an informed decision. On one hand, using ultrasound in addition to mammography can increase the chances of picking up a cancer. On the other hand, using ultrasound also increases the likelihood of picking up other benign lesions which may never have caused harm if they were not detected, but once found may need further imaging or a biopsy to confirm a benign diagnosis. So it is worth discussing with your doctor the nuances of this.

    How does it work and what happens during the ultrasound appointment?

    The same technology used to look at babies during pregnancy is used to evaluate the breasts. Unlike other imaging tests which use ionising radiation to generate images, ultrasound uses sound waves that are safe and bounce off the areas of interest to generate images. You will be asked to undress from the waist up and lie down on a couch. The doctor will put gel on a transducer to help the sound waves travel and the transducer will be placed on the skin. An image will be generated on the monitor in real-time and different images will appear as the doctor moves the transducer. The doctor will then review their images and produce a report on their findings.

    DR NEIL UPADHYAY
    MBBS BSc FRCR MRes MEd

    Neil is a Consultant Radiologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, subspecialising in breast and musculoskeletal radiology. He completed his medical degree and BSc in Management with Medical Sciences with first class honours at Imperial College London, was appointed as a Consultant Radiologist in 2014, and holds two Master’s degrees from Imperial College London, both completed with distinction.

    Book a Breast Ultrasound

    For educational purposes. This article is written by a practising GP and is intended to inform, not replace a consultation with your own doctor. It does not constitute medical advice. A note on clinical guidelines: Coyne Medical is an independent private clinic. Our approach is guided by the best available evidence, tailored to each individual. This may go beyond standard NHS or NICE guidance, which is designed for population-level care and weighted by resource constraints.

    Read More Cancer Health Guides