Introduction to Breast Cancer

Abstract

In the past few years, formidable progress has been made in the field of breast imaging, the leading malignancy in women. Clinicians find it difficult to keep pace with the new techniques, the specifications and indications of each, and the selection of the right one for the problem they face. At times, it is also hard to interpret the findings into meaningful clinical action. The selection is also complicated by matters of availability, cost in relation to benefit and whether the result is going to alter the treatment plan. In this chapter, an effort is made to outline the clinical component of the breast imaging studies in diagnosis, staging, operative planning, postoperative follow-up, and posttreatment response assessment. Important factors that emerge are the woman’s accurate risk calculation, the understanding of the BI-RADS classification, the adherence to guidelines, the adoption of evidence-based practices, and the close cooperation with the imaging colleagues.