A breast cancer blood test that helps early detection of the disease recently became available in Singapore. The timing of the announcement fits perfectly with the commemoration of Breast Cancer Awareness this October.
Raffles Medical Group recently announced the news about the Mastocheck—a new breast cancer diagnostic tool to detect the illness. The company added it to their latest update on health screening services. With this, potential breast cancer patients can confirm their condition.
In this article, you’ll read:
- Blood Test That Helps Detect Breast Cancer Now Available in Singapore
- Ways How to Diagnose Breast Cancer
- Quick Facts About Breast Cancer
A Blood Test for Early Breast Cancer Detection
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On 26 September 2022, Raffles Medical Group, a private medical provider in Singapore, announced the availability of a breast cancer blood test. This particular test helps in the early detection of breast cancer in possible patients.
They recently added Mastocheck to their list of health screening services. This makes Raffles Medical Group the first health provider to offer this particular breast cancer blood test in Singapore.
Mastocheck is the new breast cancer diagnostic tool developed by a South Korean company named Bertis. As blood work for breast cancer, it aims to supplement routine mammograms to improve the chances of detecting early signs of the disease.
Can a Blood Test Detect Breast Cancer?
Before, the answer to this question was no. Fortunately, experts eventually discovered a way to use a blood test to particularly detect early signs of breast cancer.
After some time, experts released Mastocheck and its use for detecting the disease. This particular blood test helps detect early signs of breast cancer in possible patients.
Additionally, the examiner only needs a small amount of blood to conduct this blood test for breast cancer. Afterwards, they determine a diagnosis after accomplishing the test.
The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety first received the approval of Mastocheck for human use in 2019. This eventually lead the Raffles Medical Group to work for its availability in Singapore.
Officials also explained that this breast cancer blood test especially helps Asian women. Women from the continent often develop breasts with more gland tissue than fatty tissue.
Representatives from the Raffles Medical Group also explain, “In such cases, breast tumours may be difficult to detect through a routine mammogram.”
The medical group also emphasises how this kind of illness affects many women across Singapore. According to them, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the country.
They added, “Mastocheck can thus be used to supplement the routine mammogram to increase the accuracy of detecting breast cancer early.”
Concerning this, experts put emphasis on how essential it is to detect breast cancer earlier. They said that the chances of surviving will significantly increase with early detection.
Mastocheck for Women at Higher Risk
Mastocheck is the kind of diagnostic tool which is highly recommended for women who are at higher risk. Those at higher risk are those with a family history of breast cancer.
According to experts, many women with early breast cancer have no symptoms. Therefore, a regular breast cancer screening would be significant, especially for possible patients aged 40-year-olds and above.
The use of Mastocheck, a simple blood test, to detect early signs of breast cancer will play a vital role in fighting against breast cancer.
The first requirement before a patient undergoes Mastocheck is a consultation with a doctor, which costs S$168.
Ways How to Diagnose Breast Cancer
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Before the breakthrough of Mastocheck, experts relied on other medical tools and treatments to detect cancer in the breasts. Unfortunately, these methods don’t help in the early detection of the disease.
Here are some ways how medical health experts diagnose breast cancer:
- Biopsy – a test that removes tissue or fluid from the breast. This way, experts can examine it under a microscope and do more testing.
- Diagnostic Mammogram – an X-ray image of the breast. Doctors commonly suggest it when the patient has a problem with the breast, such as lumps or areas which do not look normal.
- Breast Ultrasound – an imaging test that uses sound waves to look at the inside of the person’s breasts
- Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – is a body scan that uses a magnet linked to a computer. It makes detailed pictures of areas inside the breast.
Quick Facts About Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. Experts commonly start to suspect you have breast cancer when your breast cells start to grow abnormally.
Like skin cancer, breast cancer is one of the most common cancer diagnoses among women across the globe. Even though this kind of disease is most common in women, experts found that breast can also occur in men.
Fortunately, people nowadays have become more knowledgeable about it. It could primarily be because breast cancer awareness and research funding; helped make advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the illness.
Aside from that, breast cancer survival rates increased in the past years. The number of deaths related to this kind of disease is continuously declining.
There are various reasons why breast cancer cases in different parts of the world are constantly declining. It includes a new personalised approach to treatment, a better understanding of the disease, and, most importantly, earlier detection.
Thankfully, experts recently found another way to detect earlier signs of breast cancer. After some time, we hope to expect other treatments or tests that help detect and treat cancer in the future.
