Why is breast cancer undetectable in yearly physicals?

In fact, routine health checkups are basic medical checkups, such as routine blood test, routine urine test, electrocardiogram, breast scan, chest X-ray, etc. These checkups are not very targeted and sensitive, and the volume of early-stage breast cancer is very small, which is difficult to be detected by basic medical checkups, and some cancerous tumors are very hidden in their growth sites, which makes it easy to miss the diagnosis. As we all know, early detection of breast cancer has a great chance of eradication, and the only cancers that can be detected through physical examination are breast cancer and cervical cancer, which are internationally recognized. Unfortunately, it is difficult to detect early breast cancer through routine physical examination without symptoms. Most of the cancer patients we see in our daily work come to the doctor only when they have symptoms. Why is it difficult to detect all early-stage breast cancers during a routine physical examination? Most health checkups are basic checkups, and many organizations or individuals have health checkups year after year. However, there are so many health checkups that most people don’t know which ones to do. Therefore, units choose some very basic checkups, such as routine blood tests, urine tests, breast scans, chest X-rays, etc., and employees don’t have the right to choose their own health checkups, which will miss a lot of chances to detect early breast cancer; while individuals, for economic reasons, will choose relatively cheap checkups such as breast scans, which will also make it difficult to detect early breast cancer. For financial reasons, individuals will also choose relatively inexpensive medical checkups such as breast scans, which will also lead to missed diagnosis. Tumor growth is a gradual process, and only when the tumor grows to a certain size can it be detected. A breast lesion the size of a grain of rice is difficult to detect during a routine physical examination, and even if it is detected, it is difficult to determine its nature. Therefore, when tiny lesions are detected during a physical examination, non-breast specialists often recommend follow-up and observation until they can be touched before surgery is considered, whereas specialists use their expertise to recommend surgery as early as possible for a definitive diagnosis. Targeted medical checkups at breast specialists are a wise choice for early detection of breast cancer, and treatment of early breast cancer not only means better chances of survival, but also preservation of breasts, beauty and family harmony. As Ye Fan sang in the song “Take care of your body” before she left: “With a good body, even a simple life will be gorgeous; without a good body, even a normal day will be windy and rainy; take care of your body, don’t ever care about it, even if it’s for yourself, even if it’s for your family”.