Meet the Experts

Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver

Breast Surgeon with Miami Cancer Institute

Videos

Breast Changes

Breast can go through normal changes throughout a woman’s different stages of life. Changes can be seen for the first time during adolescence, explains Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver, Breast Surgeon with Miami Cancer Institute. The expert also talks about changes during menstrual periods and pregnancy. She also says women have different peaks of different hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.

Anatomy of the Breast

With a digital imaging, Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver, Breast Surgeon with Miami Cancer Institute, explains the breast is composed of three types of tissues: glandular tissue (produces breast milk), connective tissue and fat. Breast tissue varies depending upon a woman’s age, hormone status and genetics. Younger women have more dense and firmer breasts than older women.

Mammography Screening Guidelines

In 2015, the American Cancer Society updated the screening guidelines and recommend giving women between ages of 40 to 44 the option to start screening; for women between 45 and 54, annual screening mammography and for women who are 55 or older, biennial with option for annual screening. Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver, Breast Surgeon with Miami Cancer Institute, also explains MRI screening is reserved for high-risk women.

Causes of Breast Cancer

Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver, Breast Surgeon with Miami Cancer Institute, states all cancer is genetic because it results from accumulation of multiple mutations in genes that control cell division, but not all cancer is hereditary. Only about 5 to 10% of breast cancers are hereditary. Although BRCA genes are inherited mutations, most breast cancers occur because these mutations are acquired over a person’s lifetime due to multiple factors, the doctor says.

Education & Cancer Prevention

Dr. Cristina Lopez-Penalver, Breast Surgeon with Miami Cancer Institute, considers it’s important for women to know about risk factors of breast cancer and the proactive ways in which they can reduce their risk of developing it. It’s essential to be informed about screenings for the early detection of the disease. These things are always important aspects of preventive health care. Nowadays there are over 3 million breast cancer survivors and it’s because of a combination of early screenings, early detection and improved and more effective treatments, the doctor says.

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