Mammography
A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breasts. It is used to find tumors and to help tell the difference between non-cancerous (benign) and cancerous (malignant) disease.
Mammogram You
will be asked to undress from the waist up and will be given a gown to
wear. Depending on the type of equipment used, you will sit or stand.
One
breast at a time is rested on a flat surface that contains the x-ray
plate. A device called a compressor will be pressed firmly against the
breast to help flatten out the breast tissue.
The x-ray pictures are taken from several angles. You may be asked to hold your breath as each picture is taken.
Digital
mammography is a recent technique that allows the x-ray image of the
breast to be viewed and manipulated on a computer screen. It improves
accuracy a little bit, but is not yet performed everywhere.
Do
not wear deodorant, perfume, powders, or ointments under the arms or on
the breasts on the day of the mammogram. These substances may obscure
the images. Remove all jewelry from your neck and chest area.
Notify your health care provider and the radiologist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
When the breast is compressed, there may be some discomfort.
Mammography is performed to screen healthy women for signs of breast cancer. It is also used to evaluate a woman who has symptoms of a breast disease, such as a lump, nipple discharge, breast pain, dimpling of the skin on the breast, or retraction of the nipple.
Screening
mammograms are important for early breast cancer detection. The
American Cancer Society recommends mammogram screening every year for
all women age 40 and older. The National Cancer Institute recommends
mammogram screening every 1 to 2 years for women age 40 and older.
Experts recommend that certain women at high risk of breast cancer
should also have a breast MRI along with their yearly mammogram. Ask your doctor if you need an MRI.
Guidelines
from the American College of Physicians, however, debate whether women
with a low risk for breast cancer should begin mammogram screening at
age 40. The 2007 guidelines, instead, recommend that women in their 40s
ask their doctor when they should begin having the test.
In
addition to mammography, clinical breast exams (where the clinician
palpates with the fingers) and monthly breast self-examinations are
important for breast cancer screening. Women age 20 and older should
receive clinical breast exams every 3 years; women age 40 and older
should receive clinical breast exams every year. The American Cancer
Society recommends that all women age 20 and older perform monthly breast self-examination.
These
are general recommendations for mammography, clinical breast exams, and
breast self-exam. Women should discuss with their personal physician
how often to receive breast cancer screening, including mammography and
clinical breast exam. Recommendations vary depending on personal risk
factors such a strong family history of breast cancer.
Breast tissue that shows no evidence of mass (aggregations of cells) or calcification is considered normal.
A well-outlined, regular, clear spot is more likely to be a non-cancerous lesion such as a cyst.
A
poorly outlined, cloudy area is more likely to suggest breast cancer (a
cancerous lesion). However, not all breast cancers are perfectly round,
and some cancers may appear well-defined.
Sometimes, the doctor
will use ultrasound to further examine the problem and determine the
next best step. When findings from a mammogram or ultrasound look
suspicious, a biopsy is performed to determine if it a cancerous or non-cancerous condition.
Conditions under which a biopsy may be performed include:
The
level of radiation is low and any risk from mammography is exceedingly
low. If you are pregnant and need to have an abnormality checked, the
abdominal area will be shielded by a lead apron.
Mammography is important because it can, in some cases, detect breast cancers before you can feel them with your fingers.
Review Date: 10/23/2006
Reviewed By: Stuart Bentley-Hibbert, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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