Mammogram FAQ
Mammograms are safe and standard breast cancer screenings that can help save your life. While around 73% of women over 45 have had mammograms in the last two years, you might still have questions about this standard health procedure. Please check our mammogram FAQs for answers to your questions.
If you don’t see your question answered here, please contact us for more information.
Mammogram - The Basics
Mammogram basics :
A mammogram is an X-ray of your breast. It’s the first line of defense against breast cancer as it can detect abnormal tissue long before it becomes palpable to human touch.
Every year, around 325,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s the most common type of cancer in the United States (after skin cancer). Additionally, 43,600 American women die of breast cancer every year. It’s the second leading cause of death for American women.
A mammogram helps your doctor diagnose breast cancer in its early stages. As with other types of cancer and medical conditions, it is often easier to treat and eradicate breast cancer in its early stages.
Mammograms don’t prevent breast cancer, but they can help catch it early so you can get the treatment, minimizing your pain and other disruptions to your life. Early detection also increases your chances of remission and survival.
A mammogram is a specialized X-ray calibrated precisely for breast tissue. It uses less radiation than a standard X-ray. Like a standard X-ray, different types of tissue block the radiation from passing through your body. Fatty tissue, for example, allows the X-ray to pass through easily, creating dark areas on the image. More dense tissue, such as the fibrous or glandular tissue in your breast, blocks more of the X-ray, creating lighter areas on the image.
The equipment compresses your breasts between two sheets of plastic, which allows the radiation to pass through your breast more easily, therefore reducing the amount of radiation needed to create an image of the inside of your breast.
A mammogram can help your physician diagnose cysts, calcification, scar tissue, and fibroadenomas. Fibroadenomas are benign tumors that don’t change size or shape from year to year.
Scheduling Mammograms
Learn about scheduling your Mammogram:
Women should have the opportunity to start having annual mammograms between the ages of 40-44. If you have an increased risk of breast cancer, your physician might recommend beginning to have screenings earlier.
Women between the ages of 45-54 should have annual mammograms. From the age of 55, you can have a mammogram every other year unless you have an elevated risk of breast cancer. Your provider can give you personalized advice on how frequently you should have a mammogram.
Your skin should be clean and dry when you have a mammogram. Do not wear any lotions, perfumes, or deodorant to your appointment. These substances can interfere with the clarity of your mammogram. Don’t wear any head or neck jewelry such as earrings or necklaces. You should also remove any body piercings before your mammogram.
You can eat and drink normally before a mammogram, but you might want to avoid having caffeine. Some studies indicate that caffeine can increase breast sensitivity and make your procedure more uncomfortable.
Your breasts might be more sensitive during the week before and of your period. It would be best to schedule your mammogram for approximately a week after your period starts.
You need to bare your breasts for a mammogram, so you might be more comfortable wearing a top with pants or a skirt instead of a dress or jumpsuit. After you take off your top, we give you a wrap to wear that opens at the front so we can easily place your breasts onto the mammogram equipment while helping you feel comfortable during the appointment.
Mammogram Types and Procedure
Find out the types of Mammograms and what happens during one:
A specially trained radiology technician known as a mammographer performs your test. Mammographers complete specialized training to provide mammograms, both to keep you comfortable and to create clear, detailed images, reducing the risk of you being called back unnecessarily.
We have a board-certified radiologist on staff at Maiden Lane Medical who can interpret your mammogram. Radiologists complete specialized training to read medical imaging tests. Our radiologist shares your mammogram results with your physician, who then passes the results on to you.
During a standard mammogram, you stand in front of the equipment. The plates are adjustable, and our technician moves them to the appropriate height for your breasts. Your technician begins with one breast, placing it on a horizontal plate and lowering the second plate to compress your breast. They take the X-ray and then repeat the process on your other breast.
Then, the technician rotates the plates to a diagonal position. They place one of your breasts against the stationary plate and adjust the second plate to compress your breast at a different angle before taking the X-ray. They also repeat these steps on your other breast.
Here at Maiden Lane Medical, we offer 3D mammograms (breast tomosynthesis). During this procedure, we only need to compress each breast once, and the machine takes a series of low-dose X-rays as it moves in an arc around your breast. The computer puts these images together in a series of thin slices, which allows the radiologist to see the details of your breast tissue more clearly in three dimensions.
With 3D mammography, you’re less likely to be called back for follow-up testing as the images are more detailed, decreasing potential ambiguity in your results.
A screening mammogram only takes around 15 minutes. If you need a diagnostic mammogram, your procedure could last longer.
Many women find the mammogram procedure uncomfortable because of the breast compression. The X-ray itself is painless. If you have sensitive breasts, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever before your appointment.
Mammogram Results and What to Expect
Learn more about what to expect after your Mammogram:
Mammograms can vary depending on the ratio of fatty and dense breast tissue. In general, a healthy mammogram is predominantly gray, with a few lighter areas representing your fibrous and glandular breast tissue. More white doesn’t necessarily mean that you have breast cancer. It indicates a higher percentage of dense breast tissue.
When our radiologist examines mammograms for signs of breast cancer, they check for focused white areas. Then, they consider the shape, size, and edges of those areas for abnormalities that could indicate cancer.
Learn more
We order diagnostic mammograms if you have a symptom that could indicate breast cancer. A diagnostic mammogram takes longer than a standard screening mammogram as we use different techniques to create more detailed images of the insides of your breasts. For example, we might zoom in on a specific region of your breast or create images from multiple vantage points.
Mammograms are very safe. The amount of radiation needed is similar to the radiation that you’re exposed to over two months of your day-to-day life. The potentially life-saving benefits of a mammogram far outweigh the almost nonexistent risks.
Mammogram results shouldn’t take longer than 10 business days. Here at Maiden Lane Medical, we offer in-office mammograms and have a radiologist on staff who can read your mammograms. This cuts down on the wait time between having your mammogram and receiving your results.
Remember, no news is not good news. If you don’t receive the results of your mammogram within 30 days, please call our office to follow-up.
If you have a healthy mammogram, we send a letter letting you know that your results were normal.
If your mammogram reveals an abnormality, we still send a letter explaining your results, but we also call to schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss your results. We might schedule a diagnostic mammogram, an MRI, or a biopsy to collect more information about your breast tissue.
If we find breast cancer during a mammogram and confirm it with follow-up testing, we work with you and your oncologist to deliver a personalized treatment plan. Depending on your needs, you might need surgery to remove the tumor or your breast as well as chemotherapy or radiation to ensure that all abnormal cells are destroyed.
Dena Harris, MD
Board Certified Gynecologist