Mammography

What is mammography?
A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray that examines breast tissue.

When is it used?
Mammography is useful for detecting breast cancer at an early stage. A mammogram can detect some types of cancer before you or your doctor can feel a lump. Mammograms are also used to check lumps that have been found in a physical or self-exam. They can help determine which lumps are cancerous and which are benign. However, all suspicious lumps should be biopsied or removed, even when the lump appears benign on the mammogram. Mammograms can show exactly where a lump is located in the breast before surgery or biopsy is done to remove it.

What happens during the procedure?
A mammogram is done in a doctor’s office or x-ray clinic. The technician will use a large machine to take x-rays of each breast. The mammogram appointment takes only a few minutes and is normally not painful. However, you will feel some pressure when your breasts are pressed between two plates for the x-rays, and your breasts may ache for a short time afterward. Each x-ray position requires just a few seconds.

What happens after the procedure?
Your doctor should give you a breast exam once a year. In addition, you should do breast self-exams every month, even if you have yearly exams and mammograms.

What are the benefits of this procedure?
Mammography helps the doctor diagnose various disorders of the breast. Most commonly, it helps find breast cancer at an early stage. The mammogram allows the detection of some types of breast cancer 1 to 2 years before a doctor or patient could feel it on exam. There is a better chance of curing the cancer if it is found at an early stage.

What are the risks associated with this procedure?
There are no known significant risks from having mammograms according to the recommended screening schedule. Discuss any concerns you have with your doctor.