Lost Password?
No account yet? Register
Mammography PDF Print E-mail
Mammography is a specific type of imaging that uses a low-dose x-ray system to examine breasts. A mammography exam, called a mammogram, is used to aid in the diagnosis of breast diseases in women.
An x-ray (radiograph) is a painless medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions. Radiography involves exposing a part of the body to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce pictures of the inside of the body. X-rays are the oldest and most frequently used form of medical imaging.

Two recent enhancements to traditional mammography include digital mammography and computer-aided detection.

Digital mammography, also called full-field digital mammography (FFDM), is a mammography system in which the x-ray film is replaced by solid-state detectors that convert x-rays into electrical signals. These detectors are similar to those found in digital cameras. The electrical signals are used to produce images of the breast that can be seen on a computer screen or printed on special film similar to conventional mammograms. From the patient's point of view, digital mammography is essentially the same as the screen-film system.

Computer-aided detection (CAD) systems use a digitized mammographic image that can be obtained from either a conventional film mammogram or a digitally acquired mammogram. The computer software then searches for abnormal areas of density, mass, or calcification that may indicate the presence of cancer. The CAD system highlights these areas on the images, alerting the radiologist to the need for further analysis.

How should I prepare for a mammogram?
Before scheduling a mammogram, the American Cancer Society (ACS) and other specialty organizations recommend that you discuss any new findings or problems in your breasts with your doctor. In addition, inform your doctor of any prior surgeries, hormone use, and family or personal history of breast cancer.

Do not schedule your mammogram for the week before your period if your breasts are usually tender during this time. The best time for a mammogram is one week following your period. Always inform your doctor or x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that you are pregnant.

The ACS also recommends you:
  • Do not wear deodorant, talcum powder or lotion under your arms or on your breasts on the day of the exam. These can appear on the mammogram as calcium spots.
     
  • Describe any breast symptoms or problems to the technologist performing the exam.
     
  • If possible, obtain prior mammograms and make them available to the radiologist at the time of the current exam.
     
  • Ask when your results will be available; do not assume the results are normal if you do not hear from your doctor or the Mammography facility.

How is the procedure performed?
Mammography is performed on an outpatient basis.
During Mammography, a specially qualified radiologic technologist will position your breast in the Mammography unit. Your breast will be placed on a special platform and compressed with a paddle (often made of clear Plexiglas or other plastic). The technologist will gradually compress your breast .
 
Breast compression is necessary in order to:
  • Even out the breast thickness so that all of the tissue can be visualized.
     
  • Spread out the tissue so that small abnormalities won't be obscured by overlying breast tissue.
     
  • Allow the use of a lower x-ray dose since a thinner amount of breast tissue is being imaged.
     
  • Hold the breast still in order to eliminate blurring of the image caused by motion.
     
  • Reduce x-ray scatter to increase sharpness of picture.
     
  • The technologist will stand behind a glass shield during the x-ray exposure. You will be asked to change positions slightly between images. The routine views are a top-to-bottom view and an oblique side view. The process will be repeated for the other breast.

The patient must hold very still and may be asked to keep from breathing for a few seconds while the x-ray picture is taken to reduce the possibility of a blurred image. The technologist will walk behind a wall or into the next room to activate the x-ray machine.
When the examination is complete, the patient will be asked to wait until the technologist determines that the images are of high enough quality for the radiologist to read.
The examination process should take about 30 minutes.

Benefits
  • Imaging of the breast improves a physician's ability to detect small tumors. When cancers are small, the woman has more treatment options and a cure is more likely.
     
  • The use of screening mammography increases the detection of small abnormal tissue growths confined to the milk ducts in the breast, called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). These early tumors cannot harm patients if they are removed at this stage and mammography is the only proven method to reliably detect these tumors. It is also useful for detecting all types of breast cancer, including invasive ductal and invasive lobular cancer.
     
  • No radiation remains in a patient's body after an x-ray examination. 

  • X-rays usually have no side effects.

 

Risks

  • There is always a slight chance of cancer from radiation. However, the benefit of an accurate diagnosis far outweighs the risk.
     
  • The effective radiation dose from a mammogram is about 0.7 mSv, which is about the same as the average person receives from background radiation in three months. Federal mammography guidelines require that each unit be checked by a medical physicist every year to ensure that the unit operates correctly.
     
  • False Positive Mammograms. Five percent to 15 percent of screening mammograms require more testing such as additional mammograms or ultrasound. Most of these tests turn out to be normal. If there is an abnormal finding a follow-up or biopsy may have to be performed. Most of the biopsies confirm that no cancer was present. It is estimated that a woman who has yearly mammograms between ages 40 and 49 has about a 30 percent chance of having a false-positive mammogram at some point in that decade and about a 7 percent to 8 percent chance of having a breast biopsy within the 10-year period. The estimate for false-positive mammograms is about 25 percent for women ages 50 or older.
     
  • Women should always inform their physician or x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant. 
 
< Prev   Next >
[ Back ]
Copyright 2007 - 2010 Healthlinesnews.com. All Rights Reserved.
Home | About us | Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Contact us | Health Resources
The health information provided by Health Lines News should not be relied on as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, wellness, diet or nutrition you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional.