As part of our partnership with the American Cancer Society, we are publishing a series of articles on breast cancer awareness during October! Today, we dive deeper into mammography and get an answer to the question, “What is a Mammogram?”
WHAT IS A MAMMOGRAM? (Content provided by partners at the American Cancer Society)
A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray of the breast that lets specialists look for changes in breast tissue.
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Screening mammograms look for breast disease in women who don’t seem to have breast problems.
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A diagnostic mammogram is used to diagnose breast disease in women who have breast symptoms or had an abnormal result on a screening mammogram.
Why should I have a mammogram?
A mammogram can often show breast cancer in its early stages, even before a lump can be felt. This is when treatment may be most successful.
What does a mammogram show?
Mammograms can’t prove that an abnormal area is cancer, but they can give information that shows if more testing is needed. The 2 main types of breast changes found with a mammogram are calcifications and masses.
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Calcifications are tiny mineral deposits in breast tissue. On the mammogram picture, they look like small white spots. They may or may not be caused by cancer.
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A mass can be many things, including a cyst (fluid-filled sac) or a non-cancerous (benign) tumor, but it could also be cancer.
Having your older mammograms available for the radiologist to use for comparison is very important. They can help show if a mass or calcification has changed over time, which could help the doctor decide if more tests are needed.
How does it work?
A mammogram is done by a machine designed to look only at breast tissue. This machine takes x-rays at lower doses than usual x-rays. Because these x-rays don’t go through tissue easily, the machine has 2 plates that compress or flatten the breast to spread the tissue. This gives a better picture and allows less radiation to be used.
Have a mammogram scheduled? Check out 7 Things to Know before you go.
For more information on breast cancer early detection or mammograms, go to cancer.org/breastcancer or call the American Cancer Society® at 1-800-227-2345.