What is mammography?
A mammogram is a low dosage x-ray film of each breast that is carefully evaluated by a radiologist. Mammography can reveal both harmless and cancerous growths when they are too small to be felt by you or your physician.
The American Cancer Society endorses mammography, along with yearly physical examinations and monthly self-examinations, as the most effective means of detecting breast cancer at its earliest and most treatable stage. Generally, mammography can reveal benign and cancerous growths before you or your physician can feel them. If detected at the earliest stage, breast cancer has a five-year survival rate of over 95 percent, as small breast cancers are more treatable and can be removed before they spread to other parts of the body.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in American women. Unfortunately, 70% of women have no identifying risk factors. The American Cancer Society recommends mammography as a life saving tool for screening women without symptoms for breast cancer.
What can I expect during the exam?
The simple, routine exam usually takes 15 to 20 minutes. Each breast is gently compressed during the examinations and a low dosage X-ray film is obtained for the radiologist to evaluate. Although the compression may be slightly uncomfortable for a very short period of time, good compression is essential for the radiologist to see all the tissue inside the breast. The radiologist needs to be able to examine all breast tissue, including the tissue along the chest wall and underneath the armpit. After carefully positioning your breast on the mammography machine, the technologist will compress your breast for about 5 seconds to obtain the x-ray image. You can anticipate having at least 2 views per breast.
You may be called back for additional views, but it should be noted that these studies usually confirm normal tissue.
With the development of new technology (CAD, Computer Aided Detection), we are able to improve care to our patients yet we will continue to provide results in a prompt, timely fashion.
What is Computer Aided Detection (CAD)?
Because some breast cancers blend into breast tissue and cannot be seen in a screening mammogram, Radiology Regional Center uses computer-aided detection, or CAD, for every mammogram we perform. Our CAD system assists the radiologists in investigating your films to find minute breast tissue irregularities. This highly sensitive software dramatically increases our physicians' ability to identify subtle abnormalities and more importantly, potential breast cancers in earlier stages.
CAD acts like a "Spell-Checker" for medical images and assists radiologists by highlighting areas that warrant a second review. This system is the first FDA approved computer-aided detection system for screening and diagnostic mammogram.