Mammogram Procedure | Johns Hopkins Medicine

A mammogram is an X-ray examination of the breast. It is used to detect and diagnose breast disease in women who either have breast problems, such as a lump ... SkipNavigation ImportantUpdates:COVID-19vaccinations|RecallonPhilipsRespironicsmedicaldevices COVID-19:Wearevaccinatingalleligiblepatients.Learnmore: Vaccines,Boosters&AdditionalDoses|Testing|PatientCare|VisitorGuidelines|Coronavirus| EmailAlerts   PhilipsRespironicsissuedarecallforsomeCPAPandBiLevelPAPdevicesandmechanicalventilators.Learnmore. HealthHome Treatments,TestsandTherapies MammogramProcedure ShareonFacebook ShareonTwitter ShareonLinkedin ShareonPinterest ShareviaEmail PrintthisPage Breast Women'sHealth Biopsies BreastCancer Whatisamammogram? AmammogramisanX-rayexaminationofthebreast.Itisusedtodetectanddiagnosebreastdiseaseinwomenwhoeitherhavebreastproblems,suchasalump,pain,ornippledischarge,aswellasforwomenwhohavenobreastcomplaints.Theprocedureallowsdetectionofbreastcancers,benigntumors,andcystsbeforetheycanbedetectedbypalpation(touch). Mammographycannotprovethatanabnormalareaiscancer,butifitraisesasignificantsuspicionofcancer,tissuewillberemovedforabiopsy.Tissuemayberemovedbyneedleoropensurgicalbiopsyandexaminedunderamicroscopetodetermineifitiscancer. Mammographyhasbeenusedforabout30years,andinthepast15yearstechnicaladvancementshavegreatlyimprovedboththetechniqueandresults.Today,dedicatedequipment,usedonlyforbreastX-rays,producesstudiesthatarehighinquality,butlowinradiationdose.Radiationrisksareconsideredtobenegligible. Thedevelopmentofdigitalmammographytechnologyallowsforimprovedbreastimaging,inparticular,forwomenlessthan50yearsofage,womenwithdensebreasttissue,andwomenwhoarepremenopausalorperimenopausal.Digitalmammographyprovideselectronicimagesofthebreaststhatcanbeenhancedbycomputertechnology,storedoncomputers,andeventransmittedelectronicallyinsituationswhereremoteaccesstothemammogramisrequired.Theprocedureforadigitalmammographyisbasicallyperformedthesamewayasastandardmammogram. Withcomputer-aideddetection(CAD)systems,adigitizedmammographicimagefromaconventionalfilmmammogramoradigitallyacquiredmammogramisanalyzedformasses,calcifications,orareasofabnormaldensitythatmayindicatethepresenceofcancer.TheimagesarehighlightedbytheCADsystemforfurtheranalysisbytheradiologist. Whatarethedifferenttypesofmammograms? AccordingtotheNationalCancerInstitute: Screeningmammogram. AscreeningmammogramisanX-rayofthebreastusedtodetectbreastchangesinwomenwhohavenosignsorsymptomsofbreastcancer.Itusuallyinvolves2X-raysofeachbreast.Usingamammogram,itispossibletodetectatumorthatcannotbefelt. Diagnosticmammogram. AdiagnosticmammogramisanX-rayofthebreastusedtodiagnoseunusualbreastchanges,suchasalump,pain,nipplethickeningordischarge,orachangeinbreastsizeorshape.Adiagnosticmammogramisalsousedtoevaluateabnormalitiesdetectedonascreeningmammogram.Itisabasicmedicaltoolandisappropriateintheworkupofbreastchanges,regardlessofawoman'sage. FindanImagingLocation Bethesda Columbia GreenSpringStation,Lutherville WashingtonD.C. WhiteMarsh Seeadditionalimaginglocations WhatisanX-ray?X-rays useinvisibleelectromagneticenergybeamstoproduceimagesofinternaltissues,bones,andorgansonfilm.StandardX-raysareperformedformanyreasons,includingdiagnosingtumorsorboneinjuries.X-raysaremadebyusingexternalradiationtoproduceimagesofthebody,itsorgans,andotherinternalstructuresfordiagnosticpurposes.X-rayspassthroughbodystructuresontospecially-treatedplates(similartocamerafilm)anda"negative"typepictureismade(themoresolidastructureis,thewhiteritappearsonthefilm). Seminar ABreastRadiologist’sPerspective:ScreeningMammographyandDiagnosticImaging Breastimagingexpertsexplainbreastimagingandthedifferencebetweenscreeninganddiagnosticmammograms. Learnaboutthiswebinar Anatomyofthebreasts Eachbreasthas15to20sections,calledlobes,whicharearranged likethepetalsofadaisy.Eachlobehasmanysmallerlobules,which endindozensoftinybulbsthatcanproducemilk. Thelobes,lobules,andbulbsarealllinkedbythintubescalled ducts.Theseductsleadtothenippleinthecenterofadarkareaof skincalledtheareola.Fatfillsthespacesbetweenlobulesandducts. Therearenomusclesinthebreast,butmuscleslieundereachbreast andcovertheribs. Eachbreastalsocontainsbloodvesselsandvesselsthatcarrylymph. Thelymphvesselsleadtosmallbean-shapedorganscalledlymphnodes, clustersofwhicharefoundunderthearm,abovethecollarbone,andin thechest,aswellasinmanyotherpartsofthebody. Whatarethereasonsforamammogram? Mammographymaybeusedeitherforscreeningortomakeadiagnosis. Womenolderthan30yearsshouldundergodiagnosticmammographyifthey havesymptoms,suchasapalpablelump,breastskinthickeningor indentation,nippledischargeorretraction,erosivesoreofthe nipple,orbreastpain. Amammogrammaybeusedtoevaluatebreastpainwhenphysical examinationandhistoryarenotconclusive.Womenwithbreaststhatare dense,"lumpy,"and/orverylargemaybescreenedwithmammography,as physicalexaminationmaybedifficulttoperform. Womenwhoareathighriskforbreastcancerorwithahistoryof breastcancermayberoutinelyscreenedwithmammography. Theremaybeotherreasonsforyourhealthcareprovidertorecommenda mammography. Whoshouldgetascreeningmammogram? Differenthealthexpertshavedifferentrecommendationsfor mammography.Thefollowingscreeningguidelinesareforearlydetection ofcancerinwomenwhohavenosymptoms: TheAmericanCollegeofRadiology(ACR)andtheSocietyof BreastImaging(SBI)recommendthatwomengetyearlymammograms startingatage40.TheJohnsHopkinsRadiologyand RadiologicalSciencebreastimagingsectionsupportstheACR andSBIrecommendationandencouragewomentodiscusstheir individualscreeningoptionswiththeirdoctor. TheNationalCancerInstituteguidelinesstatethatwomenin their40sandoldershouldhaveascreeningmammogramona regularbasis,every1to2years. TheAmericanCancerSocietyrecommendsthatwomenwithan averageriskofbreastcancershouldhaveregularscreening mammogramsstartingatage45.Mammogramsshouldbedoneevery yearforallwomenages45to54.Thenyoucanswitchto mammogramsevery2years.Oryouhavethechoicetocontinue annualmammograms. Currently,theU.S.PreventiveServicesTaskForce(USPSTF) recommendsscreeningevery2yearsforwomenages50to74. Womenwhoareatanincreasedrisk(familyhistory,genetic tendency,pastbreastcancer)shouldtalkwiththeirhealth careprovidersaboutthebenefitsandlimitationsofstarting mammographyscreeningearlier,havingadditionaltests(breast ultrasound,MRI),orhavingmorefrequentexams. Womenshouldtalkwiththeirhealthcareprovidersabouttheirpersonal riskfactorsbeforemakingadecisionaboutwhentostartgetting mammogramsorhowoftentheyshouldgetthem.Consultyourhealthcare providerregardingthescreeningguidelinesthatareappropriatefor you. Whataretherisksofamammogram? Youmaywanttoaskyourhealthcareproviderabouttheamountof radiationusedduringtheprocedureandtherisksrelatedtoyour particularsituation.Itisagoodideatokeeparecordofyourpast historyofradiationexposure,suchaspreviousscansandothertypes ofX-rays,sothatyoucaninformyourhealthcareprovider.Risks associatedwithradiationexposuremayberelatedtothecumulative numberofX-rayexaminationsand/ortreatmentsoveralongperiodof time. Ifyouarepregnantorsuspectthatyoumaybepregnant,youshould notifyyourhealthcareprovider.Radiationexposureduringpregnancy mayleadtobirthdefects.Ifitisnecessaryforyoutohavea mammogram,specialprecautionswillbemadetominimizetheradiation exposuretothefetus. Somediscomfortmaybefeltasthebreastiscompressedagainstthe X-rayplateduringtheprocedure.Thiscompressionwillnotharmthe breast,however. Theremaybeotherrisksdependingonyourspecificmedicalcondition. Besuretodiscussanyconcernswithyourhealthcareproviderpriorto theprocedure. Certainfactorsorconditionsmayinterferewithamammogram.These include,butarenotlimitedto,thefollowing: Talcumpowder,deodorant,creams,orlotionsappliedunderthe armsoronthebreasts Breastimplants,astheymaypreventcompletevisualizationof thebreast.Ifyouhavebreastimplants,besuretotellyour mammographyfacilitythatyouhavethemwhenyoumakeyour appointment.YouwillneedanX-raytechnologistwhoistrained inworkingwithpatientswithimplants.Thisisimportant becausebreastimplantscanhidesomebreasttissue,which couldmakeitdifficultfortheradiologisttoseebreast cancerwhenlookingatyourmammogramimages. Previousbreastsurgery Hormonalbreastchanges Let’sTalkMammograms Annualmammogramsarethebesttoolforearlydetectionofbreastcancer.Hearwomentalkabouttheimportanceofbreastscreening,andwhattheywouldtellotherwomenwhomightbehesitanttoscheduleamammogram. HowdoIprepareforamammogram? SCHEDULING :Breastscanbetendertheweekbeforeandduringmenstruation,sotrytoscheduleyourmammogramforonetotwoweeksafteryourperiodstarts.Ifyouhavebreastimplants,pleasenotifytheofficewhenyouscheduletheexam. PRECAUTIONS :Ifyouarepregnantorthinkyoumaybepregnant,pleasecheckwithyourdoctorbeforeschedulingtheexam.Otheroptionswillbediscussedwithyouandyourdoctor. BREASTFEEDING :Pleasenotifythetechnologistifyouarecurrentlybreast-feeding. PERSONALHYGIENE :Donotuseanydeodorant,powder,lotionorperfumeonthedayofyourexam. CLOTHING :Youmustremoveyourclothingfromthewaistupandchangeintoapatientgown.Alockerwillbeprovidedtosecureyourpersonalbelongings.Pleaseremoveallpiercingsandleavealljewelryandvaluablesathome. Basedonyourmedicalcondition,yourhealthcareprovidermayrequestotherspecificpreparation. SignUpforOurFreeNewsletter Oneofthebestthingsyoucandotoprotectandimproveyourhealthistostayinformed.YourHealthisaFREEe-newsletterthatservesasyoursmart,simpleconnectiontotheworld-classexpertiseofJohnsHopkins. 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