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Mammography
Mammography is performed using an x-ray machine designed specifically for imaging the breast. A screening mammogram is taken for a woman who has no problems with her breasts and for whom the physician has no concern about a breast abnormality. On average, two x-ray images per breast are taken, from two different angles to image as much breast tissue as possible.
During a mammogram, the breast is compressed between tow plates. Good compression helps by spreading the tissue out to obtain a clear picture and to pick up tiny, minute areas that could possibly be early signs of cancer. Compression also reduces radiation exposure to the breast.
Mammography is especially valuable as an early detection tool because it can identify breast cancer at an early stage, usually before physical symptoms develop. The decline in breast cancer mortality has been attributed, in large part, to the regular use of screening mammography.
The American Cancer Society recommends the following:
Women 40 years old have an annual mammogram, an annual breast examination by a healthcare professional and perform monthly breast self-examination
Women ages 20-39 should have a clinical breast exam by a healthcare professional every three years and perform breast self-examination monthly.
The interpretation of screening mammograms is challenging. The radiologist balances the need for high sensitivity to abnormalities (leading to high cancer detection) with the need to keep the number of unnecessary interventions (call-backs for additional views) to a low level. The combination of viewing a large number of cases (95% of which are expected to be normal), radiologist fatigue (and the resultant observational oversights), the complex image structure of the breast on mammogram, and the subtle nature of certain observable characteristics of the disease can result in false negative mammogram readings. In fact, several retrospective studies have shown that 20-40% of breast cancers remain undetected at the screening stage.
The detection problem is compounded by the mammographic appearance of normal breast tissue. Normal tissue varies widely among women and the signs of breast cancer are often very subtle. Certain breast tissue abnormalities, which are observable on mammograms, may indicate the presence of cancerous lesions. These observable characteristics are well documented and include micro-calcifications, speculated masses, ill-defined masses, well-defined masses, parenchymal deformities and asymmetrical densities.
Women’s Digital Imaging has invested heavily in state-of-the-art technology such as Full-field Digital Mammography (FFDM) and Computer-aided Detection (CAD) to facilitate earlier detection and diagnosis.
Please see services for additional information:
Full-field Digital Mammography (FFDM)
The advantages of digital mammogram include:
Superior images. Digital mammography takes an electronic image of the breast, and stores it directly in a computer allowing the recorded data to be enhanced, magnified or manipulated for further evaluation.
Efficiency. Exam time has been shown to be reduced by 25-50%. The breast image appears on a computer monitor in 10 seconds, providing technologists with quick verification of correct patient positioning. Digital mammography may also reduce the number of necessary follow-up procedures.
Easier long-distance consultations (if necessary). Other mammography specialists may be contacted via electronic transmission of the images to another site.
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