Mammography screening has been one of the great public health achievements of the last 30 years.

Statistics show that following the widespread introduction of mammography screening in the 1980’s, the death rate from breast cancer in the United States has decreased 35 percent.

Although there has been some controversy regarding the recommended timing of screening mammograms, it is important to keep in mind that all medical organizations that publish screening recommendations strongly agree that mammograms save lives, and that women should have mammograms regularly.

Federal regulations implemented in 1992 assure that uniformly high quality mammography is performed everywhere in the United States.

1. Get a mammogram every year. The NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network) recommends yearly mammograms.  Multiple large scientific studies have confirmed that annual mammograms save more lives than do mammograms performed at less frequent screening intervals.
   
   
2. Mammograms find breast cancer at the earliest stage.Mammography is the only technique that can reliably detect breast cancer at the earliest stage, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS, or Stage 0 breast cancer). When diagnosed and treated at this stage, the prognosis for complete recovery is excellent.
   
   
3. Start mammograms at age 40.  The rate of breast cancer for women in their 40s is double the rate of breast cancer for women in their 30s.  In fact, one sixth of all breast cancers occur in women aged 40-49.  A Harvard study found that the majority (more than 70 percent) of women who died of breast cancer in their 40s, were among the 20% who had not complied with routine mammography screening.
   
   
4. Continue getting mammograms as you age.  For women at all ages beyond 74, the incidence of breast cancer is greater than for all women below the age of 65.  Therefore, every organization that promotes mammography for women in their 50s and 60s should also be promoting mammography for women over age 74.   I recommend that a woman continue to have annual mammograms regardless of her age, as long as she is in good health.
   
   
5. Women with very dense breasts may benefit from adding ultrasound or MRI. If a woman’s breasts are extremely dense the dense tissue may obscure details on mammography, making diagnosis of abnormalities more difficult.  For these patients, adding ultrasound or MRI of the breasts as a supplement to mammography can improve cancer detection.
   
   
6. Film mammography is essentially obsolete.3-D mammography and digital mammography are superior to the earlier equipment used for making mammograms on film, and the latest techniques are able to use less radiation.  Microcalcifications, a sign of DCIS, are better seen with these newer techniques than on film mammograms. Likewise, small invasive cancers are better detected on 3-D mammograms than on film mammograms.  In addition, these newer digital techniques allow doctors to apply artificial intelligence to help detect abnormalities on mammograms.
   
   
7. Compression is essential.Although it may be unpleasant, compression of the breast during a mammogram is necessary for several important reasons: The breast is less thick, lowering the amount of radiation that is needed. Spreading the tissue separates overlapping structures within the breast, making it easier to see abnormalities on the mammogram.Compression holds the breast in place, preventing motion that may blur the image.
   
   
8. Don’t be uncomfortable. If you find mammograms uncomfortable, try to schedule your mammogram between day 7 and day 10 of your menstrual cycle, when your breasts are least sensitive. Taking acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) before your mammogram may help as well.
   
   
9. Mammography is safe for women with breast implants.Mammograms are routinely performed on women with breast implants, with no harm to the implants. Many of the breast cancers diagnosed in women with breast implants are detected with mammography.
   
   
10. Mammograms are not exclusively for women. Mammograms are sometimes performed on men with breast enlargement, to differentiate between harmless breast enlargement and 10. a lump requiring biopsy. 1% of all breast cancers occur in men.

Prepared by: Shafikah Binti Rahim

Sources:

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/health/2017/05/06/cancer-10-things-know-mamograms/100983672/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040842820303103#sec0020

Date of Input: 25/10/2021 | Updated: 09/01/2023 | aimerul