What
is Screening Mammography?
Screening
mammography is an x-ray examination of the breasts in a woman who is
asymptomatic (has no complaints or symptoms of breast cancer).
Screening mammography involves taking x-rays from two views
from each breast, typically from above (cranial-caudal view, CC) and
from an oblique or angled view (mediolateral-oblique, MLO).
The goal of screening mammography is to detect cancer when it
is still too small to be felt by a woman or her physician. Early detection of small breast cancers by screening
mammography greatly improves a woman's chances for successful
treatment. A mammogram
is like a fingerprint; the appearance of the breast on a mammogram
varies tremendously from woman to woman, and no two mammograms are
alike. It is extremely
helpful for the radiologist to have films (not just the report)
available from previous examinations for comparison purposes.
This will help the doctor to recognize small changes that
occur gradually over time and detect a cancer as early as possible.
Therefore, it is important for women 40 years of age and
older to get a mammogram each year and have current mammograms
compared with previous films.
What
is Diagnostic Mammography?
Diagnostic
mammography is an x-ray exam of the breasts that is performed in
order to evaluate a breast complaint or abnormality detected by
physical exam or routine screening mammography.
Diagnostic mammography is different from screening
mammography in that additional views of the breast are usually
taken, as opposed to two views typically taken with screening
mammography. Typically
views for diagnostic mammograms include the cranio-caudal view (CC),
the mediolateral oblique view (MLO), and supplemental views tailored
to the specific problem. These
can include views from each side (latero medical, LM: from the side
towards the center of the chest and mediolateral view, ML: from the
center of the chest out), exaggerated cranial-caudal, and other
special mammography views such as spot compression and magnification
views.
The goal of
diagnostic mammography is to pinpoint the exact size and location of
breast abnormality and to image the surrounding tissue and lymph
nodes. In many cases,
diagnostic mammography will help show that the abnormality is highly
likely to be benign (non-cancerous).
When this occurs, the radiologist may recommend that the
women return at a later day for a follow-up mammogram, typically in
six months. However, if
an abnormality seen with diagnostic mammography is suspicious,
additional breast imaging such as breast ultrasound or biopsy may be
ordered.
Breast Health Centers
For scheduling, please call: (941) 917-7322
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