One simple test. Powerful results.
Women have a powerful tool – a mammogram. This simple test is key to protecting women’s health. A mammogram is an x-ray image of the breast that can help detect cancer in its early stages. How can this simple test save lives? If cancer is caught early, in most cases, it can be treated successfully. A mammogram is the single best tool for early detection of breast cancer.

An American Cancer Society study* showed that mammography screening reduced breast cancer deaths by 63%. So, it’s important to make mammogram screening a top priority for yourself and the women you care about.

Your best weapon against a major cause of death in women.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women (exceeded only by lung cancer). Over her lifetime, a woman has a one-in-seven chance of developing breast cancer. A large number of these cancers are treatable, but they need to be detected before they can be treated.

Mammography is a lifesaver. But many women aren’t getting mammograms. For example, a US government study noted that less than 50% of women over 40 who are eligible for screening are actually getting a mammogram. That means 35 million moms, grandmothers, sisters and daughters are not getting their recommended screening.

Who should get a mammogram?
Every woman is unique and has different health needs. Your doctor can help you decide when to get your first mammogram and how often to repeat it. But the American Cancer Society has set the following guidelines:

• Women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year

• Women age 20-40 should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a regular health exam every 3 years.

Some risk factors* to be aware of include:

            • A family history of breast cancer (particularly a mother, sister or daughter)

            • A previous diagnosis of cancer in one breast

            • A prior abnormal breast biopsy

            • Menstruation before 12 and menopause after 55

            • Giving birth later in life or being childless

            • Taking hormone replacement therapy

            • Having dense breast tissue

*These risk factors don’t mean you will get breast cancer. In fact, even with one or more risk factors, most women don’t develop the disease. 

How do I schedule a mammogram?

Your doctor can recommend a mammography facility. If you don’t have a doctor, you can call the American Cancer Society (ACS) at 1-800-227-2345 or the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at 1-800-422-6237 (1-800-4-CANCER.) Both the ACS and NCI can help you locate a mammography center in your area and provide information on finding a free or reduced-cost mammogram for those who qualify.

You can also use the Mammography Facility Locator on the Images of Health Web site: imagesofhealth.com/facility_finder.htm

Simply enter your state or zip code and find the nearest certified screening facility.
 

After the exam, a radiologist reads the mammogram and then sends your doctor a report outlining his or her findings. Many times if the radiologist does not detect any areas that look suspicious, commonly referred to as abnormalities or areas of suspicion, you may not be contacted. If any abnormalities are noted in the report, you will receive a call for additional images to be taken of your breast(s).
 

For example, ask if your mammo- gram shows that you have dense breast tissue, a factor that can make it more difficult to diagnose breast cancer. Dense breasts contain more glands and ligaments – and less fat. Mammograms have trouble “seeing through” these dense tissues since both dense breast tissues and tumors appear as solid white areas on a mammogram image. This can make it challenging to detect a tumor because it can look like the dense tissue around it. If you learn you do have dense breasts, you might want to have a digital mammogram done in the future.

Digital mammography uses new detection technologies and computers – instead of film – to record, store and enhance the breast images. With digital mammography, the results are available more quickly because there is no film to develop. 

The radiologist can also enhance the images, making them larger, adjusting the contrast or focusing on specific sections. This means there’s less of a chance of being called back for additional exposures.  

            • Women under 50

            • Pre- and perimenopausal (in the early stages of menopause) women

            • Women with dense breasts

The digital mammograms found cancers the film mammograms missed. In addition, many of the cancers detected were the most serious, potentially fatal types.

Digital mammography technology has been available for several years and is currently used by 12% of screening facilities in the United States.

If you’re in one of the groups that benefit most from digital mammography, ask your doctor if there is a facility with digital technology near you.

Since screening mammography is still recognized as the most effective tool available for early detection of breast cancer, it’s critical that women continue to get their mammograms whether their facility offers film or digital technology.

Either film or digital mammograms have the potential to save your life, or the life of someone you love. The important thing is to have a mammogram done on a regular basis.