10
aspire
Fall 2014
MAMMOGRAM
What
every woman
should know
EVERY
year, millions of women in
the U.S. willingly bare their breasts to
a stranger in the hope of learning they
don’t have cancer. These women get a
mammogram, a crucial tool in the fight
against breast cancer.
What follows are some basic questions
about mammograms with answers from
Aspirus Women’s Health.
Q. What is a mammogram, and what
is it used for?
A.
A mammogram is an x-ray picture
of the breast. It is the best screening tool
for finding breast cancer, reports the
Office on Women’s Health (OWH).
The test is done while you stand in
front of a low-dose x-ray machine, and
a technician places your breasts—first
one, then the other—between two
plates that press the breast and flatten
it. The compression, which helps the
technician produce a better picture, may
be uncomfortable, but it lasts only a few
seconds.
A radiologist interprets the x-rays,
looking for suspicious areas or lumps,
and if needed, follow-up tests may be
ordered by your doctor.
Q. What is the difference between
screening and diagnostic
mammograms?
A.
A screening mammogram is a
routine test for women who don’t have
symptoms of breast cancer. The disease
sometimes takes many years to develop
and may cause no symptoms early on.
A diagnostic mammogram is a
follow-up exam. It may be ordered if
a screening mammogram shows an
abnormality or after a woman or her
doctor finds something, such as a lump,
that warrants further testing.
More images of the breast are taken
for a diagnostic mammogram than for a
screening one.
Q. How often should I get a
mammogram?
A.
According to the American
Cancer Society (ACS), women 40 and
older should have yearly screening
mammograms. The ACS recommends
a yearly MRI in addition to a screening
mammogram if you have an increased
risk of breast cancer—for example, you
have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
or have a parent, sibling or child with
either of these mutations.
If you’re in one of these categories or
wonder whether you have an increased
risk of breast cancer, talk with your doctor.
Q. What does a radiologist look for?
A.
When a radiologist reads a
mammogram, he or she looks for
calcifications and masses (lumps).
Calcifications appear as small, white
spots on the x-rays. They are mineral
deposits that may or may not be
caused by cancer.
Large calcifications are often related
to aging, injury or inflammation.
They typically don’t require a biopsy
(removal of a small amount of
tissue) because they are usually
not cancerous. About half of
all women older than 50 have
macrocalcifications, reports the
American Cancer Society (ACS).
Tiny specks of calcium can
sometimes signal cancer if they are
grouped in a certain way. A radiologist
will carefully evaluate the shape and
layout of the calcifications and may
recommend a biopsy.
Masses (lumps) in the breast
can be caused by many things. For
example, a mass may be a cyst—-a
noncancerous, fluid-filled sac-—which
is diagnosed with an ultrasound or
aspiration, fluid removal with a needle.
If a mass is partly solid, however, it
may be a tumor.
The radiologist will study the
size and shape of the mass on the
mammogram. Depending on the
radiologist’s findings, a doctor may
take a wait-and-see approach or
recommend a biopsy.
A mammogram can help find cancer at its earliest stages.
For more information about mammograms or any other
women’s health concerns, call our Aspirus Women’s
Health Nurse Navigator at 715.847.0477.
Chris, Women’s Health Nurse Navigator
