• Inform the doctor of any:

• prior surgeries
• Hormone use
• Family or personal history
of breast cancer

• Do not schedule the

mammogram for the week
before the monthly period, if
the breasts are usually tender
during this time.

• The best time for a

mammogram is one week
following the monthly period.
• Inform doctor if
pregnancy is suspected.

• Do not wear deodorant,

talcum powder or lotion
under the arms or on the
breasts on the day of the
exam. These can appear
on the mammogram as
calcium spots.

• Describe any breast

symptoms or problems to
the technologist
performing the exam.
• If possible, obtain prior
mammograms and
make them available to
the radiologist at the time
of the current exam.

• Ask when the results will

be available; do not
assume the results are
normal if you do not
hear from your doctor or
the mammography
facility.
• The patient will be
asked to undress
from the waist up
and will be given a
gown to wear.

Depending on the type of

equipment used, she will
sit or stand.
One breast at a time is
rested on a flat surface
that contains the x-ray
plate, and a device called
a compressor will be
pressed firmly against the
breast to help flatten out
the breast tissue.
The x-ray pictures are taken
from several angles. The client
may be asked to hold their
breath as each picture is taken.

Two views are taken of each

breast.
• Craniocaudal (top to bottom)
• Mediolateral (side to side)
• Imaging of the breast improves a
physician's ability to detect
small tumors.

• The use of screening

mammography increases the
detection of small abnormal tissue
growths confined to the milk ducts in
the breast, called ductal carcinoma
in situ (DCIS)

• No radiation remains in a patient's

body after an x-ray examination.

• X-rays usually have no side effects

in the diagnostic range.
• RADIATION EXPOSURE

• There is always a slight chance

of cancer from excessive
exposure to radiation. However,
the benefit of an accurate
diagnosis far outweighs the
risk.

• The radiation exposure is

equivalent to one hour of
exposure to sunlight.

To ensure that a mammogram is

reliable, it is important to find a
reputable facility.
FALSE-NEGATIVE RESULTS

• when mammograms appear

normal even though breast
cancer is.

• Rate ranges from 5-10%

• main cause of false-negative

results is high breast
density

• occur more often among

younger women than among
older women
FALSE-POSITIVE RESULTS

• Occur when radiologists decide

mammograms are abnormal but
no cancer is actually present.

• More common in:

• younger women
• women who have had
previous breast biopsies
• women with a family history
of breast cancer
• women who are taking
estrogen
False-positive mammogram
results can lead to anxiety
and other forms of
psychological distress in
affected women.

The additional testing

required to rule out cancer
can also be costly and
time consuming and can
cause physical discomfort.
• Current mammographic guidelines of the
American Cancer Society (ACS)
recommends a mammogram every year
beginning at 40 years of age.

• Women who are at higher than average

risk of breast cancer should talk with their
health care providers about whether to
have mammograms before age 40 and
how often to have them. –NC1 (National
Cancer Institute)
• The American College of Radiology (ACR) has
established a uniform way for radiologists to
describe mammogram findings.

• The system, called BI-RADS

• includes seven standardized categories, or
levels.
• Each BI-RADS category has a follow-up plan
associated with it to help radiologists and other
physicians appropriately manage a patient’s
care
 Breast Imaging Reporting and Database System (BI-RADS)
Category Assessment
0 Need additional imaging
evaluation
1 Negative
2 Benign (noncancerous)
finding
3 Probably benign
4 Suspicious abnormality
5 Highly suggestive
of malignancy(cancer)
6 Known biopsy-proven
malignancy (cancer)
Follow-up
Additional imaging needed before a
category can be assigned
Continue annual screening
mammograms (for women over age
40)
Continue annual screening
mammograms (for women over age
40)
Receive a 6-month follow-up
mammogram
May require biopsy
Requires biopsy
Biopsy confirms presence of cancer
before treatment begins
Helps low income, uninsured and
underserved women gain access
not only
to mammograms but also to:

• Clinical Breast Examinations

• Papanicolaou Test

• Diagnostic Testing for Abnormal

Screening Tests

• Surgical Consultation
The program was
established in 1991 and
has provided more than
7 million screening
examinations and
diagnosed more than
30,000 patients with
breast cancer.
• Educate women about the
current ACS screening
guidelines and benefits of
mammography.

• Nurses can also help

identify and provide
information to women who
may benefit from such
screening programs such
as the one operated by the
CDC.
• Records X-ray images on a
computer instead of on film,
thus allowing the radiologist to
adjust the contrast and focus
on an image without having to
take additional x-rays.

• Also called full-field digital

mammography (FFDM)

• Detectors are similar to those

found in digital camera that
convert x-rays into electrical
signals.
• Designed to assist radiologists
in the identification of
suspicious areas on a
mammogram.

• The computer software

searches for abnormal areas
of density, mass,
or calcification that may
indicate the presence of cancer.

• The CAD system highlights

these areas on the images,
alerting the radiologist to the
need for further analysis.