Mammogram FAQs: Part 4, Breast Cancer

What are the factors that place a woman at increased risk of breast cancer?
The risk of breast cancer increases gradually as a woman gets older. However, the risk of developing breast cancer is not the same for all women. Research has shown that the following factors increase a woman’s chance of developing this disease:

• Personal history of breast cancer – Women who have had breast cancer are more likely to develop breast cancer again.
• Family history – A woman’s chance of developing breast cancer increases if her mother, sister, and/or daughter have a history of breast cancer (especially if they were diagnosed before age 50).
• Certain breast changes on biopsy – Having a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia (a non-cancerous condition in which cells have abnormal features and are increased in number) or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) (abnormal cells found in the lobules of the breast) increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Women who have had two or more breast biopsies for other benign conditions also have an increased chance of developing breast cancer. This increase is due to the condition that led to the biopsy, and not the biopsy itself.
• Genetic alterations – Specific alterations in certain genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, and others) increase the risk of breast cancer. These alterations are rare; they are estimated to account for no more than 10 percent of all breast cancers.

Mammogram FAQs: Part 3, Patient Safety

Should women be concerned about radiation dose during mammography?
No. The risk of harm from radiation is very small when compared to the benefits of early breast cancer detection. Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) has established a maximum radiation dose limit that is considered to be safe. There have been improvements in mammography that deliver 50 times less radiation than they received 20 years ago, with the risk of long-term effects being almost zero.

What should women with breast implants do about screening mammograms?
Women with breast implants should continue to have mammograms. (A woman who had an implant following breast cancer surgery should ask her doctor whether a mammogram of the reconstructed breast is necessary). It is important to inform the facility about breast implants when scheduling a mammogram. The technician and radiologist must be experienced in x-raying patients with breast implants. Implants can hide some breast tissue, making it more difficult for the radiologist to detect an abnormality on the mammogram. If the technologist performing the procedure is aware a woman has breast implants, steps can be taken to make sure that as much breast tissue as possible can be seen on the mammogram.

If I change facilities or need a second opinion, do I need my mammograms?
Good question! The answer is yes, but be sure they are originals–not copies. By law, you are entitled to your original mammograms. A doctor needs to compare past mammograms with current ones to see if there have been any changes, and original mammograms are needed for this comparison. Ask your facility for your original mammograms and for a copy of the medical version of your report. You will probably be asked to fill out a form to release your medical records. You can ask the facility to send your records to another medical facility, to your doctor, or to you. Your facility may charge a fee for this service. If they do, the fee must not be more than the cost of providing this service to you.

Mammogram FAQs: Part 2, Mammograms and Prevention

What is the best method of detecting breast cancer as early as possible?
A high-quality mammogram with a clinical breast exam (an exam done by a health care provider) is the most effective way to detect breast cancer early. Like any test, mammograms have benefits and limitations. For example, some cancers cannot be detected by mammogram, but may be detectable by breast examination.

Checking one’s own breasts for lumps or other unusual changes is called breast self-exam (BSE). Studies have not shown that BSE alone reduces the numbers of deaths from breast cancer. BSE should not take the place of clinical breast exam and mammography. Mammograms can detect breast cancer that cannot be felt.

When should women have screening mammograms?

• Women between 35 and 40 should have a baseline screening mammogram and receive a mammogram once a year after age 40.
• 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.

Mammogram FAQs: Part 1, About Mammograms

What is a mammogram?
A mammogram is a safe, low-dose x-ray picture of the breast. It is currently the most effective method of detecting breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.

What is a screening mammogram?
A screening mammogram is a quick, easy way to detect breast cancer early when treatment is more effective and the survival rate is high. It is an x-ray of the breast that doctors use to look for breast changes in women with no symptoms of breast cancer. Usually, two x-ray pictures are taken of each breast. A physician trained to read the mammograms examines them later. Screening for breast cancer is best achieved by including both mammography and a clinical breast examination in the screening process.