Mammogram: What To Think About

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What To Think About

• Most abnormalities found during a mammogram are not breast cancer. However, many women who have regular screening mammograms need additional tests to investigate any abnormalities found during a mammogram. If an area of your breast tissue appears to be a concern during a mammogram, other tests may be done.
  • A compression view mammogram, which is similar to a regular mammogram, is usually done to get a better view of specific breast tissue.
  • Breast ultrasound, which produces images of the breast from sound waves, may be done if a lump is found during a clinical breast examination or on a mammogram. Ultrasound can help determine whether a breast lump is a fluid-filled cyst or a solid tumor. For more information, see the medical test Breast Ultrasound.
  • Breast biopsy may be done if a lump is found in the breast. For a biopsy, the lump or a piece of the lump is removed and examined under a microscope to determine whether cancer cells are present. For more information, see the medical test Breast Biopsy.
• A normal mammogram does not guarantee that breast cancer is not present.
• Mammogram results are more difficult to interpret in women before menopause because breast tissue in younger women is denser than in older women. Mammograms may be less accurate in obese women.
• A mammogram is currently the most accurate test for detecting breast cancer. However, other tests, such as magnetic resonance image (MRI) and nuclear scan tests, can also be done to detect breast cancer.
  • MRI can detect suspicious areas in the breasts, but many suspicious areas turn out to be normal (false-positive results). MRI is useful when a diagnosis is difficult to make using other methods. An MRI can also detect if a breast implant has ruptured. MRI is much more expensive and less widely available than a mammogram. It is not used very often to examine the breasts.
  • Nuclear scan tests use a radioactive tracer (called a radionuclide) that is injected into a vein. The tracer travels through the blood vessels and can accumulate in many types of tumors. The location of the tracer is detected by a camera that scans the body for areas where the tracer has accumulated. Nuclear scanning tests are useful when a diagnosis is difficult to make using other methods.
• A new mammogram technique called digital mammogram allows your health professional to view different parts of the breast without taking additional images. Digital mammograms have the same overall accuracy as standard mammograms, but they are more accurate for screening women under age 50 and for women with very dense breast tissue.² The procedure in which a digital mammogram is done is the same as a standard mammogram; each procedure takes about the same amount of time and breast compression is needed for both. Images from digital mammogram can be magnified and stored electronically more easily than images from a standard mammogram. Digital mammograms are not available at all centers.
• In the United States, facilities that perform mammograms must give a woman her original mammogram pictures (not copies) if she requests them.
• If you come from a family where women have had breast cancer earlier than age 40, talk to your doctor about what age to start screening. If you have a very strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, you may want to have a breast cancer (BRCA) gene test. For more information, see the medical test Breast Cancer (BRCA) Gene Test.

Last updated:	February 22, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer