What is it?

A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast that is used to examine breast tissue. A special machine dedicated solely to mammography takes the x-rays. The x-ray beam is very well collimated and passes mostly through the breasts and adjacent chest wall. The radiation dose is less than a chest x-ray

What's The Procedure?

In order to obtain a diagnostic quality image the breasts need to be "squished" (a more scientific term would be "compressed!") when the films are taken. This can involve some discomfort, so it may be wise to schedule a mammogram during the week after the menstrual period.

Why Have A Mammogram?

In many medical communities, it is common for women to have a baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 to 40. Breast cancer can occur in women in the 30 - 40 age bracket. If a patient has a strong family history of breast cancer or if a lump or breast mass is detected, mammograms, as well as breast ultrasounds, can be appropriate after consultation with a physician. Ovarian cancer runs in families with breast cancer, so that a family history of ovarian cancer should be considered as a family history of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that all women have annual screening mammograms starting at age 40. Recent studies have shown that if women have regular mammography screenings, they will reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by about two-thirds.

More About Mammography and Breast Diagnosis

Like their mother ship, the breasts are complex organisms, containing glandular tissue (the business end of the breast for feeding babies), as well as fibrous tissue and fat. Breast cancers always arise from the glandular tissue layer.

The glandular tissue blocks the passage of the x-rays more than fat and usually appears as wispy, cloud like structures surrounded by the more radiolucent and darker fat.

Many women have a variant of breast tissue called 'fibrocystic'. The glandular layer is interspersed with minute tiny cysts. Fibrocystic glandular tissue blocks x-rays more and makes the mammogram whiter (the technical term is more 'dense'). Since tumors appear as 'extra whiteness' superimposed on the normal structures, mammograms are less effective in detecting breast tumors in women who have fibrocystic breast tissue. It is a case of looking for something white against a background of white.

Breast ultrasound is a very useful double check and supplement for women who have fibrocystic type breast tissue.

Mammograms also detect calcifications within the breast. There is a wide spectrum of calcifications that can be found in the breast, from large calcifications that look like popcorn (and are not medically significant) to tiny, minute calcifications that look like smudge. It's the tiny calcifications - technically called 'microcalcifications'- that are more medically significant. These calcifications are sometimes associated with early breast cancer, particularly when they vary in their shape, are branched, or are clustered and increasing in number.

The structure of the microcalcifications is often better characterized by performing additional x-ray views called 'magnification views'. When the microcalcifications are suspicious, a biopsy may need to be performed. Breast ultrasound, while very useful for evaluating masses, cannot reliably detect or characterize microcalcifications.

Our Mammography Services

At Burbank Imaging we provide screening and diagnostic mammograms. Diagnostic mammograms require extra views, either to clear an area that looks suspicious on the conventional views, to characterize a suspected abnormality, or to work up microcalcifications.

It is extremely helpful to compare current mammogram films with old films. The Burbank Imaging staff will assist you in obtaining the previous films for comparison.

We accommodate the working woman by providing appointments in the late afternoon and early evening. Morning appointments are available as well.

Patients can talk with a physician after the study to get a preliminary impression of the results.

When a breast ultrasound is an appropriate follow-up or check on a mammogram, the breast ultrasound can be performed during the same visit. This patient feedback alleviates a lot of anxiety.