Why mammograms?

My heterogeneously dense breasts on mammogram!

Mammograms are the gold standard for breast imaging because they show most suspicious-looking areas (that might be cancer) earlier than other types of breast imaging — sometimes when only a few millimeters in size. The major advantage over other types of breast imaging is they catch calcifications in the breast  — which can indicate early-stage breast cancer.

Catching breast cancer early gives you more options for treatment, often less invasive treatment, and much better prognosis.

Is it possible for something on mammogram to be missed, and be seen only on ultrasound or MRI? Yes. No imaging is perfect, and different types of imaging have varying benefits. But…

Mammograms catch most of the stuff, most of the time.

Radiologists find cancers 92-94% of the time with mammograms, and rates are higher if your breast imaging center offers 3D (tomosynthesis) mammograms. If you have dense breasts (extremely dense, or even heterogeneously dense) then you might benefit from adding an ultrasound, but your radiologist can make that recommendation if needed.

If you get a “call back” after your annual screening mammogram, try to take a deep breath when you get the news. About 8-10% patients get called back for the radiologist to take a closer look at your breasts with “diagnostic” mammograms (which means they are focusing on a specific area versus doing an overall picture of each breast). Only about 10% of those closer looks are recommended for biopsy, and only about 15-20% of those biopsies end up being cancer.

It’s better to know than not know, and it’s better to catch something early than late.

Is it time for your mammogram? Check out the current guidelines for when to start and how often to be screened here:

https://www.breastcancer.org/screening-testing/mammograms/recommendations

These writings are intended for educational purposes only. Please see your provider for your specific recommendations.