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Screening Mammogram
What is it?
- Standard test used to detect unsuspected breast changes at an early stage
- Breast is compressed while x-ray is taken, to improve ability to see as much breast tissue as possible
- Relatively small amount of radiation
- Quick and easy
- Usually requires a prescription for patients under 35 years of age
What's it used for?
- Routine/annual breast checkup
- Patients with no breast-related problems or concerns
- Best tool for screening women who are at low to average risk for breast cancer
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Ultrasound
What is it?
- Diagnostic tool using sound waves
- NOT a screening tool
- Requires a prescription
What's it used for?
- Excellent tool to evaluate a lump found during a breast exam and with a diagnostic mammogram
- Excellent tool to evaluate an abnormality found on a mammogram
- Helpful in determining if a lump is benign (cyst) and to prevent a women from having a biopsy
- Useful in helping the radiologist find the right place to put a needle during a biopsy
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Diagnostic Mammogram
What is it?
- Standard test to evaluate breast changes
- Requires a prescription
What's it used for?
- Follow-up to a finding on screening mammogram
- Patients who can feel a lump or have one of the following symptoms:
- Significant pain
- Palpable mass
- Inverted nipple
- Changes in skin contour or breast size
- Nipple discharge
- Skin thickening or dimpling
- Personal history of breast cancer |
Breast MRI
What is it?
- Breast imaging using very large magnets to evaluate the breast
- No radiation
- Requires precertification by insurance company
- Requires a prescription
- Takes approximately 60 minutes
What's it used for?
- Used with mammography to screen women at high risk
- Can be used to evaluate a questionable finding from a mammogram or ultrasound
- Used to assess the extent of the cancer in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer and to find other sites of cancer in both breasts
- Great tool to determine how a cancer is responding to treatment
- Can be a screening tool in some women with the following:
- Personal
- Known genetic mutation
- Strong family history of breast cancer or ovarian cancer
- Past treatment for Hodgkin's disease |
