Schedule Yours Today
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and a good time to visit your primary care physician or OB/GYN for recommended preventive screening. The purpose of mammograms is to catch abnormalities early when treatment offers patients the best outcome. It’s an important test that shouldn’t be delayed even during the pandemic.
Talking to other women who have had mammograms may help ease any apprehension you may have, although each person’s experience can be different. Here are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind:
Dress for the occasion. You will be asked to undress to the waist and given a gown. Most patients prefer to wear slacks or a skirt with a shirt or top that allows them to easily remove their blouse and bra before gowning; dresses and jumpsuits usually need to be removed completely.
Don’t apply underarm deodorant before your mammogram. Many women use some form of antiperspirant or deodorant under their arms as part of their daily routine. However, these products can compromise your mammogram. If you feel you must wear deodorant, you will be asked to remove it before your test; the technologist will provide a deodorant removal wipe for that purpose. After the test, you may apply or re-apply deodorant. Rest assured the technologist is not concerned with the absence of deodorant; their focus is to get the best images possible.
You will be asked to complete a questionnaire. These questions are important and the answers you provide may help the radiologist when she or he reviews your mammogram.
Patients may find mammograms are uncomfortable, but not unbearable. If you know your breasts are particularly sensitive during certain times of the month, take that into consideration when selecting your appointment. Breasts are composed of a combination of fatty tissue, glandular tissue, and connective tissue. Compression is used to even-out the thickness of the breast, which helps differentiate between structures within the breast and reduces the amount of radiation necessary to get a good image. The technologist will do everything possible to minimize the amount of time the exam takes.
You may feel like a contortionist. A minimum of two views will be taken of each breast. Sometimes additional views are necessary to adequately image the breast. Images are taken from different angles, which means the technologist will need to maneuver you and your breasts into the best positions to obtain good images.
Screening mammography vs. diagnostic mammography. If you have no symptoms, you’ll have what is typically referred to as a screening mammogram. You can expect to receive results from your doctor in seven to 10 business days. If your doctor ordered a diagnostic mammogram due to the presence of a symptom, like a lump or nipple discharge, or from a follow up from previous findings, your doctor should receive your results within a few days.
If you are 40 years or older or have new symptoms or known risk factors for breast cancer, make an appointment to speak with your primary care doctor or gynecologist about your concerns. Early diagnosis of breast cancer is linked to higher survival rates, and mammography may help lead to an early diagnosis.
Author: Bethany Dykes Horner, M.D., OB/GYN, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic – Katy