Mammography
Treatment Duration
30
Suggested Sessions
2-3 times/year
Invaluable examination for every woman.
Mammography is as precious as every woman's life.
Mammography, the test that literally saves lives, remains the most powerful diagnostic tool for early-stage breast cancer, when it is largely curable.
What is Mammography?
A classic mammogram is a breast x-ray that is performed on a special mammogram machine.
The great advantage of the test is that it detects cancerous lesions at an early stage, many times before they even develop into tumors that are perceived by touch in the clinical examination.
The Facemed Clinic doctor will inform you about the diagnostic value of the test, the age and the frequency with which it should be done, depending on your medical history.
Kinds of Mammography
Mammography is divided into two main types:
- In preventive mammography, which concerns women who have not been diagnosed with a problem and do not have symptoms.
- The diagnostic mammogram, which involves women who have breast symptoms or the preventive mammogram showed something unusual.
When is the Mammogram performed?
According to the Hellenic Society of Mammology, the first mammogram, which is considered a reference mammogram, is carried out, if there is no hereditary predisposition or medical history that dictates earlier, at the age of 35 to 40 years and then every year.
Mammography Procedure
Mammography is a safe, short and painless examination that requires no preparation.
On the day of your appointment for the examination, it is advisable not to wear perfume, deodorant or powder in the chest area, as they may affect the image of the mammogram.
Mammography is recommended to be done usually between the 4th, 10th and 12th day of the menstrual cycle.
To have a mammogram:
- You will not wear clothes above the waist.
- You will stand in front of the special machine and the operator will place each breast between two surfaces.
- The breasts are then lightly compressed (one by one) and the x-ray is taken.
The mammogram takes no more than 10 minutes, during which the machine operator will guide you on how to stand.
Mammography does not cause pain, but what many women report is that they feel uncomfortable.
In modern digital mammography, which is performed very often today, the x-rays do not interact with a contrast film, as is the case with analog mammography, but with the help of a special program, the image is recorded digitally on the computer screen.
What does the doctor look for in a Mammogram?
The Facemed Clinic doctor will evaluate your x-ray, and compare it to previous mammograms, checking for changes in the breast tissue such as:
- Calcifications (calcium deposits in tissues and microcalcifications)
- Masses (cysts or non-solid cancerous tumors)
- Asymmetries
- Deformed areas
- Breast density
All of the above do not necessarily indicate malignancy, however some of them may need further control, with additional imaging tests such as breast ultrasound, breast magnetic resonance imaging, three-dimensional 3D Tomography (Tomosynthesis).
After Mammography
