Mammography

This procedure is used both to screen for and diagnose breast cancer. The technique uses low-dose X-rays to produce photographic images, known as mammograms, of breast tissue. Mammography has proved to be the most effective means of detecting cancers early and is credited with a 20 to 30 percent reduction in the death rate from breast cancer.

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The special X-ray machines that produce mammograms are equipped with transparent plates that hold and flatten the breasts at the correct angles for making the images. When interpreted by a radiologist, mammograms can reveal suspicious masses plus other changes that cannot be felt or palpated, such as the "microcalcifications" that may accompany DCIS. Though highly effective, mammography does not find every cancer, especially those occurring in highly dense breast tissue common in younger women.

According to the American Cancer Society's guidelines, most women should begin having regular screening mammograms at the age of 40 or the age at which the youngest first-degree relative affected with breast cancer was diagnosed with cancer--whichever comes first. Women should consult with their doctors about whether they should get the test every one or two years, depending on their level of risk.

In addition to screening symptom-free women, "diagnostic mammography" is used to look more closely at new areas of concern.