Mammography

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Mammography

Mammography is most often used as a screening technique for breast cancer.

Breast examinations detect most large cancers, but will miss some, particular the very early cancers that are too small to feel.

Mammograms are good at detecting some of these early cancers, but will miss others. This means that breast exams and mammograms are complementary, each detecting problems the other might miss.

Mammography looks for radio-opaque densities, microcalcifications, and disruption of the normal breast architecture (parenchymal asymmetry).

For women without strong risk factors for breast cancer, screening mammography is often done every other year between ages 40 and 50, and then annually after age 50.

This information is provided by The Brookside Associates. The Brookside Associates, LLC. is a private organization, not affiliated with any governmental agency. The opinions presented here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Brookside Associates or the Department of Defense. The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an endorsement of that product or service by either the US Department of Defense or the Brookside Associates. All material presented here is unclassified.