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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

By Jaclyn Hurley


The mammography procedure uses X rays to detect breast tumors. It is performed by radiologist technologists and it produces a mammogram of the breasts. It allows doctors to view tumors that physical examination cannot detect. Mammograms also reveal the presence of non cancerous tumors in the breasts. By visiting a healthcare institution or clinic that offers mammography San Diego CA inhabitants can find out if they have breast cancer and get treated early.

According to research, mammography increases the survival chances of people who have breast cancer. For minimal tumors, cure rates of up to ninety five percent have been reported. To prepare for a mammogram, you should inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. You should not apply body powder, deodorant, cream or lotion on your chest on the day of the test because they may interfere with the X rays.

Patients are asked to remove the clothes they are wearing above their waist and they are provided with a hospital gown before undergoing a mammogram. They are also asked to remove any jewelry. Wearing two piece garments on the day of the test is wise. When performing the procedure, radiologic technologists ask patients to maintain an upright position in front of an X ray machine and then place the breasts on a breast support table.

The mammography technologist will then press the two radiographic breast supports together to flatten your breast gently. Compressing the breasts helps ensure that the clearest possible picture is obtained with the least amount of radiation. This pressure may cause you to feel slight discomfort but it will last for a few seconds only as the technician takes the x ray.

Your breasts will be imaged in various positions so that a radiologist can clearly observe all the tissues. After the procedure is over, your physician will be provided with the results and he or she will let you know what they mean and whether you need to be tested further. Patients who undergo this procedure are normally sent their results by mail within thirty days.

According to research completed by the American Cancer Society, about one or two patients out the one thousand patients who get mammograms are found to have breast cancer. On average, ten percent of these patients are asked to get further tests. Only eight to ten percent of women who have gotten a mammogram are asked to get a biopsy and only twenty percent of biopsies show the presence of cancerous cells in breasts.

Insurance firms that offer wellness programs usually spend money for yearly mammogram screenings for women who are 40 years or older. Using mammograms to test for breast cancer is a controversial subject. This is due to fearing that the X ray machines used to perform a mammogram unnecessarily exposes patients to high doses of radiation, which can cause cancer.

The machines used in the olden days exposed patients to as much as ten rads of radiation. This level of radiation is hazardous if the procedure is done regularly over a period of ten to twenty years. However, newer machines emit a low dose of radiation. Patients are exposed to lower than one rad per breast.




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