Mammography FAQ
- How much radiation is involved with a mammogram?
The effective radiation dose from a mammogram is about the same as the average person receives from background radiation in three months. (Background radiation is the radiation in our natural environment, including cosmic rays and radiation from the naturally radioactive elements, both outside and inside the bodies of humans and animals. It is also called natural radiation. Man-made sources of radioactivity contribute a small amount to total background radiation levels.) - What should I do if I'm pregnant?
Women should always inform their doctor or the x-ray technologist if there is any possibility that they are pregnant because radiation can pose a risk to the developing fetus. A study by the American Academy of Family Physicians states "A pregnant woman who is ill and requires radiographic imaging faces potential risks from her disease to her own health as well as that of her developing infant. These risks almost always outweigh the minor hazards posed by low-dose radiation exposure." - What is a false positive?
Approximately five to ten percent of screening mammograms do not appear completely normal and require more testing and most of the follow-up tests confirm that no cancer was present. It is estimated that a woman who has regular mammograms between ages 40 and 49 has a 30 percent chance of having a false-positive mammogram at some point in that decade and approximately seven to eight percent chance of having a breast biopsy within the ten year period.
As a rough guide, of 1000 women having a screening mammogram, 100 will be recalled for additional images, ten of those will require a biopsy and only one to two of the original 1000 will actually have a cancer. - What are the limitations of mammography?
Interpretations of mammograms can be difficult because a normal breast can appear differently for each woman. The appearance of an image may be compromised if there is powder or deodorant on the breasts or if you have undergone breast surgery of any kind (ie. breast implants). It's important that your physician and the technologist performing the exam know of any augmentation surgery so that they may carefully compress the breasts to improve the view without rupturing the implant.
Not all cancers of the breast can be seen on mammography.
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