I am getting a mammogram today, b/c my mom died of breast cancer three weeks ago. I want just want to know if there are any risks involved that I should be aware of.
2006-10-10 03:33:09 · 5 answers · asked by hrmom02 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
No. I've never had one, but I'm told there's a bit of discomfort because the machine works by compressing your breasts just a little bit to hold their position and shape (so it's a bit of pressure, but nothing painful), and the panels on the machine can be a bit cold.
It's an X-ray. There are no risks associated with it beyond the standard slight dose of radiation.
2006-10-10 03:41:05 · answer #1 · answered by Brian L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no risk involved in getting mammogram done. It is a process to examine the breast region and to detect if cancer is prevalent .
Mammography is the process of using low-dose X-rays (usually around 0.7 mSv) to examine the human breast. It is used to look for different types of tumors and cysts. Mammography has been proven to reduce mortality from breast cancer. No other imaging technique has been shown to reduce risk, but self-breast examination (SBE) and physician examination are essential parts of regular breast care. In some countries routine (annual to five-yearly) mammography of older women is encouraged as a screening method to diagnose early breast cancer.
Like all x-rays, mammograms use doses of ionizing radiation to create this image. Radiologists then analyze the image for any abnormal growths. Despite continuous improvements and innovations, mammography has garnered a sizable opposition in the medical community because of an error rate that is still high and the amount of harmful radiation used in the procedure. (Gofinan) It is normal to use longer wavelength X-rays (typically Mo-K) than those used for radiography of bones.
At this time, mammography is still the modality of choice for screening for early breast cancer. It is the gold-standard which other imaging tests are compared with.CT has no real role in diagnosing breast cancer at the present. Ultrasound, Ductography, and Magnetic Resonance are adjuncts to mammography. Ultrasound is typically used for further evaluation of masses found on mammography or palpable masses not seen on mammograms. Ductograms are useful for evaluation of bloody nipple dischage when the mammogram is non-diagnostic. MRI can be useful for further evaluation of questionable findings, or sometimes for pre-surgical evaluation to look for additional lesions.
Mammography has a false-negative (missed cancer) rate of at least 10 percent. This is partly due to dense tissues obscuring the cancer and the fact that the appearance of cancer on mammograms has a large overlap with the appearance of normal tissues.
WISH YOU ALL THE BEST.
2006-10-10 06:29:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dear One, you have my condolences. (I lost my Mother to lung cancer last year).There are no risks that I am aware of. I've had several done over the years. They can be painful as they are required to basically flatten the brest in order to get an image. Either way the benefits far outweigh any risk. Go, get it done, live. Your Mother would want you to.
2006-10-10 03:42:00 · answer #3 · answered by Skullchick 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Other then seeing what your chest would look like it was pancake shaped, nope. I do believe the smaller your chest the more you have to lean into the machine and probably more discomfort then if you have a larger chest.
2006-10-10 06:30:24 · answer #4 · answered by Alison D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely none. A very safe test.
Considering your mother's death you should monitor your own health very carefully.
2006-10-10 03:43:20 · answer #5 · answered by Larry T 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋