Mammogram

Schedule your annual mammogram at UCSF

A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray image of the breast. 它可以在患者看到或感觉到变化之前很久就发现组织中的小异常.

乳房x光检查主要用于两个目的:筛查和诊断. 筛查性乳房x光检查是一种常规检查，用于在早期发现乳腺癌, when it’s easiest to treat. 诊断性乳房x光检查是一种更深入的检查，以调查可疑症状(如肿块)或先前检查的结果.

不同的健康组织对于何时开始乳房x光检查以及多久进行一次有不同的指导方针. Many women start annual screenings at age 40, 但一些乳腺癌风险高于平均水平的患者可能会从更早或更密集的检测中受益.

在检查你的乳房x光照片时，放射科十大赌博平台排行榜会寻找:

• Calcifications – 这些是乳房组织中的微小钙沉积，在x射线图像上看起来像白色斑点. 某些钙化模式可以提示乳腺癌或癌前病变. 如果你有一个异常的钙化模式，你的十大赌博平台排行榜可能会建议乳房活检.


• Masses – Lumps, which doctors call masses, 可能是癌症，但更多的是由良性(非癌性)乳房状况引起的. 常见的良性肿块包括囊肿(充满液体的囊)和纤维腺瘤(固体肿块)。.

Most clinics now use digital mammography rather than film. 数字乳房x光检查可以让你的十大赌博平台排行榜从多个角度在电脑屏幕上查看你的图像.

Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT, 也被称为3D乳房x光检查)是一种先进的数字乳房x光检查. With DBT, 我们可以从不同角度拍摄乳房的多张照片，这样放射科十大赌博平台排行榜就可以透过重叠的组织看到.

在早期发现乳腺癌方面，DBT比传统的乳房x光检查更好. DBT also produces more detailed images, 这样就减少了不确定的乳房x光检查，而不确定的x光检查需要患者回来做额外的检查.

How to prepare

To identify changes over time, 你的放射科十大赌博平台排行榜可能想要比较你最近的乳房x光照片和你过去的照片. Learn how to send images taken at other institutions to your radiologist at UCSF Health.

On the day of your mammogram, don’t use deodorant, perfume, lotion or powder on your breasts or under your arms. These products can interfere with the imaging process.

如果你怀孕或哺乳或曾经做过乳房活检, 确保你的十大赌博平台排行榜和乳房x光检查技师知道这些事情. 在怀孕或哺乳期间不进行乳房x光检查.

What to expect

When you arrive, you’ll be asked to undress from the waist up, change into a gown, and remove any jewelry from your neck and chest area.

根据所使用的设备，你可以坐着或站着拍照. The technologist places one of your breasts on the X-ray plate. 在拍照时，一个装置压在乳房上使其变平. This may feel cold and uncomfortable for several seconds.

技术人员会从多个角度拍摄照片，并可能要求你在拍摄每张照片时屏住呼吸. These steps are repeated for your other breast.

The entire mammogram process usually takes about 20 minutes.

Getting the results

如果你的乳房组织没有肿块或钙化的迹象, your mammogram is considered normal.

If your screening mammogram reveals breast tissue changes, 你的十大赌博平台排行榜会想要进一步调查(见“后续测试”)," below). 大多数情况下，这些异常是良性的(不是癌性的)。. 如果放射科十大赌博平台排行榜在最初的乳房x光片上不能清楚地看到你乳房的任何部分，你也可能会被要求回来做额外的照片.

Follow-up testing

你的十大赌博平台排行榜可能会要求你做以下检查来调查乳房x光片上的可疑发现:

• 额外的乳房x光片视图，包括特定区域的放大图像
• Ultrasound of the breast
• MRI exam of the breast

If a mammogram or ultrasound reveals abnormalities, 我们可能需要进行活组织检查从相关区域收集少量样本. 病理学家(专门从事组织分析的十大赌博平台排行榜)将在样本中寻找癌细胞. A biopsy is the only way to confirm a breast cancer diagnosis.

Types of biopsies include:

• Fine needle aspiration
• Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy
• Stereotactic core biopsy

Risks

乳房x光检查的辐射剂量很小，不会显著影响你患癌症的风险.

当患者怀孕或哺乳时，不需要进行乳房x光检查. If you need a diagnostic mammogram while pregnant, the technologist will cover your abdomen with a lead apron.

Mammography myths

误解1:乳房x光检查增加了患癌症的几率.	Fact: 现代乳房x光检查设备在每次x光中使用非常小剂量的辐射. 这种手术的好处远远超过这种辐射剂量的风险, which doesn't meaningfully affect your cancer risk.
Myth 2: Mammograms don't work on younger women.	Fact: Young women tend to have denser breast tissue than older women, 哪些因素会使使用标准乳房x光检查设备更难发现异常. However, 3D乳房x线摄影可以产生更高质量的图像，帮助十大赌博平台排行榜发现致密乳房的异常情况.
Myth 3: It doesn't matter where I have my mammogram.	Fact: Studies show that radiologists who specialize in mammography, as well as those who interpret a large number of mammograms, are better at detecting cancer early. We recommend imaging centers that specialize in mammography, use the latest equipment, 并被美国放射学会指定为卓越的乳房成像中心. If possible, 每年使用同一个中心，这样你的放射科十大赌博平台排行榜可以很容易地将你最近的乳房x光片与你过去的图像进行比较.

UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. 它仅用于教育目的，并不打算取代您的十大赌博平台排行榜或其他医疗保健提供者的建议. 我们鼓励您与您的供应商讨论您可能遇到的任何问题或疑虑.