A mammogram is a special type of X-ray of the breasts. Mammograms can show tumors long before they are big enough for you or your health care provider to feel. Mammograms are recommended every year or two for women older than 40. They are also recommended for younger women who have symptoms of breast cancer or who have a high risk of the disease.
Mammograms are quick and easy. You stand in front of an X-ray machine. The person who takes the X-rays places your breast between two plastic plates. The plates press your breast and make it flat. This may be uncomfortable, but it helps get a clear picture. You will have an X-ray of each breast. A mammogram takes only a few seconds and it can help save your life.
National Cancer Institute
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Mammogram
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/mammogram/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/mammogramspanish/htm/index.htm -
Mammograms(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/faq/mammography.htm
Also available in Spanish http://womenshealth.gov/espanol/preguntas/mammography.htm
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Screening Mammograms: Questions and Answers
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/screening-mammograms
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/cancer/hojas-informativas/mamografia-respuestas
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Get a Mammogram: Do It for Yourself, Do It for Your Family(National Cancer Institute) - Links to PDF - http://www.cancer.gov/images/Documents/68432989-7c99-4e56-8352-c813d5ef3422/english.pdf
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Mammograms: Not Just Once, but for a Lifetime
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/templates/doc.aspx?viewid=946804B6-8B6F-4CD4-B692-ED7169EB73C9
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Mammography(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=mammo&bhcp=1
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=mammo
- Breast CT Scans Could Be Comfortable Alternative to Mammograms(08/01/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67675.html
- 2 Breast Cancer Screening Strategies Prove Effective(07/29/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67515.html
- Lidocaine Gel May Ease Mammography Discomfort(07/22/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67243.html
- Can Breastfeeding Mothers Get Mammograms?(La Leche League International) - http://www.llli.org//FAQ/mammogram.html
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Computer-Aided Interpretation of Mammograms: Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/CADmammographyQandA
- Digital Tomosynthesis(Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/dig_tomosynth.jsp
- Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Mammography(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mammography/dig-faq.html
- Important Questions to Ask about the Quality of Your Imaging Examination(American College of Radiology) - http://www.acr.org/MainMenuCategories/PatientInfo/ImportantQuestions.aspx
- Mammogram: Can It Find Cancer in Dense Breasts?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/mammogram/AN01137/METHOD=print
- Mammograms After Breast Reconstruction(Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/mammograms/after_recon.jsp
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Mammograms and Breast Cancer(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/opacom/lowlit/mammo.html
- Mammograms and Other Breast Imaging Procedures(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_6x_mammography_and_other_breast_imaging_procedures_5.asp
- What Mammograms Show(Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/mammograms/mamm_show.jsp
- Where to Get a Mammogram(Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/mammograms/where.jsp
- Pictures of Diagnosis (Breast Cancer)(Breastcancer.org) - http://www.breastcancer.org/pictures/diagnosis/index.jsp
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Mammogram(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/mammogram/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/mammogramspanish/htm/index.htm
- Atlas of the Body: The Breast -- Disorders(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ3F9G56JC&sub_cat=326
- Breast Cancer Screening (Mammograms)(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - http://www.medicare.gov/health/mammography.asp
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Mammography(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=mammography
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Factors Influencing Declines in Breast Cancer Mortality(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/CISNET
- Mammogram Rates Dropping Nation-Wide(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Mammogram_Rates_Dropping_Nation-Wide.asp
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MRI Detects Cancers in the Opposite Breast of Women Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/MRIContralateralRelease
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Spectrum of papillary lesions of the breast: clinical, imaging, and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18716096&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: MDCT in the preoperative planning of abdominal perforator surgery for... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18716093&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Image quality of digital direct flat-panel mammography versus an analog... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18716083&tool=MedlinePlus
- Mammography -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=mammography[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American College of Radiology Accredited Facility Search(American College of Radiology) - http://www.acr.org/accreditation/AccreditedFacilitySearch.aspx
- FDA Certified Mammography Facilities(Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mammography/certified.html
- National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Contacts(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Directory of free or low-cost mammogram and Pap test programs - http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/cancercontacts/nbccedp/contacts.asp
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Understanding Breast Changes: More Information(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understanding-breast-changes/page8
- American Cancer Society - http://www.cancer.org/
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National Cancer Institute - http://www.cancer.gov/
- Frequently Asked Questions about Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) and Mammography Facilities(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/mammography/cons-faq2.html
- FASTATS: Mammography(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mamogram.htm
- Mammography Percentages by Race and Ethnicity(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/screening.htm
- Breast Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastcancer.html
- Breast Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breastdiseases.html
- Diagnostic Tests - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diagnostictests.html
- Female Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/femalereproductivesystem.html
- Women - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/women.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Mammography is the National Cancer Institute - http://www.nci.nih.gov/
Mammography - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/mammography.html