A Mammogram Could Save your Life

October 08, 2009

October is breast cancer awareness month. In honor of that fact, HealthRock is offering free downloads of a song that encourages women to get mammograms. To get your free download, go to http://www.healthrockwomen.com/ and click on Podcasts.

According to a recent study by Dr. Blake Cady, of the Cambridge Hospital Breast Center and Harvard Medical School, action is crucial when it comes to getting mammograms. In the study of 6,997 breast cancer patients, 75% of the women who died of breast cancer had not had regular mammograms. Furthermore, the mortality rate for women who did not have regular mammograms was 56%. It was 4.7% for those who did.

Of course, no test is perfect. Mammograms may sometimes miss signs of cancer. Alternatively, they may lead to false positives. Yet Dr. Blake's study makes a strong case for women over 40 to get their annual mammogram.

The following advice on preparing for mammograms comes from the American Cancer Society.

• Make sure that the facility where you will have your mammogram is FDA certified. If it isn't, find another place to get your mammogram.
• Use a facility that specializes in mammograms and does a lot of mammograms each day.
• Once you find a high-quality facility, go to the same place each year so that a doctor can compare each mammogram to previous ones. This will help your doctor catch any changes that may have occurred.
• When you visit a mammogram facility for the first time, bring a list of the places, dates of mammograms, biopsies, or other breast treatments that you may have had in the past.
• If you have had mammograms at a different location in the past, try to get bring those images with you (or have them sent there). This will allow your new doctor to compare the results to your previous mammograms.
• Don't wear deodorant or antiperspirant on the day of your mammogram--some of these products have materials that can show up on the x-ray as white spots.
• You may want to consider wearing a skirt or pants instead of a dress, so that you'll only need to remove your shirt and bra for the mammogram.
• If you are still having periods, try to avoid scheduling your mammogram in the week just before your period. Also trying to avoid scheduling it during your period. You should have your mammogram when your breasts are not tender or swollen, which will help reduce discomfort and get a good picture.
• Always describe any breast symptoms or problems you are having to the technologist who is doing the mammogram. Be prepared to discuss any related medical history such as surgeries or hormone use. Also be ready to talk about any breast cancer that you or a family member has had. Talk to your doctor or nurse about any new findings or problems in your breasts before you have the mammogram.
• Before having any type of imaging test, you should tell your radiology technologist if you are breast feeding. You should also tell the technologist if you think you might be pregnant.
• If you do not hear the results from your doctor within 10 days, don't assume that your mammogram was normal -- call your doctor or the facility to double check.