The first mammogram done is called a baseline mammogram. This baseline becomes the standard for which all future mammograms are compared and the physician can tell if there have been any changes in the breast tissue.
Sometimes, additional images for more precise pictures of the breast tissue are required. Although unsettling, this is not unusual and provides the images needed for more accurate results.
What is Digital Mamography?
A mammogram is an X-ray of breast tissue. Mammography is a screening tool that searches for cancer when there are no symptoms of a health problem.
A mammogram detects lumps, changes in breast tissue or calcifications when they’re too small to be found in a physical exam. Usually two images, from different angles are taken of each breast.
The procedure uses the X-ray images to find abnormalities within the breast tissue. Our specially trained radiology technologist performs the mammogram by positioning the breast tissue in the screening equipment and a radiologist, a medical doctor trained in radiology, reads the mammogram.
Compressing or flattening the breast obtains a clearer picture of the tissue while using the lowest dose of radiation possible. The compression can be uncomfortable but will only last for a few seconds while the X-ray is taken. Some women may feel sore after a mammogram.